Quick Answer
The answer is Azure Files, Azure Blob Storage, and Azure Table Storage. These three are valid Azure data storage services because each serves a distinct data model: Azure Files provides fully managed SMB and NFS file shares for lift-and-shift scenarios, Azure Blob Storage offers massive, unstructured object storage for binary and text data, and Azure Table Storage delivers a NoSQL key-value store for semi-structured datasets. On the Microsoft Azure Data Fundamentals DP-900 exam, this question tests your ability to differentiate core storage services from related compute or database offerings—a common trap is confusing Azure SQL Database or Cosmos DB as storage services when they are actually managed database platforms. A reliable memory tip is to think of the acronym F-B-T: Files for hierarchical file shares, Blobs for binary large objects, and Tables for key-value pairs.
This DP-900 practice question tests your understanding of describe core data concepts. 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.
Which THREE of the following are valid Azure data storage services? (Choose three.)
Azure Files
Yes, it's a fully managed file share.
Azure Blob Storage
Yes, it's a storage service for unstructured data.
Azure Redis Cache
Why wrong: It's a cache, not a persistent data store.
Azure Table Storage
Yes, it's a NoSQL key-value store.
Azure Service Bus
Why wrong: It's a messaging service, not a data store.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Azure Files
Azure Files provides fully managed file shares in the cloud that can be accessed via the Server Message Block (SMB) protocol or the Network File System (NFS) protocol. It is a valid Azure data storage service because it stores data as files in a hierarchical structure, making it suitable for lift-and-shift scenarios for on-premises file servers.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Azure Files
Why this is correct
Yes, it's a fully managed file share.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Azure Blob Storage
Why this is correct
Yes, it's a storage service for unstructured data.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Azure Redis Cache
Why it's wrong here
It's a cache, not a persistent data store.
Azure Table Storage
Why this is correct
Yes, it's a NoSQL key-value store.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Azure Service Bus
Why it's wrong here
It's a messaging service, not a data store.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates may confuse Azure Redis Cache and Azure Service Bus as data storage services because they store data temporarily, but the DP-900 exam defines 'data storage services' as those designed for persistent, structured or unstructured data storage, not transient messaging or caching.
Detailed technical explanation
Azure Files uses the SMB 3.0 protocol with encryption in transit and supports Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) integration for identity-based access. Under the hood, file shares are backed by Azure Blob Storage but presented as a standard file system, enabling features like snapshots and soft delete for data protection. In a real-world scenario, Azure Files is often used to host shared configuration files or user home directories for virtual machine scale sets.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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
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FAQ
Describe core data concepts — This question tests Describe core data concepts — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Azure Files — Azure Files provides fully managed file shares in the cloud that can be accessed via the Server Message Block (SMB) protocol or the Network File System (NFS) protocol. It is a valid Azure data storage service because it stores data as files in a hierarchical structure, making it suitable for lift-and-shift scenarios for on-premises file servers.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
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.
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