DP-900 Describe core data concepts Practice Question
You need to query data stored in Azure Cosmos DB for NoSQL using SQL-like syntax. Which feature should you use?
⚠ Common exam trap
A common mix-up: candidates confuse Azure Synapse Analytics Serverless SQL pool (which can also query Cosmos DB) with the native Cosmos DB SQL API, but the question specifically asks for the feature built into Cosmos DB for NoSQL, not an external query 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
✓
Use the SQL API built into Cosmos DB
Azure Cosmos DB for NoSQL provides a native SQL API that allows you to query JSON documents using SQL-like syntax. This API translates standard SQL queries into Cosmos DB's internal query engine, enabling you to SELECT, filter, and project data directly from containers without any additional services or connectors.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Use Azure SQL Database elastic query
Why it's wrong here
Azure SQL Database elastic query is designed to connect to other Azure SQL databases, not Cosmos DB. It creates external tables in SQL Database that reference data distributed across multiple SQL databases, acting as a sharding mechanism. Since Cosmos DB's NoSQL API does not expose a T-SQL endpoint, elastic query cannot be used to query its JSON documents. This option is wrong because it targets a different data service and protocol for cross-database querying.
- ✗
Use Power BI DirectQuery
Why it's wrong here
Power BI's DirectQuery mode is a connection strategy for relational data sources such as SQL Server, Azure SQL Database, or Azure Synapse SQL pools, where queries are pushed back to the source. The Cosmos DB connector in Power BI does not support DirectQuery; you can only import data into Power BI's in-memory model. DirectQuery is not a standalone query interface, and it requires Power BI report context to generate queries. This option is wrong because it conflates a visualization tool's data retrieval mode with a direct query capability for Cosmos DB.
- ✓
Use the SQL API built into Cosmos DB
Why this is correct
Cosmos DB's SQL API is the native query language for the NoSQL API, allowing you to query JSON documents with a SQL-like syntax that supports SELECT, WHERE, JOIN, and functions such as VALUE, ARRAY_CONTAINS, and ST_* spatial functions. Queries are executed directly against the Cosmos DB engine, and the service automatically uses its index to efficiently evaluate predicates. This option is correct because it is the built-in query interface specifically designed for data stored in a Cosmos DB NoSQL account.
- ✗
Use Azure Synapse Analytics Serverless SQL pool
Why it's wrong here
Azure Synapse Analytics Serverless SQL pool can query Cosmos DB only through Azure Synapse Link, which requires enabling the analytical store on the Cosmos DB container and creating an external table with T-SQL. This is an analytics-oriented, large-scale scanning approach that reads data from the analytical store, not the transactional query interface of Cosmos DB itself. It also requires additional configuration outside of Cosmos DB, making it unsuitable as the direct 'query data' feature. This option is wrong because it describes a separate analytical pipeline rather than the native query mechanism.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Data Roles and Core Concepts
Key term
Azure Cosmos DB
Azure Cosmos DB is a fully managed, globally distributed NoSQL database service that offers fast reads and writes anywhere in the world with automatic scaling and multiple consistency models.
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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Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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