Question 673 of 963

Monitor, configure, and optimize database resources →mediumMultiple SelectObjective-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.

Which TWO actions can help reduce `PAGEIOLATCH_UP` waits on an Azure SQL Database?

A
Add a nonclustered index to reduce update I/O.
Correct. A nonclustered index can reduce the number of pages that need to be updated, which decreases the I/O that causes PAGEIOLATCH_UP waits.
B
Reduce MAXDOP to 1.
Why wrong: Incorrect. Reducing MAXDOP to 1 affects parallelism and CPU usage but does not directly address the I/O waits for update latches. It might even increase I/O if queries become serial.
C
Increase the log write throughput by moving to a higher tier.
Correct. Upgrading to a higher tier increases I/O throughput, which can reduce the time spent waiting for page I/O during update latch operations.
D
Increase the buffer pool size by adding more memory.
Why wrong: Incorrect. Increasing buffer pool size helps with PAGEIOLATCH_SH waits (read latches), but PAGEIOLATCH_UP waits are for updates; they often require addressing I/O throughput or index design rather than memory size.

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

✓

Add a nonclustered index to reduce update I/O.

PAGEIOLATCH_UP waits occur when a task is waiting for a data page to be read from disk into the buffer pool while holding an update latch. These waits are typically caused by I/O contention on data pages during update operations. Option A helps by reducing the number of data pages that need to be modified and read during an update, for instance by allowing index seeks instead of scans. Option C helps by increasing the overall I/O throughput of the database through a higher service tier, which reduces the time needed for page reads. In contrast, reducing MAXDOP (B) mainly affects CPU parallelism, not I/O, and adding memory (D) might help only if the buffer pool is too small to cache pages, but it does not directly address the I/O latency causing PAGEIOLATCH_UP.

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.

✓
Add a nonclustered index to reduce update I/O.
Why this is correct
Correct. A nonclustered index can reduce the number of pages that need to be updated, which decreases the I/O that causes PAGEIOLATCH_UP waits.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Reduce MAXDOP to 1.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. Reducing MAXDOP to 1 affects parallelism and CPU usage but does not directly address the I/O waits for update latches. It might even increase I/O if queries become serial.
✓
Increase the log write throughput by moving to a higher tier.
Why this is correct
Correct. Upgrading to a higher tier increases I/O throughput, which can reduce the time spent waiting for page I/O during update latch operations.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Increase the buffer pool size by adding more memory.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. Increasing buffer pool size helps with PAGEIOLATCH_SH waits (read latches), but PAGEIOLATCH_UP waits are for updates; they often require addressing I/O throughput or index design rather than memory size.

Common exam traps

Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword

The trap here is that candidates often confuse `PAGEIOLATCH_UP` waits with general I/O bottlenecks and incorrectly assume that adding memory or reducing parallelism will resolve the issue, when in fact the wait is specifically tied to page-level latch contention during I/O, which is best addressed by reducing the I/O workload through indexing or increasing I/O throughput.

Detailed technical explanation

How to think about this question

`PAGEIOLATCH_UP` waits indicate contention on page latches during I/O operations, specifically when a page is being read from or written to disk. In Azure SQL Database, the buffer pool is managed by the SQL Server engine, and increasing memory (e.g., by scaling up the service tier) can reduce the frequency of physical I/O but does not eliminate the need for latches during writes. A nonclustered index can reduce the number of pages modified by an update operation, especially if it covers the updated columns, thereby lowering the I/O demand and latch contention.

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 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 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: Add a nonclustered index to reduce update I/O. — PAGEIOLATCH_UP waits occur when a task is waiting for a data page to be read from disk into the buffer pool while holding an update latch. These waits are typically caused by I/O contention on data pages during update operations. Option A helps by reducing the number of data pages that need to be modified and read during an update, for instance by allowing index seeks instead of scans. Option C helps by increasing the overall I/O throughput of the database through a higher service tier, which reduces the time needed for page reads. In contrast, reducing MAXDOP (B) mainly affects CPU parallelism, not I/O, and adding memory (D) might help only if the buffer pool is too small to cache pages, but it does not directly address the I/O latency causing PAGEIOLATCH_UP.

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.

What is the key concept behind this question?

Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.

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