This DP-203 practice question tests your understanding of develop data processing. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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 building a data processing solution that requires exactly-once semantics when writing to Azure Event Hubs from Azure Stream Analytics. Which output format should you configure?
JSON
Why wrong: JSON output does not guarantee exactly-once delivery to Event Hubs.
CSV
Why wrong: CSV is not supported for Event Hubs output in Stream Analytics.
Parquet
Why wrong: Parquet is not a supported output format for Event Hubs in Stream Analytics.
Avro
Avro format in Stream Analytics provides exactly-once semantics when writing to Event Hubs.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Avro
Azure Stream Analytics supports exactly-once semantics when writing to Event Hubs only when using Avro serialization. This is because Avro provides a compact binary format with embedded schema, enabling Stream Analytics to track and deduplicate events precisely during output, which is required for exactly-once delivery. JSON, CSV, and Parquet do not support the necessary metadata and checkpointing mechanisms for exactly-once guarantees in this specific integration.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
JSON
Why it's wrong here
JSON output does not guarantee exactly-once delivery to Event Hubs.
CSV
Why it's wrong here
CSV is not supported for Event Hubs output in Stream Analytics.
Parquet
Why it's wrong here
Parquet is not a supported output format for Event Hubs in Stream Analytics.
Avro
Why this is correct
Avro format in Stream Analytics provides exactly-once semantics when writing to Event Hubs.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates often assume JSON is the default or most compatible format for streaming outputs, but they overlook that exactly-once semantics require a binary format with embedded schema support, which only Avro provides in this specific Azure Stream Analytics to Event Hubs integration.
Trap categories for this question
Command / output trap
JSON output does not guarantee exactly-once delivery to Event Hubs.
Detailed technical explanation
Under the hood, Avro serialization in Stream Analytics uses a compact binary encoding with a schema that is sent alongside the data, allowing Event Hubs to perform idempotent writes based on the event's offset and sequence number. This is critical in scenarios like financial transaction processing where duplicate events could cause incorrect balances, and Avro's schema registry integration ensures consistency across retries. Stream Analytics leverages the Avro format to embed a unique identifier per event, enabling the output adapter to detect and discard duplicates during checkpoint recovery.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A cloud solutions architect for a retail company is evaluating services for a new workload. The correct answer here reflects best practice for the specific scenario described — not a general cloud recommendation. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Cloud exam questions reward reading the constraint carefully: the same technology can be right or wrong depending on the use case.
What to study next
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FAQ
Develop data processing — This question tests Develop data processing — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Avro — Azure Stream Analytics supports exactly-once semantics when writing to Event Hubs only when using Avro serialization. This is because Avro provides a compact binary format with embedded schema, enabling Stream Analytics to track and deduplicate events precisely during output, which is required for exactly-once delivery. JSON, CSV, and Parquet do not support the necessary metadata and checkpointing mechanisms for exactly-once guarantees in this specific integration.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
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