DP-203 Develop data processing Practice Question
You are using Azure Stream Analytics to process real-time data from an IoT hub. The output is sent to Azure Blob Storage for long-term storage. You need to ensure that the output files are partitioned by date and hour for easy querying. Which THREE configurations should you set? (Choose three.)
⚠ Common exam trap
Many candidates confuse event ordering policies or compatibility levels with output partitioning, but only the path pattern tokens and the 'Write to blob storage partitioned by time' toggle (which enables the {date}/{time} tokens) directly control folder structure.
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
✓
Use a path pattern that includes {date} and {time} tokens.
Azure Stream Analytics supports custom path patterns for Blob Storage output, where {date} and {time} tokens automatically resolve to the processing date and hour (in UTC). This allows partitioning output files into a folder structure like 'YYYY/MM/DD/HH', enabling efficient querying by date and hour without post-processing.
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 a path pattern that includes {date} and {time} tokens.
Why this is correct
Tokens in the path pattern create folder structure based on date and time.
- ✗
Configure the event ordering policy to adjust late events.
Why it's wrong here
Event ordering does not affect output file partitioning.
- ✓
Set the output serialization format to Avro or Parquet.
Why this is correct
Avro and Parquet support partitioning and are efficient for storage.
- ✗
Set the compatibility level to 1.2 or higher.
Why it's wrong here
Compatibility level does not directly enable date/time partitioning.
- ✓
Enable 'Write to blob storage partitioned by time' in the output settings.
Why this is correct
This option allows automatic partitioning by date/time.
Visual reference
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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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.