DP-900 Describe core data concepts Practice Question
Which THREE of the following are valid Azure data storage services? (Choose three.)
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often 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.
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 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.
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 Files
Why this is correct
Azure Files is a fully managed file share service that provides Server Message Block (SMB) and Network File System (NFS) protocols, enabling typical network-mounted drive access from multiple VMs or on-premises clients. It is a valid Azure data storage option because it stores files in a shared, persistent manner, similar to a traditional file server but without the maintenance overhead. This differentiates it from block or object storage, making it the correct answer for scenarios requiring file-level access and standard file-sharing protocols.
- ✓
Azure Blob Storage
Why this is correct
Azure Blob Storage is Microsoft's object storage service, optimized for storing massive amounts of unstructured data, such as text, binary data, images, and videos. It is a valid Azure data storage option because it offers scalable, durable, and highly available storage via REST APIs or SDKs, not via file paths. This makes it a correct answer for scenarios like data lakes, backups, or static website hosting, where data is accessed via URLs rather than a mounted file system.
- ✗
Azure Redis Cache
Why it's wrong here
Azure Redis Cache is not a persistent data store but an in-memory cache based on the open-source Redis engine, used to temporarily store frequently accessed data and reduce latency for applications. It is wrong because, while it can be designated as a durable cache (Redis persistence), its primary purpose is to serve as a volatile high-speed cache layer, and data can be lost on cache eviction or service restarts unless extra configuration is applied. Therefore, it does not meet the definition of a general-purpose Azure data storage service for durable, long-term persistence.
- ✓
Azure Table Storage
Why this is correct
Azure Table Storage is a NoSQL key-value store that provides schemaless storage for structured semi-structured data, allowing applications to store large amounts of non-relational data with low cost and high scalability. It is a valid Azure data storage option because it offers fully managed, persistent tables with partition keys and row keys, enabling efficient queries on entity-based data without the complexity of SQL. This makes it a correct answer for use cases such as logging, telemetry, or metadata stores.
- ✗
Azure Service Bus
Why it's wrong here
Azure Service Bus is a fully managed enterprise message broker that asynchronously decouples applications by sending messages between them, supporting queues, topics, and subscriptions. It is wrong because its core purpose is message routing and reliable delivery, not persistent data storage for analytics or later retrieval; messages are typically consumed and removed from the queue, and though they may be stored temporarily during delivery, the service is not designed as a long-term data store. This distinction makes it a messaging service, not a valid Azure data storage option.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Data Roles and Core Concepts
Key term
Service
A service is a software component or system that performs a specific function and is available to be used by other programs or users over a network.
Key term
Data
Data is raw, unprocessed information, like numbers, words, or measurements, that can be stored, processed, and analyzed by computers.
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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.