A company wants one repository storing raw data of EVERY type — files, logs, images, JSON — at scale, keeping native formats for future analysis. What is this pattern called?
A.Data warehouse
Warehouses hold processed, structured data — not raw everything.
B.Data lake
Raw native-format storage at scale = lake. Correct.
C.Relational database
Relational DBs impose schema — opposite of raw storage.
D.Data mart
A mart is a scoped warehouse subset — curated, not raw.
Why this answer
A data lake stores raw data in native format at scale — schema-on-read. A warehouse stores structured, processed data (schema-on-write) for BI. Lake = raw everything; warehouse = curated for queries.
Correct answer: B · Last reviewed 2026-11-05
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