DA0-002 Data Governance Practice Question
A data analyst needs to create a dashboard that updates automatically every hour. The data source is a large database. Which approach minimizes performance impact?
⚠ Common exam trap
CompTIA often tests the misconception that 'more data is better' or that full refreshes are simpler and equally acceptable, but the trap here is ignoring the performance cost of full database scans on large datasets in favor of the more efficient incremental approach.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Use incremental refresh only for new or changed data
Incremental refresh queries only new or changed records since the last refresh, drastically reducing data transfer and processing load on the large database. This approach uses change-tracking mechanisms (e.g., timestamps, CDC) to avoid full-table scans, minimizing performance impact while maintaining near-real-time updates.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Query the entire database each time
Why it's wrong here
Full-table scans every hour read every row and column, consuming database CPU and I/O regardless of what the dashboard displays. Incremental extraction of only changed rows is required; querying everything suits one-off ad hoc analysis, not recurring refreshes.
- ✓
Use incremental refresh only for new or changed data
Why this is correct
Incremental refresh loads only rows added or modified since the last run, using a partition filter on a date or watermark column. This avoids reprocessing the entire large database each hour, directly minimising the performance impact the scenario demands.
- ✗
Export the data to Excel and import
Why it's wrong here
Exporting to Excel and importing introduces a manual, file-based step that cannot refresh hourly without intervention, and it duplicates the entire large dataset rather than querying it. Excel import suits one-off analysis of small static extracts; a scheduled direct connection to the database, filtering server-side, is what actually limits performance impact.
- ✗
Create a static report monthly
Why it's wrong here
A monthly static report cannot refresh hourly, so it fails the stated update cadence outright. It is tempting because static extracts avoid querying the large database repeatedly, and would be correct if the requirement were a low-frequency snapshot rather than hourly automatic updates.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This DA0-002 practice question is part of Courseiva's free CompTIA certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the DA0-002 exam.