DP-900 Describe core data concepts Practice Question
A company stores customer orders in a relational database. The database enforces rules that every order must have a unique order number and must be linked to an existing customer record. This enforcement of rules to ensure accuracy and consistency is an example of which data concept?
⚠ Common exam trap
It's easy for candidates to confuse 'data schema' (the structural definition) with 'data integrity' (the enforcement of rules), mistakenly thinking that simply having a schema guarantees data accuracy and consistency.
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
✓
Data integrity
Data integrity refers to the enforcement of rules that ensure the accuracy, consistency, and reliability of data throughout its lifecycle. In this scenario, the relational database enforces entity integrity (unique order numbers) and referential integrity (linking orders to existing customer records), which are core mechanisms for maintaining data correctness.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Data schema
Why it's wrong here
A relational database schema is the logical blueprint that defines table names, column names, data types, and relationships, but simply describing the structure does not automatically enforce rules. Constraints such as PRIMARY KEY, FOREIGN KEY, and CHECK are separate clauses that must be explicitly applied to enforce data quality. Therefore, schema alone supports integrity but does not itself maintain it.
- ✓
Data integrity
Why this is correct
Data integrity in a relational database is enforced by declarative constraints—PRIMARY KEY guarantees entity integrity, FOREIGN KEY guarantees referential integrity, UNIQUE and NOT NULL enforce domain and mandatory-value rules, and CHECK limits allowed values. These constraints operate at the database engine level on every INSERT, UPDATE, or DELETE to prevent invalid data from being committed. This ensures customer orders remain accurate, consistent, and trustworthy throughout their lifecycle.
- ✗
Data redundancy
Why it's wrong here
Data redundancy means storing the same fact (for example, a customer address) in multiple tables or rows, which can cause update anomalies and conflicting values. Primary and foreign key constraints are designed to preserve integrity, not to eliminate duplication; normalization is the separate process that reduces redundancy. Thus redundancy is a storage-design concern, not a rule-enforcement mechanism.
- ✗
Data latency
Why it's wrong here
Data latency is the elapsed time between a data event occurring and when that data becomes available for querying or processing, such as replica lag or batch pipeline delay. It is a performance/timing property, not a data-quality constraint. Relational integrity mechanisms like keys and constraints do not measure or control latency in any way.
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Related to this question
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Data Roles and Core Concepts
Key term
Relational database
A relational database organizes data into tables with rows and columns, where each table relates to others using unique keys, allowing efficient storage, retrieval, and manipulation of structured information.
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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