- A
Active geo-replication
Active geo-replication allows you to create up to four readable secondary databases in the same or different regions. Application read queries can be directed to these secondaries, distributing the read load and improving performance without modifying application logic.
- B
Elastic pools
Why wrong: Elastic pools are used for managing and scaling multiple databases that have unpredictable usage patterns, sharing a fixed set of resources. They do not provide isolated read replicas to offload read queries from a single primary database.
- C
In-memory OLTP
Why wrong: In-memory OLTP accelerates transaction processing by storing data in memory, which is beneficial for write-heavy OLTP workloads. It does not directly provide additional read capacity for read-intensive workloads.
- D
Columnstore indexes
Why wrong: Columnstore indexes are designed for analytical queries that scan large amounts of data. They can improve read performance for aggregations but do not offload the primary database from concurrent read requests like a separate read replica would.
DP-900 Practice Question: Identify considerations for relational data on Azure
This DP-900 practice question tests your understanding of identify considerations for relational data on azure. 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.
A company runs a global e-commerce application on Azure SQL Database. The application has a read-intensive workload with millions of users querying product details simultaneously. The database is experiencing high read latency during peak hours due to the volume of concurrent read requests. The company wants to scale read performance without changing the application code and without affecting write operations. Which Azure SQL Database feature should they implement?
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
Active geo-replication
Active geo-replication creates readable secondary replicas of the Azure SQL Database in different Azure regions. By configuring read-only routing to these secondaries, the application can offload read queries from the primary database, scaling read performance without any code changes and without impacting write operations on the primary.
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.
- ✓
Active geo-replication
Why this is correct
Active geo-replication allows you to create up to four readable secondary databases in the same or different regions. Application read queries can be directed to these secondaries, distributing the read load and improving performance without modifying application logic.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Elastic pools
Why it's wrong here
Elastic pools are used for managing and scaling multiple databases that have unpredictable usage patterns, sharing a fixed set of resources. They do not provide isolated read replicas to offload read queries from a single primary database.
- ✗
In-memory OLTP
Why it's wrong here
In-memory OLTP accelerates transaction processing by storing data in memory, which is beneficial for write-heavy OLTP workloads. It does not directly provide additional read capacity for read-intensive workloads.
- ✗
Columnstore indexes
Why it's wrong here
Columnstore indexes are designed for analytical queries that scan large amounts of data. They can improve read performance for aggregations but do not offload the primary database from concurrent read requests like a separate read replica would.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse Active geo-replication with failover groups or assume that In-memory OLTP can solve read latency, but the key requirement is scaling read performance without code changes, which only readable secondaries can achieve.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Active geo-replication uses asynchronous replication to maintain up to four readable secondary replicas. The application can use the ApplicationIntent=ReadOnly connection string parameter to automatically route read-only queries to a secondary replica, leveraging the built-in read-scale listener. This feature is ideal for read-intensive workloads with high concurrency, as it distributes the read load across multiple replicas while keeping the primary focused on writes.
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
An e-commerce site experiences heavy traffic on Black Friday and near-zero traffic during off-peak weeks. Rather than provisioning permanent large VMs, the team uses auto-scaling groups that add capacity automatically under load and reduce it overnight. Questions like this test whether you understand elasticity, availability zones, and cloud compute scaling patterns.
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-900 question test?
Identify considerations for relational data on Azure — This question tests Identify considerations for relational data on Azure — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Active geo-replication — Active geo-replication creates readable secondary replicas of the Azure SQL Database in different Azure regions. By configuring read-only routing to these secondaries, the application can offload read queries from the primary database, scaling read performance without any code changes and without impacting write operations on the primary.
What should I do if I get this DP-900 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-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.
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