- A
Use Azure SQL Database Change Tracking and push changes to Azure Event Hubs, then use Azure Stream Analytics to write to Synapse.
Why wrong: Change Tracking does not directly push to Event Hubs; additional complexity and latency.
- B
Enable Change Data Capture (CDC) on the source table and use Azure Data Factory with a 1-minute tumbling window to copy changes into Synapse.
CDC captures only changed rows, and ADF can run frequently to meet latency target.
- C
Use Azure Synapse PolyBase to directly query the source SQL database every 5 minutes.
Why wrong: PolyBase is for batch queries, not near-real-time replication.
- D
Schedule a full copy of the entire table every 5 minutes using Azure Data Factory.
Why wrong: Full copy of 50M rows every 5 minutes would be resource-intensive and may not complete within 5 minutes.
DP-203 Design and implement data storage Practice Question
This DP-203 practice question tests your understanding of design and implement data storage. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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 designing a near-real-time analytics pipeline for a retail company. Transaction data is generated in Azure SQL Database and must be replicated to Azure Synapse Analytics (dedicated SQL pool) with less than 5 minutes latency. The source table has 50 million rows and 200 columns, but only 30 columns are needed for analytics. Which approach should you recommend?
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 Change Data Capture (CDC) on the source table and use Azure Data Factory with a 1-minute tumbling window to copy changes into Synapse.
Option B is correct because Azure Data Factory (ADF) with Change Data Capture (CDC) on the source SQL database can incrementally copy only changed rows (inserts, updates, deletes) into Azure Synapse Analytics using a 1-minute tumbling window, meeting the sub-5-minute latency requirement while minimizing data volume. This approach efficiently handles 50 million rows by transferring only the 30 needed columns, avoiding full table scans and reducing network load.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Use Azure SQL Database Change Tracking and push changes to Azure Event Hubs, then use Azure Stream Analytics to write to Synapse.
Why it's wrong here
Change Tracking does not directly push to Event Hubs; additional complexity and latency.
- ✓
Enable Change Data Capture (CDC) on the source table and use Azure Data Factory with a 1-minute tumbling window to copy changes into Synapse.
Why this is correct
CDC captures only changed rows, and ADF can run frequently to meet latency target.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Use Azure Synapse PolyBase to directly query the source SQL database every 5 minutes.
Why it's wrong here
PolyBase is for batch queries, not near-real-time replication.
- ✗
Schedule a full copy of the entire table every 5 minutes using Azure Data Factory.
Why it's wrong here
Full copy of 50M rows every 5 minutes would be resource-intensive and may not complete within 5 minutes.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse Change Tracking (which only tracks that a row changed, not the actual changes) with Change Data Capture (which captures the before-and-after values), leading them to choose Option A without realizing the missing push mechanism and the need for additional services to achieve near-real-time replication.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Azure Data Factory's CDC capability leverages SQL Server's Change Tracking or Change Data Capture (CDC) features to identify incremental changes via LSN (Log Sequence Number) markers, enabling ADF to extract only modified rows in a tumbling window. The 1-minute window ensures that changes are captured and loaded into Synapse within the required latency, while the dedicated SQL pool's high-throughput PolyBase or COPY statement can ingest the data efficiently. In real-world scenarios, this pattern is critical for retail analytics where inventory or sales data changes continuously, and full table copies would overwhelm both source and target systems.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
- Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
- Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
- Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A healthcare organisation deploys an application with a public-facing web tier and a private database tier. The database subnet has no public IP and only accepts connections from the web tier's security group. Questions like this test whether you can design cloud network isolation using VNets/VPCs, subnets, and security group rules.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this DP-203 question test?
Design and implement data storage — This question tests Design and implement data storage — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Enable Change Data Capture (CDC) on the source table and use Azure Data Factory with a 1-minute tumbling window to copy changes into Synapse. — Option B is correct because Azure Data Factory (ADF) with Change Data Capture (CDC) on the source SQL database can incrementally copy only changed rows (inserts, updates, deletes) into Azure Synapse Analytics using a 1-minute tumbling window, meeting the sub-5-minute latency requirement while minimizing data volume. This approach efficiently handles 50 million rows by transferring only the 30 needed columns, avoiding full table scans and reducing network load.
What should I do if I get this DP-203 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 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.
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