DP-900 Practice Question: Describe considerations for working with non-relational data on Azure
You need to store JSON documents for a web application that requires low-latency reads and writes globally. The data has no fixed schema. Which Azure service should you use?
⚠ Common exam trap
DP-900 often tests the confusion between Blob/Table storage and Cosmos DB, expecting candidates to recognize that global low-latency JSON document workloads require Cosmos DB.
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 is a globally distributed, multi-model NoSQL database that natively stores JSON documents, offers single-digit millisecond latency at the 99th percentile, and supports turnkey global distribution across regions. It is schema-agnostic, making it ideal for web applications with evolving document structures.
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 Table Storage
Why it's wrong here
Azure Table Storage is a key-attribute store without secondary indexes or document querying, so it cannot serve schema-less JSON documents with low global latency. It is tempting because it is a schemaless NoSQL service, and it would be correct for cheap, high-volume key-value lookups within a single region.
- ✗
Azure Blob Storage
Why it's wrong here
Azure Blob Storage is object storage with high throughput but per-request latencies unsuitable for a low-latency document store, and it lacks indexed document queries. It is tempting because it cheaply holds JSON files at scale, and it would be the right choice for archival, backup or static content serving.
- ✗
Azure SQL Database
Why it's wrong here
Azure SQL Database enforces a relational schema and stores rows in tables, so it cannot hold schema-less JSON documents natively. It is tempting because it offers global read replicas and low latency, and it would be correct when the workload needs relational integrity, T-SQL queries and geo-replication over structured data.
- ✓
Azure Cosmos DB
Why this is correct
Azure Cosmos DB is a globally distributed, multi-model database with single-digit-millisecond latency at any region and schema-agnostic JSON storage. Its core SQL API stores documents without a fixed schema, directly satisfying the low-latency global read and write requirement.
Go deeper
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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
Schema
A schema is a blueprint or logical structure that defines how data is organized, stored, and accessed in a database or information system.
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Microsoft exam blueprint
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.