DP-900 Practice Question: Describe considerations for working with non-relational data on Azure
A company needs to store large amounts of unstructured data (videos and images) for a media streaming application. The data must be accessible via HTTP/HTTPS and support tiered storage for cost optimization. Which Azure storage solution should they choose?
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 Blob Storage
Azure Blob Storage (option B) is correct because it is Azure's object storage service designed for massive amounts of unstructured data such as videos and images, and it natively supports HTTP/HTTPS access as well as access tiers (Hot, Cool, Cold, Archive) for cost optimization. Azure Disk Storage (option A) provides block-level virtual hard disks for VMs and is not accessed via HTTP/HTTPS nor suited to tiered object storage. Azure Table Storage (option C) is a NoSQL key-attribute store for structured data, not large media files. Azure Files (option D) offers SMB/NFS file shares rather than HTTP/HTTPS-accessible object storage with tiering.
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 Disk Storage
Why it's wrong here
Azure Disk Storage provides block-level virtual hard disks attached to a single VM, with no HTTP/HTTPS endpoint and no tiering. It is correct for VM operating system disks, databases and applications requiring low-latency block I/O.
- ✓
Azure Blob Storage
Why this is correct
Azure Blob Storage stores unstructured data as objects accessible over HTTP/HTTPS, satisfying the media streaming requirement. Its hot, cool, cold and archive access tiers deliver the tiered storage needed for cost optimisation, unlike file or queue storage, which lack object semantics and comparable lifecycle tiering.
- ✗
Azure Table Storage
Why it's wrong here
Azure Table Storage holds structured NoSQL entities of key-value properties and cannot store video or image binaries, nor does it offer blob access tiers. It suits schemaless structured records queried by partition and row key, such as device telemetry.
- ✗
Azure Files
Why it's wrong here
Azure Files exposes SMB and NFS shares, not HTTP/HTTPS object endpoints, and its tiers are share-level rather than blob access tiers. It is the right choice for lift-and-shift file shares mounted by VMs or applications needing SMB protocol access.
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 |
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Cosmos DB Change Feed for Streaming
Key term
Azure Storage
Azure Storage is Microsoft's cloud-based service for storing data like files, messages, and backups with high durability and scalability.
Key term
Data
Data is raw, unprocessed information, like numbers, words, or measurements, that can be stored, processed, and analyzed by computers.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This DP-900 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-900 exam.