Microsoft Azure Data FundamentalsDescribe an analytics workload on AzureHard
A data analyst needs to query a 5TB Parquet file stored in Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2 to perform ad-hoc analysis. The analyst wants to avoid setting up and managing a dedicated cluster for this one-off query and prefers a pay-per-query model. Which Azure service is most appropriate for this requirement?
- AAzure Databricks
- BAzure Synapse Analytics Dedicated SQL Pool
- CAzure Synapse Analytics Serverless SQL Pool
- DAzure SQL Database
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: C. Azure Synapse Analytics Serverless SQL Pool
Azure Synapse Analytics Serverless SQL Pool allows you to query data directly in Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2 using standard T-SQL, without provisioning or managing any resources. It operates on a pay-per-query model, making it ideal for ad-hoc analysis on large files.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Azure Databricks can query data lakes but typically involves setting up Spark clusters, which might be overkill and less cost-effective for simple ad-hoc T-SQL queries compared to serverless SQL.
- B. Azure Synapse Analytics Dedicated SQL Pool requires provisioning a cluster, incurring costs even when idle, and is optimized for structured data warehousing, not ad-hoc queries on raw files.
- D. Azure SQL Database is a relational database for structured data, not designed to query large files directly from a data lake.
Azure Synapse Analytics Serverless SQL Pool
A serverless query service within Azure Synapse Analytics that enables querying data directly in data lakes using T-SQL.
- No infrastructure to set up or manage.
- Pay-per-query model, ideal for ad-hoc analysis.
- Supports various file formats like Parquet, CSV, JSON.
Memory trick: Serverless SQL queries the lake without needing a boat.