Design and implement data storage →easyMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped

DP-203 Design and implement data storage Practice Question

Exhibit

Refer to the exhibit.

```sql
CREATE EXTERNAL DATA SOURCE MyDataSource
WITH (
    LOCATION = 'abfss://data@storagedatalake.dfs.core.windows.net',
    TYPE = HADOOP,
    CREDENTIAL = MyCredential
);

CREATE EXTERNAL FILE FORMAT MyFileFormat
WITH (
    FORMAT_TYPE = PARQUET,
    DATA_COMPRESSION = 'org.apache.hadoop.io.compress.SnappyCodec'
);

CREATE EXTERNAL TABLE dbo.Orders (
    OrderID INT,
    CustomerID INT,
    OrderDate DATE,
    TotalAmount DECIMAL(10,2)
)
WITH (
    LOCATION = '/orders/',
    DATA_SOURCE = MyDataSource,
    FILE_FORMAT = MyFileFormat
);
```

You are an administrator for an Azure Synapse Analytics dedicated SQL pool. You execute the T-SQL statements shown in the exhibit. The external table 'dbo.Orders' is created. Which statement about querying this external table is true?

⚠ Common exam trap

Test-takers frequently assume external tables require an explicit import step before querying, but in reality, PolyBase allows direct querying of external data without any data movement into the dedicated SQL pool.

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

✓

You can query the external table using standard T-SQL SELECT statements.

An external table in Azure Synapse Analytics dedicated SQL pool is a read-only abstraction over data stored externally (e.g., in Azure Blob Storage or Azure Data Lake Store). You can query it directly using standard T-SQL SELECT statements without importing data into the pool, leveraging PolyBase to push down predicate filtering and read only the required data.

Answer analysis

Option-by-option breakdown

For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.

✗
Querying the external table automatically imports data into a round-robin distribution.
Why it's wrong here
No automatic import.
✗
The table cannot be queried until the data is imported into the dedicated SQL pool.
Why it's wrong here
External tables are queryable without importing.
✓
You can query the external table using standard T-SQL SELECT statements.
Why this is correct
External tables support SELECT queries.
✗
You must first create a PolyBase external table before querying.
Why it's wrong here
It already is a PolyBase external table.

Quick reference

Azure Blob Storage Tier Comparison

Tier	Storage Cost	Retrieval Cost	Latency	Use Case
Hot	Highest	Lowest	Immediate	Active data, frequent reads
Cool	Lower	Higher	Immediate	Data accessed < once / month
Cold	Lower still	Higher	Immediate	Data accessed < once / quarter
Archive	Lowest	Highest + rehydration delay	Hours	Long-term compliance retention

Go deeper

DP-203 Design and implement data storage Practice Question

Exhibit

Why each option matters

Option-by-option breakdown

Azure Blob Storage Tier Comparison

Related to this question