Question 385 of 760
DP-203 Develop data processing Practice Question
You are designing a data processing solution in Azure Synapse Analytics. The solution must use a dedicated SQL pool to store fact and dimension tables. The fact table is expected to have billions of rows. Which distribution strategy should you recommend for the fact table to optimize query performance and minimize data movement?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many candidates confuse partitioning with distribution, thinking that partitioning alone can optimize data movement across nodes, but partitioning operates within a distribution and does not affect how data is distributed across compute resources.
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
✓
Hash distribution on a column that is frequently used in joins and aggregations.
Hash distribution on a column frequently used in joins and aggregations is the best choice for a fact table with billions of rows in a dedicated SQL pool. It distributes rows across distributions based on a hash of the distribution column, ensuring that rows with the same key value are co-located on the same distribution. This minimizes data movement during joins and aggregations, as the data required for these operations is already local to each distribution, significantly improving query performance.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Round-robin distribution.
Why it's wrong here
Round-robin distributes rows evenly but causes data movement during joins.
- ✗
Partitioned table with a partition key.
Why it's wrong here
Partitioning is a separate concept from distribution; it helps with partition elimination but not data movement.
- ✓
Hash distribution on a column that is frequently used in joins and aggregations.
Why this is correct
Hash distribution collocates rows with the same key, reducing data movement.
- ✗
Replicated distribution.
Why it's wrong here
Replicated distribution copies the entire table to each distribution, suitable for small dimension tables only.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
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.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.