The answer is Azure Blob Storage for unstructured data and Azure Cosmos DB for structured data. This combination directly addresses the hybrid storage needs of a healthcare application by pairing Blob Storage’s automatic tiering—hot, cool, and archive—for cold data cost savings with Cosmos DB’s low-latency, multi-model access for structured patient records, while both services support customer-managed keys for encryption at rest. On the AZ-305 exam, this scenario tests your ability to match data types to the correct Azure service and recognize that Cosmos DB handles structured, schema-flexible data with guaranteed speed, whereas Blob Storage excels at large, unstructured files like medical images. A common trap is choosing Azure SQL Database for structured data, but that only supports relational models, not the flexible schema required here, or Azure Table Storage, which lacks automatic tiering. Memory tip: think “Blob for blobs (unstructured), Cosmos for columns (structured)” to quickly pair the right service with the data type.
AZ-305 Design infrastructure solutions Practice Question
This AZ-305 practice question tests your understanding of design infrastructure solutions. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
You are designing a storage solution for a healthcare application that stores patient records. The solution must meet the following requirements: - Support for both structured and unstructured data. - Provide low-latency access to frequently accessed data. - Automatically move cold data to a lower-cost tier. - Encrypt data at rest using customer-managed keys. Which combination of Azure services should you recommend?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Azure Blob Storage for unstructured data and Azure Cosmos DB for structured data
Option A is correct. Azure Blob Storage supports unstructured data with hot, cool, and archive tiers; Azure Cosmos DB supports structured data with low-latency access; both support customer-managed keys. Option B is wrong because Azure Files is for file shares, not a database. Option C is wrong because Azure SQL Database is for relational data only. Option D is wrong because Azure Table Storage is a NoSQL key-value store but does not support automatic tiering.
Key principle: NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
Azure Table Storage for structured data and Azure Blob Storage for unstructured data
Why it's wrong here
Table Storage does not support automatic tiering.
✗
Azure Files for unstructured data and Azure SQL Database for structured data
Why it's wrong here
Azure Files does not support automatic tiering to cold storage.
✓
Azure Blob Storage for unstructured data and Azure Cosmos DB for structured data
Why this is correct
Blob Storage provides tiering; Cosmos DB provides low-latency access; both support CMK.
Related concept
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
✗
Azure Blob Storage for unstructured data and Azure SQL Database for structured data
Why it's wrong here
Azure SQL Database does not support automatic tiering to cold storage.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: NAT rules depend on direction and matching traffic
NAT is not only about the public address. The inside/outside interface roles and the ACL or rule that matches traffic are just as important.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
NAT questions usually test address translation, overload/PAT behaviour, static mappings and whether the right traffic is being translated. Read the interface direction and address terms carefully.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
PAT allows many inside hosts to share one public address using ports.
Inside local and inside global describe the private and translated addresses.
NAT ACLs identify traffic for translation, not always security filtering.
TExam Day Tips
→Identify inside and outside interfaces first.
→Check whether the scenario needs static NAT, dynamic NAT or PAT.
→Do not confuse NAT matching ACLs with normal packet-filtering intent.
Key takeaway
NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A startup's cloud architect reviews their monthly bill and notices costs are higher than expected for a long-running batch job. Switching from on-demand instances to Reserved Instances — or using Spot/Preemptible VMs — can reduce compute costs by up to 72 %. Questions like this test whether you understand the tradeoffs between commitment, flexibility, and cost across cloud pricing models.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this AZ-305 question in full detail.
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related AZ-305 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
Design infrastructure solutions — This question tests Design infrastructure solutions — Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Azure Blob Storage for unstructured data and Azure Cosmos DB for structured data — Option A is correct. Azure Blob Storage supports unstructured data with hot, cool, and archive tiers; Azure Cosmos DB supports structured data with low-latency access; both support customer-managed keys. Option B is wrong because Azure Files is for file shares, not a database. Option C is wrong because Azure SQL Database is for relational data only. Option D is wrong because Azure Table Storage is a NoSQL key-value store but does not support automatic tiering.
What should I do if I get this AZ-305 question wrong?
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related AZ-305 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
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Question Discussion
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