DP-203 Design and implement data storage Practice Question
You are designing a data storage solution for a real-time analytics application that ingests IoT sensor data. The data must be stored in a format that supports both streaming ingestion and batch processing with low latency for queries. Which Azure storage solution should you use?
⚠ Common exam trap
Watch out — candidates often confuse Azure Blob Storage (option A) with ADLS Gen2, assuming the hot access tier supports streaming ingestion and low-latency queries, but they overlook the critical need for a hierarchical namespace and native batch processing capabilities that only ADLS Gen2 provides.
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 Data Lake Storage Gen2
Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2 (ADLS Gen2) is the correct choice because it combines a hierarchical namespace with Azure Blob Storage, enabling both streaming ingestion (via Event Hubs, Kafka, or Spark Structured Streaming) and batch processing (via PolyBase, Azure Synapse, or Databricks) while supporting low-latency queries through its POSIX-like file system and optimized columnar formats like Parquet. It directly addresses the requirement for a unified storage layer that handles real-time and batch workloads without data movement.
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 Blob Storage with hot access tier
Why it's wrong here
Blob Storage does not provide a hierarchical namespace and is less optimized for analytics queries.
- ✗
Azure SQL Database with change data capture
Why it's wrong here
Relational database not suitable for high-volume raw data ingestion.
- ✗
Azure Cosmos DB with analytical store
Why it's wrong here
Cosmos DB is for NoSQL workloads; not ideal for raw sensor file storage.
- ✓
Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2
Why this is correct
Supports hierarchical namespace, streaming and batch ingestion, and low-latency queries through Azure Synapse.
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 |
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Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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