Chapter 1 of 4 · Microsoft DP-900
Describe Core Data Concepts
Data formats, storage options, transactional and analytical workloads, and data roles.
- 4topics
- 19 minfast track
- 25–30%of the exam
Topics in this chapter
Take them in order, or jump to the one you need.
- 1Ways to Represent DataDP-900 data representation: structured, semi structured and unstructured data compared, with JSON, XML and CSV examples and how…5 min
- 2Data Storage Options and File FormatsDP-900 storage options: delimited text, JSON, XML, blob, Avro, ORC and Parquet formats, relational and non relational databases…5 min
- 3Transactional and Analytical WorkloadsDP-900 data workloads: transactional OLTP and analytical OLAP compared, the ACID properties, data warehouses, fact and dimension…5 min
- 4Data Roles and ResponsibilitiesDP-900 data roles: what a database administrator, data engineer and data analyst each do, with task by task comparisons and…4 min
About this chapter
What this chapter covers
This chapter is the base for the whole exam. It explains what kinds of data exist, where and in which format data is kept, the two big kinds of workload that use it, and the people who look after it.
Almost every later chapter reuses these words, so time spent here makes the Azure services in chapters two to four much easier to place.
How the topics fit together
The pages follow the journey of a piece of data, from what it looks like to who works with it.
- Ways to represent data covers structured, semi structured and unstructured data.
- Data storage options and file formats covers files, databases and the formats used in each.
- Transactional and analytical workloads covers OLTP, OLAP, ACID and the data warehouse idea.
- Data roles and responsibilities covers database administrators, data engineers and data analysts.
Learn the three data shapes and the two workload types as pairs of opposites. Most questions in this chapter give a short scenario and ask which side of a pair it belongs to.
How to use these pages
Each topic page has the same shape, so you can skim for what you need.
- What it is: the idea in plain words.
- How it works: the mechanism, with examples and tables.
- What to remember for the exam: the facts to memorise and how questions are phrased.
- Common mistakes: the classic traps.
- Check yourself: three questions to test your understanding.
Ready for more practice?
The full Microsoft DP-900 question bank has 503 questions, with timed practice exams and an explanation for every answer.
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