Activity Title:

"Architectural Deep Dive: Tailoring Azure Data Services to Industry Needs"

Objective:
To develop a nuanced understanding of Azure data services by designing and
evaluating technical solutions tailored to specific industry scenarios.
Group Formation:
 Divide the class into teams of 4 students each.
 Assign each team a specific industry scenario.
Scenario Options:
1. Healthcare Data Management: Design a data solution for a hospital handling
sensitive patient data, real-time health monitoring, and large-scale research
datasets.
2. Retail Data Analytics: Develop a strategy for a retail chain to efficiently process
point-of-sale data, manage inventory through data analytics, and understand
customer buying patterns.
3. Education Data Systems: Architect a data solution for an educational institution
that includes student information systems, e-learning platforms, and data
analytics for course engagement and effectiveness.
4. Financial Data Processing: Propose a secure and efficient data architecture for
a financial institution focusing on high-volume transaction processing, real-time
fraud detection, and customer data analysis.
Activity Structure:
1. Introduction (30 minutes): Briefly outline the Azure data services, focusing on
Azure SQL Database, Azure Cosmos DB, Azure Synapse Analytics, and Azure
Data Factory.
2. Research and Planning (1.5 hours): Teams research and plan their solution,
considering the specifics of the services like Azure SQL Database vs. Managed
Instance, Cosmos DB's multi-model data platform, etc.
3. Initial Presentation and Technical Q&A (1 hour):
 Each team presents their initial plan.
 Facilitator poses technical questions (listed below) to challenge their
choices.
 4. Refinement Phase (1 hour): Teams refine their solutions based on the technical
feedback and insights gathered.
5. Final Presentation and Peer Review (1 hour):
 Teams present their refined solution.
 Encourage critical evaluation and technical questions from peers.
Technical Discussion Questions:
 During Initial Presentation:
 Why did you choose Azure SQL Database over a Managed Instance for
your scenario? What are the trade-offs?
 How are you handling data ingestion and transformation? Are you using
Azure Data Factory or another service?
 During Final Presentation:
 Discuss your approach to data redundancy and disaster recovery in your
architecture.
 How does your solution utilize Azure Synapse Analytics for big data
analytics, and why did you choose it over other options?
Materials Provided:
 Access to Azure documentation, Microsoft Learn resources, and case studies.
 Whiteboard and markers for brainstorming and architecture diagramming.
 Projector or screen for detailed presentations.

Azure Data Fundamentals:

1. What are the key differences between structured, semi-structured, and
unstructured data, and how does Azure handle each type?
2. Can you explain the concept of data redundancy in Azure and its
importance in data storage solutions?
Azure SQL Database:
3. What are the key benefits of using Azure SQL Database for relational data
storage, and how does it handle scalability?
 4. How does Azure SQL Database ensure data security and compliance with
industry standards?
Azure Cosmos DB:
5. Why would you choose Azure Cosmos DB for a scenario requiring global
distribution and multi-model database capabilities?
6. Explain the concept of 'Request Units' in Azure Cosmos DB and how it
impacts performance and cost.
Azure Data Lake and Azure Blob Storage:
7. What is the difference between Azure Data Lake Storage and Azure Blob
Storage, and when would you choose one over the other?
8. How does Azure Data Lake integrate with other Azure analytics services for
big data solutions?
Azure Synapse Analytics and Azure HDInsight:
9. Compare Azure Synapse Analytics with Azure HDInsight. What are the key
factors that would influence your choice between them?
10. How does Azure Synapse Analytics enable end-to-end analytics solutions,
from data ingestion to visualization?
Azure Data Factory:
11. Explain the role of Azure Data Factory in data integration and
transformation workflows.
12. How can Azure Data Factory manage and orchestrate data movement and
transformation across different data stores?
General Azure Data Concepts:
13. What is the role of Azure Stream Analytics, and how would it be applied in a
real-time data processing scenario?
14. Discuss the importance of data partitioning in Azure and its impact on
performance and scalability.
Data Governance and Compliance:
15. What tools and services does Azure offer for data governance and ensuring
compliance with data privacy regulations?