DP-203 Design and implement data storage Practice Question
A data engineer needs to store semi-structured JSON logs from multiple sources in Azure. The logs must be queryable using T-SQL and support schema-on-read. Which Azure service should be used?
⚠ Common exam trap
Test-takers frequently confuse schema-on-read with schema-on-write, picking Azure SQL Database or Cosmos DB because they support JSON, but those require predefined schemas or containers, failing the schema-on-read requirement.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Azure Synapse serverless SQL pool with JSON files in ADLS Gen2.
Azure Synapse serverless SQL pool can query JSON files stored in ADLS Gen2 using T-SQL, supporting schema-on-read by inferring the schema from the file content at query time. This makes it ideal for semi-structured logs that need to be queried without predefined schema.
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 Synapse serverless SQL pool with JSON files in ADLS Gen2.
Why this is correct
Serverless SQL pool can query JSON files with schema-on-read using T-SQL.
- ✗
Azure Data Factory mapping data flows.
Why it's wrong here
Data Factory is for data movement and transformation, not storage.
- ✗
Azure Cosmos DB Core (SQL) API.
Why it's wrong here
Cosmos DB uses its own SQL API dialect, not T-SQL.
- ✗
Azure SQL Database with JSON columns.
Why it's wrong here
Azure SQL Database requires a predefined schema; schema-on-read is not supported.
Quick reference
Cloud Service Model Comparison
| Model | You Manage | Provider Manages | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| IaaS | OS, runtime, apps, data | Hardware, hypervisor, networking | EC2, Azure VMs, GCP Compute Engine |
| PaaS | Apps and data | OS, runtime, middleware, hardware | Elastic Beanstalk, Azure App Service |
| SaaS | Data and settings only | Everything else | Microsoft 365, Salesforce, Workday |
| FaaS / Serverless | Function code only | Infra, scaling, runtime | Lambda, Azure Functions, Cloud Run |
| CaaS | Containers and apps | Kubernetes, OS, hardware | EKS, AKS, GKE |
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This DP-203 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Microsoft certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the DP-203 exam.