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.
Your organization wants to run SQL queries on data stored in Azure Blob Storage without moving the data. Which Azure service supports this?
Azure SQL Database
Why wrong: Azure SQL Database requires data to be imported.
Azure Analysis Services
Why wrong: Analysis Services is for semantic modeling, not direct query.
Azure Synapse Serverless SQL pool
Serverless SQL pool can query Blob Storage directly using T-SQL.
Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2
Why wrong: ADLS Gen2 is a storage service, not a query engine.
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 Synapse Serverless SQL pool
Azure Synapse Serverless SQL pool allows you to query data directly from Azure Blob Storage using T-SQL without moving the data. It uses a distributed query engine that reads files in place, supporting formats like Parquet, CSV, and JSON, making it ideal for ad-hoc analytics on stored data.
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 SQL Database
Why it's wrong here
Azure SQL Database requires data to be imported.
Azure Analysis Services
Why it's wrong here
Analysis Services is for semantic modeling, not direct query.
Azure Synapse Serverless SQL pool
Why this is correct
Serverless SQL pool can query Blob Storage directly using T-SQL.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2
Why it's wrong here
ADLS Gen2 is a storage service, not a query engine.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates confuse Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2 (a storage service) with a query engine, or assume Azure SQL Database can query external blobs natively, when in fact only Synapse Serverless SQL pool provides serverless T-SQL querying over Blob Storage without data movement.
Detailed technical explanation
The Synapse Serverless SQL pool uses a compute layer that distributes query execution across nodes, reading data via the OPENROWSET function with BULK operations. It supports inferring schemas from file metadata and can handle nested data in Parquet or JSON, enabling complex queries like joins across multiple files. A real-world scenario is querying terabytes of log files stored in Blob Storage for real-time troubleshooting without provisioning dedicated compute resources.
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 Synapse Serverless SQL pool — Azure Synapse Serverless SQL pool allows you to query data directly from Azure Blob Storage using T-SQL without moving the data. It uses a distributed query engine that reads files in place, supporting formats like Parquet, CSV, and JSON, making it ideal for ad-hoc analytics on stored data.
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
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