DP-900 Practice Question: Identify considerations for relational data on Azure
Exhibit
Refer to the exhibit.
```sql
CREATE DATABASE SCOPED CREDENTIAL MyCred
WITH IDENTITY = 'Managed Identity'
GO
CREATE EXTERNAL DATA SOURCE MyDataSource
WITH (
LOCATION = 'https://mystorageaccount.blob.core.windows.net/container',
CREDENTIAL = MyCred
)
GO
CREATE EXTERNAL TABLE dbo.SalesExternal
(
SaleID int,
SaleDate datetime2,
Amount decimal(10,2)
)
WITH (
LOCATION = 'sales/',
DATA_SOURCE = MyDataSource,
FILE_FORMAT = MyFileFormat
)
```Refer to the exhibit. You create an external table in Azure SQL Database. Which data source is being used?
⚠ Common exam trap
Test-takers frequently confuse Azure Blob Storage with Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2 because both can store files, but the endpoint URL (blob.core.windows.net vs. dfs.core.windows.net) is the key differentiator in the exhibit.
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 Blob Storage
The exhibit shows an external table referencing a data source with the LOCATION set to 'https://mystorage.blob.core.windows.net/...', which is the endpoint for Azure Blob Storage. In Azure SQL Database, external tables are created over external data sources that point to Azure Blob Storage or Azure Data Lake Storage, but the URL format 'blob.core.windows.net' specifically indicates Azure Blob Storage. The CREATE EXTERNAL TABLE statement uses this data source to read data stored as files (e.g., CSV, Parquet) in the blob container.
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 Blob Storage
Why this is correct
The location string 'https://mystorageaccount.blob.core.windows.net/container' uses the blob.core.windows.net service endpoint, which is the unique DNS suffix for Azure Blob Storage. When you create an external table in Azure SQL Database or Azure Synapse Analytics, you define an external data source with a LOCATION that points to a Blob Storage path. Because the exhibit clearly shows this endpoint, the underlying service must be Azure Blob Storage.
- ✗
Azure Files
Why it's wrong here
Azure Files is a managed file share service that exposes SMB and NFS endpoints using a different hostname format: storageaccount.file.core.windows.net, not blob.core.windows.net. Additionally, Azure SQL Database does not support external tables that reference Azure Files as an external data source; the supported external storage services are Azure Blob Storage and Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2. The endpoint in the exhibit does not match Azure Files, making it incorrect.
- ✗
Azure SQL Database
Why it's wrong here
An external table in Azure SQL Database is a schema object that references data stored outside the database in an external storage service, such as Blob Storage. The LOCATION in the exhibit is a URI to an Azure storage container, not a connection string or logical server name that would identify an Azure SQL Database instance. If the data source were Azure SQL Database, the location would resemble a fully qualified database name, not a blob.core.windows.net URL.
- ✗
Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2
Why it's wrong here
Although Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2 (ADLS Gen2) can be used as an external data source for Azure SQL Database, its primary endpoint uses the dfs.core.windows.net DNS suffix, such as myaccount.dfs.core.windows.net/datalake. The exhibit's URL specifically uses blob.core.windows.net, which is the standard endpoint for Blob Storage even though ADLS Gen2 can sometimes write to a blob endpoint with hierarchical namespace enabled. There is no indication of the DFS endpoint or a hierarchical namespace in the provided URI, so this option is incorrect.
Quick reference
Azure Blob Storage Tier Comparison
| Tier | Storage Cost | Retrieval Cost | Latency | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hot | Highest | Lowest | Immediate | Active data, frequent reads |
| Cool | Lower | Higher | Immediate | Data accessed < once / month |
| Cold | Lower still | Higher | Immediate | Data accessed < once / quarter |
| Archive | Lowest | Highest + rehydration delay | Hours | Long-term compliance retention |
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Data Roles and Core Concepts
Key term
Table
A table is a structured collection of data organized into rows and columns, used in databases and spreadsheets to store and manage information efficiently.
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.
About these practice questions
One of 820 original DP-900 practice questions on Courseiva, each with a full explanation and wrong-answer analysis — not exam dumps or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
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.