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 company is developing a web application that stores user profiles as JSON documents. The application needs to query these documents using SQL-like queries, and must support automatic indexing of all properties. They want a fully managed, globally distributed NoSQL database with low latency. Which Azure Cosmos DB API should they use?
Why wrong: The Table API provides key-value access with OData queries, but does not support SQL-like querying on JSON documents. It is suited for simple key-value scenarios.
B
Cassandra API
Why wrong: The Cassandra API provides compatibility with Apache Cassandra, using CQL (Cassandra Query Language) and a wide-column data model, not document queries with SQL.
C
SQL API
The SQL API allows you to store JSON documents and query them using SQL-like syntax, with automatic indexing of all properties. It is ideal for document-based applications.
D
Gremlin API
Why wrong: The Gremlin API is designed for graph databases and uses the Gremlin graph traversal language. It is not suitable for storing or querying JSON documents directly.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
SQL API
The SQL API (formerly DocumentDB API) is the correct choice because it natively supports querying JSON documents with SQL-like syntax (SELECT * FROM c WHERE c.property = value). It automatically indexes all properties by default, provides a fully managed, globally distributed NoSQL database with low-latency reads and writes, and is designed specifically for document-based workloads like user profiles.
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.
✗
Table API
Why it's wrong here
The Table API provides key-value access with OData queries, but does not support SQL-like querying on JSON documents. It is suited for simple key-value scenarios.
✗
Cassandra API
Why it's wrong here
The Cassandra API provides compatibility with Apache Cassandra, using CQL (Cassandra Query Language) and a wide-column data model, not document queries with SQL.
✓
SQL API
Why this is correct
The SQL API allows you to store JSON documents and query them using SQL-like syntax, with automatic indexing of all properties. It is ideal for document-based applications.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Gremlin API
Why it's wrong here
The Gremlin API is designed for graph databases and uses the Gremlin graph traversal language. It is not suitable for storing or querying JSON documents directly.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse the SQL API with the Table API because both support querying, but the Table API lacks SQL-like syntax and automatic indexing of all properties, making it unsuitable for JSON document workloads.
Trap categories for this question
Scenario analysis trap
The Table API provides key-value access with OData queries, but does not support SQL-like querying on JSON documents. It is suited for simple key-value scenarios.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, the SQL API stores each JSON document as a self-contained entity in a container, and Azure Cosmos DB automatically creates a composite index on every property (including nested ones) unless you override it with a custom indexing policy. This enables efficient point reads and range queries without manual index management. In a real-world scenario, a user profile application might query by email, last login date, or location coordinates—all of which benefit from the automatic indexing and SQL-like syntax.
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 cloud solutions architect for a retail company is evaluating services for a new workload. The correct answer here reflects best practice for the specific scenario described — not a general cloud recommendation. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Cloud exam questions reward reading the constraint carefully: the same technology can be right or wrong depending on the use case.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this DP-900 question in full detail.
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: SQL API — The SQL API (formerly DocumentDB API) is the correct choice because it natively supports querying JSON documents with SQL-like syntax (SELECT * FROM c WHERE c.property = value). It automatically indexes all properties by default, provides a fully managed, globally distributed NoSQL database with low-latency reads and writes, and is designed specifically for document-based workloads like user profiles.
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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