The answer is choosing a service tier that provides higher IOPS, along with geo-replication and read-replica configurations. Higher IOPS directly addresses throughput bottlenecks for globally distributed users by ensuring the database can handle increased read and write demands without queuing delays, while geo-replication places read-only copies in multiple Azure regions to serve local traffic. On the DP-900 exam, this question tests your understanding of how to minimize latency through infrastructure choices rather than schema design—a common trap is selecting sharding or columnstore indexes, which add complexity or target analytics, not latency. Remember the memory tip “GEO-IOPS”: Geo-replication for regional reads, read-replicas to offload traffic, and higher IOPS for throughput—these three work together to keep response times low for users worldwide.
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. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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.
Which THREE factors should be considered when designing a relational database in Azure to minimize latency for globally distributed users?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "minimum / minimize"
Why it matters: Asks for the least resource use — fewest addresses, smallest subnet, lowest overhead. Eliminate over-provisioned options even if they would technically work.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Configure read replicas
Geo-replication provides read replicas in multiple regions. Read-replica configurations offload read traffic. Selecting a tier with higher IOPS ensures sufficient throughput. Horizontal partitioning (sharding) adds complexity and may increase latency for cross-shard queries. Columnstore indexes are for analytics, not latency reduction.
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.
✗
Implement horizontal partitioning (sharding)
Why it's wrong here
Sharding can increase complexity and may cause cross-shard query latency.
✗
Use columnstore indexes
Why it's wrong here
Columnstore indexes are primarily for analytical workloads and do not directly reduce latency for transactional queries.
✓
Configure read replicas
Why this is correct
Read replicas offload read traffic and serve data closer to users, reducing latency.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "minimum / minimize" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✓
Use active geo-replication
Why this is correct
Active geo-replication provides readable secondary replicas in different regions, reducing read latency for global users.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "minimum / minimize" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✓
Choose a service tier that provides higher IOPS
Why this is correct
Higher IOPS reduces query response time, which is critical for latency-sensitive applications.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "minimum / minimize" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
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.
Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
→Underline the problem statement mentally.
→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.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this DP-900 question in full detail.
Identify which DP-900 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
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: Configure read replicas — Geo-replication provides read replicas in multiple regions. Read-replica configurations offload read traffic. Selecting a tier with higher IOPS ensures sufficient throughput. Horizontal partitioning (sharding) adds complexity and may increase latency for cross-shard queries. Columnstore indexes are for analytics, not latency reduction.
What should I do if I get this DP-900 question wrong?
Identify which DP-900 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "minimum / minimize". Asks for the least resource use — fewest addresses, smallest subnet, lowest overhead. Eliminate over-provisioned options even if they would technically work.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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