DP-900 Practice Question: Identify considerations for relational data on Azure
A small business wants to migrate their on-premises SQL Server database to Azure. They have limited budget and want to minimize ongoing management overhead. The database is less than 50 GB and is used by a single application with low concurrent users. The application requires compatibility with SQL Server features such as T-SQL, stored procedures, and functions. The business does not require high availability or disaster recovery. Which Azure relational database service should they choose?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often choose Azure SQL Managed Instance because of its full SQL Server compatibility, overlooking that the serverless tier of Azure SQL Database also supports T-SQL, stored procedures, and functions, and is far more cost-effective for small, low-usage workloads without HA/DR needs.
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 SQL Database (serverless tier)
Azure SQL Database serverless tier is the best choice because it provides a fully managed, PaaS relational database service that supports T-SQL, stored procedures, and functions, while automatically pausing during idle periods to reduce costs. With a database under 50 GB, low concurrency, and no HA/DR requirements, the serverless tier minimizes both management overhead and cost, as it charges only for compute used per second and storage consumed.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
SQL Server on Azure Virtual Machines
Why it's wrong here
Choosing SQL Server on Azure Virtual Machines would force the small business to manage the underlying OS, SQL Server patches, and High Availability configurations. Unlike Azure SQL Database, this is an IaaS solution where you pay for the VM even when it's idle, and you must handle backups and disaster recovery yourself. The added administrative overhead and licensing costs are disproportionately high for a small, lightly used workload.
- ✓
Azure SQL Database (serverless tier)
Why this is correct
Azure SQL Database's serverless tier automatically pauses the database after a period of inactivity and resumes when traffic returns, so you are only billed for compute when it's actually in use. It is a fully managed PaaS offering that includes automatic backups, high availability, and built-in security, while remaining compatible with SQL Server T-SQL. For a small business, this eliminates most administrative work and aligns compute cost with sporadic usage.
- ✗
Azure SQL Managed Instance
Why it's wrong here
Azure SQL Managed Instance provides near-100% SQL Server compatibility and instance-scoped features like SQL Agent and CLR, but it carries a higher base price and maintains a more complex networking and SKU footprint than Azure SQL Database. For a small business with limited usage, this is overprovisioned and more expensive than needed, because it typically runs on provisioned compute tiers rather than offering the same auto-pause cost savings of the serverless database. The extra compatibility features seldom justify the additional monthly cost for a simple workload.
- ✗
Azure Database for MySQL
Why it's wrong here
Azure Database for MySQL is an entirely different relational engine that uses the MySQL dialect, not SQL Server's T-SQL. Stored procedures, functions, and legacy T-SQL code would need to be rewritten or may be completely incompatible, effectively requiring a re-architecture rather than a migration. The goal is to move the existing SQL Server database with minimal change, so choosing a different engine introduces significant rework and risk.
Quick reference
Cloud Service Model Comparison
| Model | You Manage | Provider Manages | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| IaaS | OS, runtime, apps, data | Hardware, hypervisor, networking | EC2, Azure VMs, GCP Compute Engine |
| PaaS | Apps and data | OS, runtime, middleware, hardware | Elastic Beanstalk, Azure App Service |
| SaaS | Data and settings only | Everything else | Microsoft 365, Salesforce, Workday |
| FaaS / Serverless | Function code only | Infra, scaling, runtime | Lambda, Azure Functions, Cloud Run |
| CaaS | Containers and apps | Kubernetes, OS, hardware | EKS, AKS, GKE |
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Relational Data Concepts
Key term
Azure SQL Database
Azure SQL Database is a fully managed relational database-as-a-service (DBaaS) in Microsoft Azure, based on the SQL Server engine, that handles scaling, backups, patching, and high availability automatically.
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.
About these practice questions
Courseiva writes every DP-900 question from scratch — 820 in total, each with an explanation and a wrong-answer breakdown. None are copied from real exams or dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
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.