DP-203 Practice Question: Secure, monitor, and optimize data storage and data processing
You are monitoring an Azure Synapse Analytics dedicated SQL pool. You need to identify queries that are currently running and consuming the most resources. Which dynamic management view (DMV) should you query?
⚠ Common exam trap
Test-takers frequently confuse session-level, node-level, or wait-level DMVs with request-level DMVs that directly report resource usage.
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
✓
sys.dm_pdw_exec_requests
sys.dm_pdw_exec_requests is the correct DMV for monitoring currently running queries and their resource consumption in a dedicated SQL pool. It includes columns like cpu_time, total_elapsed_time, and memory_usage, allowing you to identify resource-heavy queries. The other DMVs either provide node-level detail, session information, or wait statistics, which are less direct for this specific monitoring task.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
sys.dm_pdw_exec_sessions
Why it's wrong here
sys.dm_pdw_exec_sessions returns information about active sessions, such as login name and session status, but does not provide detailed resource usage metrics for individual queries. It is useful for identifying who is connected and what sessions are active, but not for determining which queries are consuming the most resources. Resource consumption is better tracked through request-level DMVs.
- ✗
sys.dm_pdw_nodes_exec_requests
Why it's wrong here
sys.dm_pdw_nodes_exec_requests provides similar information but at the node level, showing requests on each compute node. While it can be useful for deep troubleshooting, it requires aggregating data across nodes and is not the most direct way to get an overall view of resource consumption for the entire SQL pool. The question asks for identifying queries consuming the most resources, which is more straightforward with the pool-level view.
- ✗
sys.dm_pdw_waits
Why it's wrong here
sys.dm_pdw_waits returns information about waits that are occurring on requests, such as lock waits or resource waits. While it can help diagnose blocking and concurrency issues, it does not provide resource usage metrics like CPU or memory consumption. To identify resource-intensive queries, you need to look at request-level DMVs that report resource usage.
- ✓
sys.dm_pdw_exec_requests
Why this is correct
sys.dm_pdw_exec_requests returns information about all requests currently executing or recently completed in the dedicated SQL pool, including resource usage metrics like CPU and memory. It is the primary DMV for monitoring active queries and identifying resource-intensive operations. By querying this view, you can see which queries are consuming the most resources and take appropriate action.
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Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Microsoft exam blueprint
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