DP-203 Design and implement data storage Practice Question
You need to store log data from multiple Azure services in a single location for long-term retention and cost-effective querying. The data is append-only and rarely modified. Which storage solution should you use?
⚠ Common exam trap
Watch out — candidates often confuse 'append-only' with a database requirement and pick Azure SQL Database or Cosmos DB, overlooking that log storage prioritizes cost and schema-on-read over transactional consistency or low-latency writes.
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 optimized for append-only, rarely modified data like logs, offering hierarchical namespace, POSIX-like ACLs, and cost-effective tiered storage (hot/cool/archive). It supports high-throughput querying via Azure Synapse, Athena, or Spark, making it ideal for long-term retention and analytics on immutable log data.
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 SQL Database
Why it's wrong here
SQL Database is expensive and not designed for high-volume log storage.
- ✓
Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2
Why this is correct
ADLS Gen2 provides scalable, cost-effective storage for log data with analytics capabilities.
- ✗
Azure Table Storage
Why it's wrong here
Table Storage has limited query and analytics features for large-scale logs.
- ✗
Azure Cosmos DB
Why it's wrong here
Cosmos DB is optimized for low-latency transactions, not cost-effective log storage.
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
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