- A
Active geo-replication
Why wrong: Active geo-replication creates readable secondary replicas in different regions for disaster recovery, but it is not primarily designed for read offloading from the primary. It also requires more complex failover setup.
- B
Read scale-out
Read scale-out uses a built-in readable secondary replica in the same region to serve read-only queries, reducing contention on the primary. This can be enabled without code changes.
- C
Auto-failover groups
Why wrong: Auto-failover groups manage replication and failover for high availability, not for read offloading. The secondary is typically not used for read scaling unless combined with read scale-out.
- D
Elastic pools
Why wrong: Elastic pools manage resource sharing across multiple databases but do not separate read and write workloads within a single database.
DP-900 Practice Question: Identify considerations for relational data on Azure
This DP-900 practice question tests your understanding of identify considerations for 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.
An e-commerce company runs a product inventory database on Azure SQL Database. During a flash sale, write transactions are slow because many read queries are running simultaneously and consuming resources. The company wants to isolate read workloads without modifying application code or database schemas. Which Azure SQL Database feature should they implement?
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
Read scale-out
Read scale-out (B) is correct because it allows read-only queries to be offloaded to a read-only replica of the database, freeing up the primary replica for write transactions. This feature is built into Azure SQL Database at the Business Critical and Premium service tiers, and it requires no application code changes—just a connection string modification to use the `ApplicationIntent=ReadOnly` parameter. It directly addresses the performance bottleneck caused by concurrent read queries during the flash sale.
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.
- ✗
Active geo-replication
Why it's wrong here
Active geo-replication creates readable secondary replicas in different regions for disaster recovery, but it is not primarily designed for read offloading from the primary. It also requires more complex failover setup.
- ✓
Read scale-out
Why this is correct
Read scale-out uses a built-in readable secondary replica in the same region to serve read-only queries, reducing contention on the primary. This can be enabled without code changes.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Auto-failover groups
Why it's wrong here
Auto-failover groups manage replication and failover for high availability, not for read offloading. The secondary is typically not used for read scaling unless combined with read scale-out.
- ✗
Elastic pools
Why it's wrong here
Elastic pools manage resource sharing across multiple databases but do not separate read and write workloads within a single database.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse read scale-out with geo-replication or failover groups, assuming any replica can offload reads, but only read scale-out provides a local read-only replica without requiring application code changes or cross-region latency.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, read scale-out leverages Always On availability groups to maintain one or more read-only replicas that are transactionally consistent with the primary. The client driver automatically routes queries with `ApplicationIntent=ReadOnly` to the replica, while all other queries go to the primary—this happens at the driver level (e.g., ADO.NET, ODBC) without any server-side routing. In a real-world scenario, this is ideal for reporting dashboards or analytics that run alongside heavy transactional workloads, as it prevents read queries from consuming CPU, memory, and IO on the primary replica.
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.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this DP-900 question test?
Identify considerations for relational data on Azure — This question tests Identify considerations for 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: Read scale-out — Read scale-out (B) is correct because it allows read-only queries to be offloaded to a read-only replica of the database, freeing up the primary replica for write transactions. This feature is built into Azure SQL Database at the Business Critical and Premium service tiers, and it requires no application code changes—just a connection string modification to use the `ApplicationIntent=ReadOnly` parameter. It directly addresses the performance bottleneck caused by concurrent read queries during the flash sale.
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.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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