Question 881 of 820
DP-900 Practice Question: Identify considerations for relational data on Azure
A financial services company runs a single SQL Server database that is 6 TB in size and handles a high volume of concurrent transactions. The database needs to support near real-time analytics without impacting OLTP performance. The company wants to migrate to Azure SQL Database and requires fast scale-out for read workloads, as well as the ability to independently scale compute and storage. Which Azure SQL Database service tier should they choose?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many candidates confuse Business Critical's high availability features with read scale-out, but Business Critical does not provide dedicated read replicas for analytics workloads, and its storage is not independently scalable from compute.
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
✓
Hyperscale
Hyperscale is the correct choice because it is designed for databases up to 100 TB, supports high-volume concurrent transactions, and provides near real-time read scale-out via named replicas that offload read workloads without affecting OLTP performance. It also allows independent scaling of compute (vCores) and storage (auto-scaled), meeting the company's requirements for fast scale-out and decoupled resources.
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
Why it's wrong here
Serverless compute is designed for databases with irregular or intermittent usage, because it auto-scales compute and can pause to save costs when there is no activity. However, Serverless does not support a 6 TB database (its storage limit aligns with General Purpose at 4 TB) and offers no separate readable replicas for analytics. It may be excellent for unpredictable dev/test workloads, but it cannot satisfy either the storage or the reporting requirements of a 6 TB financial database.
When this WOULD be correct
A question where the database has sporadic usage patterns, low average compute utilization, and can tolerate auto-pause delays, such as a development or test database with infrequent access.
- ✓
Hyperscale
Why this is correct
Azure SQL Database Hyperscale is the only service tier that can store a 6 TB database, with a maximum data size of 100 TB, while also decoupling compute from storage so read-only replicas can be added independently. It supports up to four readable replicas, allowing the financial services company to offload reporting and analytics queries from the primary transactional workload without degrading performance. The tier also uses snapshot-based backups, making backup and restore near-instantaneous even at large scale.
- ✗
Business Critical
Why it's wrong here
Business Critical provides the highest availability and lowest latency with a quorum-based cluster of always-available replicas, and it does include one read-only secondary, but its maximum database size remains 4 TB. It cannot hold a 6 TB database, and its read scale-out is limited to a single built-in replica rather than the multiple dedicated readable replicas Hyperscale offers. Although it is a premium tier, the storage ceiling rules it out for this workload.
When this WOULD be correct
A question where the database requires the highest level of resilience and performance for OLTP with low latency, such as a mission-critical application needing multiple synchronous replicas and automatic failover, but does not require near real-time analytics or independent storage scaling.
- ✗
General Purpose
Why it's wrong here
General Purpose is a budget-friendly tier for standard OLTP workloads but is capped at 4 TB of data, so it cannot accommodate a 6 TB database like the one in this scenario. It does not offer readable replicas for read scale-out, meaning analytics queries would run against the primary and compete with transactions. Because the database exceeds its storage limit, General Purpose is not a valid option here.
When this WOULD be correct
A question where the database is under 4 TB, has moderate concurrency, and the primary requirement is cost optimization with balanced performance for typical OLTP workloads, without needing read scale-out or independent compute/storage scaling.
Option-by-option analysis
Why each answer is right or wrong
Understanding why wrong answers are wrong — and when they would be correct — is what separates a 750 score from a 900. The DP-900 exam frequently reuses these exact scenarios with slightly different constraints.
✓HyperscaleCorrect answer▾
Why this is correct
Azure SQL Database Hyperscale is the only service tier that can store a 6 TB database, with a maximum data size of 100 TB, while also decoupling compute from storage so read-only replicas can be added independently. It supports up to four readable replicas, allowing the financial services company to offload reporting and analytics queries from the primary transactional workload without degrading performance. The tier also uses snapshot-based backups, making backup and restore near-instantaneous even at large scale.
✗ServerlessWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Serverless is designed for intermittent, unpredictable workloads with auto-pausing and compute scaling, not for a 6 TB database with high concurrent transactions requiring near real-time analytics and fast read scale-out.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
A question where the database has sporadic usage patterns, low average compute utilization, and can tolerate auto-pause delays, such as a development or test database with infrequent access.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse 'serverless' with 'scalable' or think it automatically handles large workloads, overlooking its limitations on storage size and concurrency.
✗Business CriticalWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Business Critical provides high availability and performance with local SSD storage, but it does not support fast scale-out for read workloads via readable replicas with independent compute scaling, nor does it allow independent scaling of compute and storage like Hyperscale does.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
A question where the database requires the highest level of resilience and performance for OLTP with low latency, such as a mission-critical application needing multiple synchronous replicas and automatic failover, but does not require near real-time analytics or independent storage scaling.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may choose Business Critical because it offers high performance and availability, assuming it can handle large databases and analytics, but they overlook the specific need for fast scale-out of read workloads and independent compute/storage scaling that Hyperscale provides.
✗General PurposeWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
General Purpose does not support fast scale-out for read workloads with readable replicas, and it cannot independently scale compute and storage to the degree needed for a 6 TB database with high concurrency and near real-time analytics.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
A question where the database is under 4 TB, has moderate concurrency, and the primary requirement is cost optimization with balanced performance for typical OLTP workloads, without needing read scale-out or independent compute/storage scaling.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may choose General Purpose because it is the most commonly used tier for standard workloads, and they might overlook the specific requirements for large size, high concurrency, and read scale-out that Hyperscale addresses.
Analysis generated from the official DP-900blueprint and verified against question context. The “when correct” sections are what AI assistants cite when candidates ask “what’s the difference between these options?”
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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