- A
A) Azure Table Storage
Why wrong: Incorrect. Azure Table Storage is a key-value store that does not support querying by arbitrary fields within JSON documents, nor does it provide SQL-like query capability. It is not suitable for complex queries on nested JSON data.
- B
B) Azure Cosmos DB SQL API
Correct. The Cosmos DB SQL API natively stores JSON documents, supports indexing on any field, and allows rich SQL-like queries. It offers global distribution, low latency, and scalable throughput, making it ideal for this scenario.
- C
C) Azure Blob Storage
Why wrong: Incorrect. Azure Blob Storage is for unstructured binary data (e.g., images, videos) and does not provide a query interface for JSON content. It cannot support the required SQL-like queries or low-latency point reads by userId.
- D
D) Azure Cache for Redis
Why wrong: Incorrect. Azure Cache for Redis is an in-memory data store best suited for caching and session management, not for persistent storage of JSON documents with complex querying capabilities. It lacks the durability and query features required.
DP-900 Practice Question: Describe considerations for working with non-relational data on Azure
This DP-900 practice question tests your understanding of describe considerations for working with non-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 social media company stores user-generated posts as JSON documents. Each post contains fields such as postId, userId, timestamp, and content. The application needs to query posts by userId and timestamp ranges with low latency, and also perform SQL-like queries across all posts. The data volume is growing rapidly and must scale globally. Which Azure data store should the company 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
B) Azure Cosmos DB SQL API
Azure Cosmos DB SQL API is the correct choice because it provides native support for querying JSON documents with low-latency, including indexed queries on fields like userId and timestamp. Its global distribution capability ensures data can be replicated across multiple Azure regions for low-latency access worldwide, while its SQL API allows SQL-like queries across all posts, meeting both requirements.
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.
- ✗
A) Azure Table Storage
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. Azure Table Storage is a key-value store that does not support querying by arbitrary fields within JSON documents, nor does it provide SQL-like query capability. It is not suitable for complex queries on nested JSON data.
- ✓
B) Azure Cosmos DB SQL API
Why this is correct
Correct. The Cosmos DB SQL API natively stores JSON documents, supports indexing on any field, and allows rich SQL-like queries. It offers global distribution, low latency, and scalable throughput, making it ideal for this scenario.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
C) Azure Blob Storage
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. Azure Blob Storage is for unstructured binary data (e.g., images, videos) and does not provide a query interface for JSON content. It cannot support the required SQL-like queries or low-latency point reads by userId.
- ✗
D) Azure Cache for Redis
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. Azure Cache for Redis is an in-memory data store best suited for caching and session management, not for persistent storage of JSON documents with complex querying capabilities. It lacks the durability and query features required.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse Azure Table Storage's key-value model with document storage, mistakenly thinking its OData queries can handle complex JSON queries, but Table Storage cannot query nested JSON fields or perform SQL-like operations across all posts.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Azure Cosmos DB SQL API uses a schema-agnostic indexing engine that automatically indexes all JSON properties by default, enabling efficient range queries on timestamp and equality queries on userId without manual index management. Its multi-region writes and tunable consistency levels (from strong to eventual) allow global scaling with latency guarantees under 10 ms at the 99th percentile for point reads, which is critical for social media applications with rapidly growing data.
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.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
- →
Describe considerations for working with non-relational data on Azure — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
- →
Describe considerations for working with non-relational data on Azure practice questions
Targeted practice on this topic area only
- →
All DP-900 questions
982 questions across all exam domains
- →
Microsoft Azure Data Fundamentals DP-900 study guide
Full concept coverage aligned to exam objectives
- →
DP-900 practice test guide
How to use practice tests most effectively before exam day
Related practice questions
Related DP-900 practice-question pages
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
Describe core data concepts practice questions
Practise DP-900 questions linked to Describe core data concepts.
Describe an analytics workload on Azure practice questions
Practise DP-900 questions linked to Describe an analytics workload on Azure.
Identify considerations for relational data on Azure practice questions
Practise DP-900 questions linked to Identify considerations for relational data on Azure.
Describe considerations for working with non-relational data on Azure practice questions
Practise DP-900 questions linked to Describe considerations for working with non-relational data on Azure.
DP-900 fundamentals practice questions
Practise DP-900 questions linked to DP-900 fundamentals.
DP-900 scenario practice questions
Practise DP-900 questions linked to DP-900 scenario.
DP-900 troubleshooting practice questions
Practise DP-900 questions linked to DP-900 troubleshooting.
Practice this exam
Start a free DP-900 practice session
Short sessions build daily habit. Longer sessions build exam-day stamina. Try a timed session to simulate real conditions.
FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this DP-900 question test?
Describe considerations for working with non-relational data on Azure — This question tests Describe considerations for working with non-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: B) Azure Cosmos DB SQL API — Azure Cosmos DB SQL API is the correct choice because it provides native support for querying JSON documents with low-latency, including indexed queries on fields like userId and timestamp. Its global distribution capability ensures data can be replicated across multiple Azure regions for low-latency access worldwide, while its SQL API allows SQL-like queries across all posts, meeting both requirements.
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.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Keep practising
More DP-900 practice questions
- An e-commerce application processes customer orders. When an order is placed, the system must decrement the inventory co…
- A company runs an e-commerce application on Azure SQL Database. The application experiences heavy read traffic from repo…
- A company uses Azure SQL Database for an order management system. The Orders table has columns: OrderID (int, primary ke…
- A gaming company stores player scores in Azure Cosmos DB using the NoSQL API. Each document contains fields: PlayerID (u…
- A gaming company stores player profiles as JSON documents. Each profile includes standard fields like playerId, username…
- A company is migrating an on-premises SQL Server database to Azure. They want to ensure that database administrators (DB…
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.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.