DP-900 Describe core data concepts Practice Question
Which TWO Azure data services are classified as NoSQL databases? (Choose two.)
⚠ Common exam trap
Many exam-takers confuse Azure Table Storage (a NoSQL key-value store) with Azure SQL Database or Managed Instance, assuming 'Table' implies a relational table, but it is actually a NoSQL service.
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 Cosmos DB
Azure Cosmos DB (B) is Microsoft's globally distributed, multi-model NoSQL database service, supporting APIs such as Core (SQL), MongoDB, Cassandra, Gremlin, and Table, which makes it a canonical NoSQL offering. Azure Table Storage (C) is a key-attribute (key-value) NoSQL store for semi-structured data, exposing entities via PartitionKey/RowKey without a fixed relational schema. By contrast, Azure SQL Managed Instance (A) and Azure SQL Database (E) are relational PaaS engines built on the SQL Server engine using T-SQL, and Azure Database for PostgreSQL (D) is a relational open-source engine, so all three are relational (SQL) rather than NoSQL databases.
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 SQL Managed Instance
Why it's wrong here
Azure SQL Managed Instance is another relational offering that provides nearly full SQL Server engine compatibility along with managed instance-level capabilities, including T-SQL, linked servers, and agent jobs. The presence of a rigorous relational schema and SQL query surface places it firmly in the relational category, not NoSQL.
- ✓
Azure Cosmos DB
Why this is correct
Azure Cosmos DB is a globally distributed, multi-model NoSQL database that supports document, graph, column-family, and key-value data models through APIs like SQL (the Cosmos DB core API), MongoDB, Cassandra, Gremlin, and Table. Its schema-agnostic, horizontally scalable architecture is explicitly designed for NoSQL workloads, making it one of the two correct NoSQL services.
- ✓
Azure Table Storage
Why this is correct
Azure Table Storage is a NoSQL key-value store that lets you persist large amounts of semi-structured data without requiring a fixed schema. Each row is a partitioned entity composed of a partition key, row key, and timestamp, with application-defined columns, so it meets the NoSQL classification for the question.
- ✗
Azure Database for PostgreSQL
Why it's wrong here
Azure Database for PostgreSQL is a fully managed relational database service based on the PostgreSQL open-source engine, supporting SQL queries, joins, ACID transactions, and a fixed relational schema. Because it relies on SQL and enforces relationships and constraints, it is not a NoSQL service and therefore is not one of the correct choices.
- ✗
Azure SQL Database
Why it's wrong here
Azure SQL Database is Microsoft's Platform-as-a-Service relational database offering, built on the SQL Server engine, where data is organized into tables with predefined schemas and relational integrity. This SQL-based design fundamentally conflicts with NoSQL principles, so it cannot be selected for the two NoSQL services.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Azure Database for MySQL
Key term
Semi-structured data
Semi-structured data is information that has some organizational tags or markers but does not fit into a strict table format like a spreadsheet row and column.
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.
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