Businesses and other organizations are undergoing a digital transformation thanks to the increase in available data, which enables them to make quick, well-informed decisions. Microsoft Azure's many services make it possible to construct comprehensive analytics solutions using cutting-edge methods of data collection, storage, analysis, and presentation.
Anyone wishing to make use of the capability of the cloud to aid decision making must first understand fundamental data principles such as relational data, nonrelational data, big data, and analytics. This is where this study guide can help.
What to Expect on the Exam
The DP-900 exam evaluates the learner's understanding of relational and non-relational data concepts, as well as the various data workloads, such as transactional and analytical. Although not required for passing the exams, learning the basics of Azure Data can help you prepare for more advanced Azure certifications like Azure Database Administrator Associate and Azure Data Engineer Associate.
The exam consists of 40-60 questions and lasts for 180 minutes. You may encounter multiple-choice questions, as well as drag-and-drop and hot area active screen questions. The topics covered in the exam include:
-
Core Data Concepts (15-20%): The data revolution currently reshaping businesses and society at large. So what exactly is data, and how is it represented and put to use? Learners must demonstrate their understanding of fundamental concepts such as data types, data stores, and data processing.
-
Relational Data (25-30%): Most enterprise data solutions are built on relational data because it is the backbone of most business applications. Microsoft Azure's database management services make it possible to create new cloud-based applications or bring current ones into the cloud. Students would be required to demonstrate relational database concepts, including tables, columns, and relationships between tables.
-
Non-Relational Data (25-30%): Applications often utilize non-relational data to store and query information without the need for a relational data architecture. Azure Storage and Azure Cosmos DB allow you to create highly scalable, secure data storage for non-relational data in Microsoft Azure. Learners would need to demonstrate their understanding of non-relational database concepts, including NoSQL databases and their key-value, document, and column-family models.
-
Azure Data Services (20-25%): The exponential growth of data in recent years has fueled the digital transformation of businesses and other organizations by enabling quick and informed decision making through data analytics. Students would be required to demonstrate knowledge in Azure data services, including Azure Cosmos DB, Azure Stream Analytics, and Azure Data Factory.
Study Resources
To help students prepare for the DP-900 exam, Microsoft provides a number of resources, including:
- Microsoft Learn self-pace curriculum:
- Explore core data concepts: Data is the foundation on which all software is built. By learning about common data formats, workloads, roles, and services, you can prepare yourself for a career as a data professional.
- Explore relational data in Azure: Relational data is at the heart of most business applications, and is the foundation on which many enterprise data solutions are built. Microsoft Azure provides services for managing relational databases, enabling you to build new applications or migrate existing ones to the cloud.
- Explore non-relational data in Azure: Non-relational data is a common way for applications to store and query data without the overhead of a relational schema. In Microsoft Azure, you can use Azure Storage and Azure Cosmos DB to build highly scalable, secure data stores for non-relational data.
- Explore data analytics in Azure: The phenomenal growth in data in recent years is fueling digital transformation of businesses and other organizations by empowering fast and informed decision making through data analytics. Microsoft Azure provides multiple services that you can combine to build large-scale analytics solutions that leverage the latest technologies and techniques for data ingestion, storage, modeling, and visualization.
- Explore core data concepts: Data is the foundation on which all software is built. By learning about common data formats, workloads, roles, and services, you can prepare yourself for a career as a data professional.
- Instructor Led Course:
- Course DP-900T00: Microsoft Azure Data Fundamentals: This course gives learners the understanding and skills they need to understand basic data principles and Microsoft Azure data services. This course covers key data topics such as relational, non-relational, big data, and analytics, as well as Microsoft Azure's cloud data services. Students will investigate core relational data concepts as well as relational database services in Azure, as well as the fundamentals of Azure Cosmos DB, large-scale data warehousing, real-time analytics, and data visualization.
- Course DP-900T00: Microsoft Azure Data Fundamentals: This course gives learners the understanding and skills they need to understand basic data principles and Microsoft Azure data services. This course covers key data topics such as relational, non-relational, big data, and analytics, as well as Microsoft Azure's cloud data services. Students will investigate core relational data concepts as well as relational database services in Azure, as well as the fundamentals of Azure Cosmos DB, large-scale data warehousing, real-time analytics, and data visualization.
- Microsoft Documentation related to the DP-900 exam:
- Azure SQL documentation - Azure SQL: Learn about the Azure SQL database engine family of cloud products, including Azure SQL Database, Azure SQL Managed Instance, and SQL Server on Azure VM.
- SQL Server technical documentation - SQL Server: Technical documentation to learn how to administer, develop, and work with SQL Server and associated products.
- Azure Blob Storage documentation: Microsoft's object storage cloud solution optimized for storing massive amounts of unstructured data.
- Azure Table storage documentation: A table storage is a service that stores structured NoSQL data in the cloud, providing a key/attribute store with a schemaless design.
- Azure Storage documentation: includes object, file, disk, queue, and table storage. There are also services for hybrid storage solutions, and services to transfer, share, and back up data.
- Azure Cosmos DB: Fast NoSQL database with SLA-backed speed and availability, automatic and instant scalability, and open-source APIs for MongoDB and Cassandra.
- Azure Synapse Analytics: Limitless analytics service combining enterprise data warehousing and Big Data analytics. It allows you to query data on your terms, using serverless or dedicated resources—at scale.
- Azure Databricks: A unified analytics platform for data analysts, data engineers, data scientists, and machine learning engineers.
- Data Factory A cloud ETL solution for scale-out serverless data integration and transformation. It provides a code-free user interface for simple authoring as well as single-pane-of-glass monitoring and management. Existing SSIS packages can also be lifted and shifted to Azure and operate with full compatibility in ADF. SSIS Integration Runtime is a completely managed service, so you don't have to bother about managing infrastructure.
- Power BI documentation - Power BI: Amplifies your insights and the value of your data.
- Azure SQL documentation - Azure SQL: Learn about the Azure SQL database engine family of cloud products, including Azure SQL Database, Azure SQL Managed Instance, and SQL Server on Azure VM.
- Free practice assessment: Microsoft offers free, multilingual Practice Assessments for the DP-900 exam. These Practice Assessments will give you an idea of the exam's style, language, and complexity. The exam's duration and difficulty are not reflected in these questions (e.g., you may see additional question types, multiple case studies, and labs) however they do provide examples to help you prepare for the exam.
The DP-900 Microsoft Azure Data Fundamentals exam is an excellent way to demonstrate your understanding of fundamental data concepts. You can improve your chances of passing the exam and gaining your certification by following the recommendations provided here. Remember to use all available resources and to be calm and focused on exam day.
