- A
Implement transactional replication to offload write operations to a secondary database.
Why wrong: Replication adds overhead and does not reduce log writes on the primary.
- B
Enable page compression on all tables to reduce the amount of data written to the log.
Why wrong: Page compression reduces data size but not log writes; log records are not compressed.
- C
Enable accelerated database recovery to reduce the log space required for long-running transactions.
Why wrong: Accelerated database recovery reduces the need for undo log, but does not improve log write throughput.
- D
Increase the initial size of the transaction log file to 200 GB and set the auto-growth increment to a fixed size of 1 GB.
A larger log file with proper auto-growth settings reduces the frequency of growth events and improves performance.
Quick Answer
The answer is to increase the initial size of the transaction log file to 200 GB with a fixed auto-growth increment of 1 GB. This directly addresses the root cause of high log write latency during batch processing: frequent auto-growth events. When the log file is too small, each growth event causes a performance penalty and log fragmentation, which severely impacts throughput for the heavy INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE operations in your batch process. On the DP-300 exam, this scenario tests your understanding that log performance tuning often involves sizing rather than changing the service tier or adding overhead like replication. A common trap is to assume that faster hardware or compression will fix log write issues, but the bottleneck here is the log file’s physical expansion. Remember the memory tip: “Grow once, write fast” — pre-allocate the log to avoid the cost of repeated auto-growth during critical batch windows.
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 database administrator for a financial services company that runs a critical application on Azure SQL Database in the Business Critical service tier. The database is named 'TransactionsDB' and has a size of 500 GB. The application experiences periodic performance degradation during end-of-month batch processing. Analysis shows that the degradation coincides with high log write activity and increased latency for write transactions. You have already verified that the log rate is within the service tier limits. The batch process performs a large number of INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE operations on multiple tables. You need to optimize the transaction log performance without changing the application code or the service tier. The database uses the full recovery model and has a log backup every 5 minutes. What should you do?
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
Increase the initial size of the transaction log file to 200 GB and set the auto-growth increment to a fixed size of 1 GB.
Option A is correct because increasing the log file size reduces auto-growth events and improves log throughput; the current size may be too small causing frequent growth and fragmentation. Option B is wrong because transactional replication adds overhead. Option C is wrong because enabling accelerated database recovery does not directly improve log write performance. Option D is wrong because page compression reduces I/O but not log writes.
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.
- ✗
Implement transactional replication to offload write operations to a secondary database.
Why it's wrong here
Replication adds overhead and does not reduce log writes on the primary.
- ✗
Enable page compression on all tables to reduce the amount of data written to the log.
Why it's wrong here
Page compression reduces data size but not log writes; log records are not compressed.
- ✗
Enable accelerated database recovery to reduce the log space required for long-running transactions.
Why it's wrong here
Accelerated database recovery reduces the need for undo log, but does not improve log write throughput.
- ✓
Increase the initial size of the transaction log file to 200 GB and set the auto-growth increment to a fixed size of 1 GB.
Why this is correct
A larger log file with proper auto-growth settings reduces the frequency of growth events and improves performance.
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 media company stores terabytes of video archives that are accessed once a year for audit purposes. Moving these objects to a cold storage tier (Azure Archive, S3 Glacier, or Google Nearline) costs a fraction of hot storage. Questions like this test whether you understand storage tiers, access frequency tradeoffs, and retrieval latency requirements.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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.
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Monitor, configure, and optimize database resources — study guide chapter
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Monitor, configure, and optimize database resources practice questions
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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: Increase the initial size of the transaction log file to 200 GB and set the auto-growth increment to a fixed size of 1 GB. — Option A is correct because increasing the log file size reduces auto-growth events and improves log throughput; the current size may be too small causing frequent growth and fragmentation. Option B is wrong because transactional replication adds overhead. Option C is wrong because enabling accelerated database recovery does not directly improve log write performance. Option D is wrong because page compression reduces I/O but not log writes.
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.
About these practice questions
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Last reviewed: Jun 21, 2026
This DP-300 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Microsoft 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 DP-300 exam.
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