Databricks-DE-Pro Cost and Performance Optimization Practice Question
A data engineer notices that a Databricks SQL warehouse used for executive dashboards runs 24/7 but is only actively queried during business hours. The warehouse is a Pro-sized warehouse with auto-stop set to 10 minutes. The team wants to reduce cost without affecting dashboard availability during business hours. Which action should the data engineer take?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is focusing on auto-stop or warehouse size, which only affect the period after the last query, instead of scheduling the warehouse to be off during the known idle window.
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
✓
Create a schedule to stop the warehouse outside business hours and start it before the business day begins.
The warehouse is billed for the time it is running, so the largest saving comes from eliminating the predictable idle window outside business hours. Scheduling a stop at the end of the day and a start before business hours ensures the warehouse is available when dashboards are used and incurs no compute cost overnight and on weekends. Auto-stop alone does not help if the warehouse is kept running or restarted by sporadic queries, and resizing or adding warehouses does not target the idle period.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Enable serverless compute for the warehouse and set the auto-stop to 1 minute.
Why it's wrong here
Serverless compute can reduce startup time and may lower cost per query, but it does not eliminate charges for a warehouse that is kept running overnight. Setting auto-stop to 1 minute helps only after the last query, and if the warehouse is queried sporadically overnight it will still start repeatedly. This does not address the predictable idle window as directly as a schedule.
- ✓
Create a schedule to stop the warehouse outside business hours and start it before the business day begins.
Why this is correct
A scheduled stop/start targets the root cause: the warehouse is idle but running outside business hours. Stopping it overnight and on weekends eliminates compute charges during those periods, while starting it before business hours ensures dashboards are available when needed. This is the most direct and effective cost reduction for a predictable usage pattern.
- ✗
Add a second warehouse for the executive dashboards and route queries to it only during business hours.
Why it's wrong here
Adding a second warehouse increases the number of compute resources that must be managed and does not stop the original warehouse from running 24/7. Unless the original is stopped, cost is duplicated rather than reduced. This option adds complexity without solving the idle-time cost, and it does not guarantee that the original warehouse is turned off outside business hours.
- ✗
Change the warehouse to a Classic-sized warehouse and increase the auto-stop to 30 minutes.
Why it's wrong here
Changing the warehouse size does not address the idle overnight period, and increasing auto-stop to 30 minutes keeps the warehouse running longer after the last query, which increases cost. Classic warehouses are also being deprecated in favor of serverless and pro types. This combination does not reduce the dominant cost, which is running the warehouse outside business hours.
About these practice questions
This Databricks-DE-Pro question is part of Courseiva's 267-question bank — original exam-style content with full explanations and wrong-answer analysis, never real exam questions or exam dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Databricks exam blueprint
This Databricks-DE-Pro practice question is part of Courseiva's free Databricks 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 Databricks-DE-Pro exam.