- A
Serverless compute tier
Correct - Serverless automatically scales compute on-demand and pauses during inactivity, matching the need for handling unpredictable spikes without manual intervention.
- B
Active geo-replication
Why wrong: Incorrect - Active geo-replication is used for creating readable secondary replicas in different regions for disaster recovery, not for auto-scaling compute.
- C
Hyperscale service tier
Why wrong: Incorrect - Hyperscale is designed for very large databases (up to 100 TB) and provides fast scaling, but it does not automatically pause or scale down to zero; it requires provisioning compute nodes.
- D
Read scale-out
Why wrong: Incorrect - Read scale-out provides a read-only replica to offload reporting queries, but it does not automatically adjust compute for the primary database.
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 web application on Azure SQL Database that experiences unpredictable spikes in traffic. They want to automatically adjust compute resources based on demand without manual intervention and without over-provisioning. Which Azure SQL Database feature should they use?
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
Serverless compute tier
The Serverless compute tier for Azure SQL Database automatically scales compute resources based on workload demand, pausing databases during idle periods and resuming them when traffic spikes occur. This eliminates the need for manual intervention and prevents over-provisioning by charging only for the compute used per second, making it ideal for unpredictable traffic patterns.
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.
- ✓
Serverless compute tier
Why this is correct
Correct - Serverless automatically scales compute on-demand and pauses during inactivity, matching the need for handling unpredictable spikes without manual intervention.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Active geo-replication
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect - Active geo-replication is used for creating readable secondary replicas in different regions for disaster recovery, not for auto-scaling compute.
- ✗
Hyperscale service tier
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect - Hyperscale is designed for very large databases (up to 100 TB) and provides fast scaling, but it does not automatically pause or scale down to zero; it requires provisioning compute nodes.
- ✗
Read scale-out
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect - Read scale-out provides a read-only replica to offload reporting queries, but it does not automatically adjust compute for the primary database.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse the Hyperscale service tier's storage scalability with compute auto-scaling, but Hyperscale requires manual vCore adjustment and does not support auto-pause, whereas Serverless is specifically designed for unpredictable, intermittent workloads with automatic compute scaling.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The Serverless tier uses a compute auto-scaling range (min and max vCores) and an auto-pause delay (configurable from 1 minute to 7 days) to balance cost and performance. Under the hood, Azure SQL Database monitors CPU, memory, and IO metrics to scale within the configured range, and billing is per-second for compute used, with storage billed separately. A real-world scenario is an e-commerce site that sees sudden flash sales: Serverless can burst from 0.5 to 16 vCores within seconds, then scale back down, avoiding the cost of always-on provisioned resources.
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 media company stores terabytes of video archives that are accessed once a year for audit purposes. Moving these objects to a cold storage tier (Azure Archive, S3 Glacier, or Google Nearline) costs a fraction of hot storage. Questions like this test whether you understand storage tiers, access frequency tradeoffs, and retrieval latency requirements.
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: Serverless compute tier — The Serverless compute tier for Azure SQL Database automatically scales compute resources based on workload demand, pausing databases during idle periods and resuming them when traffic spikes occur. This eliminates the need for manual intervention and prevents over-provisioning by charging only for the compute used per second, making it ideal for unpredictable traffic patterns.
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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