DP-900 Practice Question: Identify considerations for relational data on Azure
A startup is building a new application and needs a relational database that supports JSON data, automatic scaling, and a serverless compute tier to minimize costs during low usage periods. Which Azure data service should they choose?
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 a relational database that supports JSON data, offers automatic scaling, and pauses during idle periods to reduce costs. Option A is incorrect because Azure Database for PostgreSQL serverless, while relational and supporting JSON, does not have the same level of automatic scaling and serverless compute optimization as Azure SQL Database serverless. Option B is incorrect because Azure Cosmos DB is a NoSQL database, not relational. Option D is incorrect because Azure SQL Managed Instance does not have a serverless tier.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Azure Database for PostgreSQL serverless
Why it's wrong here
PostgreSQL serverless is relational but JSON support is not as integrated as SQL Server.
- ✗
Azure Cosmos DB
Why it's wrong here
Cosmos DB is a NoSQL database, not relational.
- ✓
Azure SQL Database serverless tier
Why this is correct
Azure SQL Database serverless supports JSON, auto-scaling, and pauses when idle.
- ✗
Azure SQL Managed Instance
Why it's wrong here
Managed Instance does not have a serverless tier.
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
Data Roles and Core 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
Service
A service is a software component or system that performs a specific function and is available to be used by other programs or users over a network.
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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.