DP-203 Design and implement data storage Practice Question
A media company ingests high-definition video files into Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2. The files are uploaded once and then read by multiple analytics jobs for 48 hours, after which they are deleted. The company wants to optimize read performance and reduce latency for the analytics jobs. Which storage configuration should you recommend?
⚠ Common exam trap
A common mix-up: candidates confuse premium page blob storage (for VM disks) with premium block blob storage (for high-performance analytics and media), leading to an incorrect storage account choice.
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
✓
Enable hierarchical namespace and store the files as block blobs in a premium block blob storage account.
Premium block blob storage accounts provide low latency and high throughput, which are critical for analytics jobs reading large video files. Enabling hierarchical namespace (Data Lake Storage Gen2) adds a directory structure that improves query efficiency. Block blobs are the correct type for large files. This combination optimizes read performance and reduces latency for the 48-hour analytics window.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Store the files as page blobs in a premium page blob storage account.
Why it's wrong here
Page blobs are optimized for random read/write operations and are used for virtual machine disks, not for media files or analytics. Premium page blob storage accounts are specifically for unmanaged VM disks. Using page blobs for video files would be inefficient and costly, and would not provide the sequential read performance needed for analytics jobs, so this option is incorrect.
- ✗
Store the video files as append blobs in a general-purpose v2 storage account.
Why it's wrong here
Append blobs are optimized for append operations, such as logging, and are not suitable for high-throughput reads of large video files. General-purpose v2 accounts support all blob types, but append blobs do not provide the read performance needed for analytics jobs. This option misuses a blob type intended for sequential writes, so it is incorrect for optimizing read performance.
- ✗
Store the files in a general-purpose v1 storage account with the Hot access tier.
Why it's wrong here
General-purpose v1 accounts do not support Data Lake Storage Gen2 hierarchical namespace, which is beneficial for analytics. They also lack premium performance tiers. While Hot access tier is for frequent access, the v1 account type does not offer the low latency and high throughput of premium block blob storage. This option does not meet the performance optimization requirement.
- ✓
Enable hierarchical namespace and store the files as block blobs in a premium block blob storage account.
Why this is correct
A premium block blob storage account is designed for high transaction rates and low latency, making it ideal for analytics workloads that read data frequently. Enabling hierarchical namespace provides Data Lake Storage Gen2 capabilities, such as a directory structure that improves query performance. Storing files as block blobs is appropriate for large video files, and the premium tier ensures fast reads.
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Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Microsoft exam blueprint
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