The answer is to create a read-only replica and direct reporting queries to it. This works because Azure SQL Database’s read-scale-out feature allows you to offload reporting queries to a secondary replica, which can be provisioned at a lower service tier than the primary, thereby reducing IO and DTU pressure on the main database without scaling it up. For the DP-300 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of workload isolation and cost-effective performance tuning—specifically, that read-only replicas are ideal for analytical or reporting workloads that tolerate staleness. A common trap is assuming you must scale up the primary or add indexes, but the key insight is that offloading read traffic to a separate endpoint preserves OLTP performance on the primary. Remember the memory tip: “Replica for reports, primary for transactions” to quickly identify the correct choice when you see high DTU usage from read-heavy queries.
DP-300 Practice Question: Monitor, configure, and optimize database resources
This DP-300 practice question tests your understanding of monitor, configure, and optimize database resources. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
You are a DBA for a company that uses Azure SQL Database for its customer relationship management (CRM) system. The database is currently in the General Purpose tier (DTU S2) and is experiencing performance degradation during end-of-month reporting. Reports that aggregate large amounts of data take over 30 minutes to run. You notice that the database's DTU usage averages 80% during these reports, with high IO. You need to improve report performance without significantly increasing cost. The reports are read-only and can tolerate some staleness. What should you do?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Create a read-only replica and direct reports to it
Option D is correct because creating a read-only replica allows you to offload reporting queries to the replica, which can be at a lower service tier, reducing load on the primary and improving performance. Option A is wrong because scaling up the primary to S3 during reporting hours increases cost. Option B is wrong because adding indexes helps but may not be sufficient. Option C is wrong because columnstore indexes are not ideal for OLTP workloads and may affect write performance.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
Increase the service tier to S3 during the end-of-month period
Why it's wrong here
Temporary scale-up incurs cost and complexity.
✗
Add nonclustered indexes to the tables used in reports
Why it's wrong here
May help but not enough for heavy aggregation.
✗
Convert the tables to clustered columnstore indexes
Why it's wrong here
Great for reporting but hurts OLTP writes.
✓
Create a read-only replica and direct reports to it
Why this is correct
Offloads reporting without affecting primary; cost-effective.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
→Underline the problem statement mentally.
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A startup's cloud architect reviews their monthly bill and notices costs are higher than expected for a long-running batch job. Switching from on-demand instances to Reserved Instances — or using Spot/Preemptible VMs — can reduce compute costs by up to 72 %. Questions like this test whether you understand the tradeoffs between commitment, flexibility, and cost across cloud pricing models.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this DP-300 question in full detail.
Identify which DP-300 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Monitor, configure, and optimize database resources — This question tests Monitor, configure, and optimize database resources — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Create a read-only replica and direct reports to it — Option D is correct because creating a read-only replica allows you to offload reporting queries to the replica, which can be at a lower service tier, reducing load on the primary and improving performance. Option A is wrong because scaling up the primary to S3 during reporting hours increases cost. Option B is wrong because adding indexes helps but may not be sufficient. Option C is wrong because columnstore indexes are not ideal for OLTP workloads and may affect write performance.
What should I do if I get this DP-300 question wrong?
Identify which DP-300 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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