Question 644 of 963

Monitor, configure, and optimize database resources →easyMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped

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 monitoring an Azure SQL Database and notice that the average CPU usage is 80% and the average data IO percentage is 70%. You need to identify the most likely cause of the high resource usage. What should you check first?

Clue words in this question

Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.

Clue: "first"
Why it matters: Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
Clue: "most likely"
Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.

A
Check for long-running maintenance tasks
Why wrong: Maintenance tasks are scheduled and not the most likely first cause.
B
Check for connection pooling issues
Why wrong: Connection pooling issues cause connection errors, not high CPU/IO.
C
Check for blocking and deadlocks
Why wrong: Blocking causes waits, not necessarily high CPU/IO.
D
Use Query Store to identify top resource-consuming queries
Query Store helps find queries consuming CPU and IO.

Full breakdown with real-world context →

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 Query Store to identify top resource-consuming queries

High average CPU (80%) and data IO (70%) suggest that the database is under sustained load from inefficient or resource-intensive queries. Query Store captures query execution plans, runtime statistics, and resource consumption per query, making it the fastest way to pinpoint the top resource consumers. Checking Query Store first allows you to identify the specific queries driving CPU and IO, which is the most direct diagnostic step.

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.

✗
Check for long-running maintenance tasks
Why it's wrong here
Maintenance tasks are scheduled and not the most likely first cause.
✗
Check for connection pooling issues
Why it's wrong here
Connection pooling issues cause connection errors, not high CPU/IO.
✗
Check for blocking and deadlocks
Why it's wrong here
Blocking causes waits, not necessarily high CPU/IO.
✓
Use Query Store to identify top resource-consuming queries
Why this is correct
Query Store helps find queries consuming CPU and IO.
Clue confirmation
The clue words "first", "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.

Common exam traps

Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword

The trap here is that candidates often jump to 'blocking and deadlocks' (Option C) because they associate high resource usage with concurrency issues, but sustained CPU and IO are far more commonly driven by inefficient queries rather than blocking.

Detailed technical explanation

How to think about this question

Query Store in Azure SQL Database captures query-level metrics such as CPU time, logical reads, and duration, and stores them in the sys.query_store_runtime_stats view. When average resource usage is high, you can query sys.query_store_query_text and sys.query_store_plan to identify the exact queries and plans causing the load. A real-world scenario is when a parameter-sensitive plan (PSP) problem causes a single query to use a suboptimal plan for certain parameter values, leading to excessive CPU and IO that Query Store can quickly reveal.

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.

TExam Day Tips

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 cloud solutions architect for a retail company is evaluating services for a new workload. The correct answer here reflects best practice for the specific scenario described — not a general cloud recommendation. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Cloud exam questions reward reading the constraint carefully: the same technology can be right or wrong depending on the use case.

What to study next

Got this wrong? Here's your next step.

Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.

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FAQ

Questions learners often ask

What does this DP-300 question test?

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: Use Query Store to identify top resource-consuming queries — High average CPU (80%) and data IO (70%) suggest that the database is under sustained load from inefficient or resource-intensive queries. Query Store captures query execution plans, runtime statistics, and resource consumption per query, making it the fastest way to pinpoint the top resource consumers. Checking Query Store first allows you to identify the specific queries driving CPU and IO, which is the most direct diagnostic step.

What should I do if I get this DP-300 question wrong?

Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.

Are there clue words in this question I should notice?

Yes — watch for: "first", "most likely". Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.

What is the key concept behind this question?

Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.

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