- A
Switch to Premium SSD v2 storage
Why wrong: Storage type not adjustable in Business Critical.
- B
Disable automatic tuning to reduce overhead
Why wrong: Automatic tuning has minimal overhead; does not affect log writes.
- C
Reduce the number of secondary replicas to minimize synchronization overhead
Why wrong: Business Critical always has 4 replicas; cannot reduce.
- D
Increase the number of vCores to 16
More vCores increase log write throughput.
Question 718 of 963
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. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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 manage a critical Azure SQL Database that supports a financial application. The database is configured with the Business Critical service tier (8 vCores) and uses Always On availability groups for high availability. Recently, the application team noticed that some transactions are experiencing high latency during writes. You investigate and find that the log write latency is averaging 10 ms, and there are occasional HADR_SYNC_COMMIT waits. The application requires durable writes with synchronous commit. You need to reduce write latency without compromising data durability. What should you do?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"always"Why it matters: Absolute qualifier. An answer using 'always' is only correct if there are genuinely no exceptions — absolute statements are often wrong in networking.
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 number of vCores to 16
Increasing the number of vCores (Option D) provides additional CPU and memory resources for the log writer, which can process transactions faster, thereby reducing log write latency. In the Business Critical tier, the log write path is CPU-intensive, and scaling up directly improves throughput. Option A is incorrect because Premium SSD v2 is not applicable to Azure SQL Database; storage is managed by the service. Option B is incorrect because disabling automatic tuning does not impact log write performance and may negatively affect overall query performance. Option C is incorrect because the number of secondary replicas is fixed at three in Business Critical, and reducing them is not possible; further, synchronous commit requires at least one secondary to ensure durability.
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.
- ✗
Switch to Premium SSD v2 storage
Why it's wrong here
Storage type not adjustable in Business Critical.
- ✗
Disable automatic tuning to reduce overhead
Why it's wrong here
Automatic tuning has minimal overhead; does not affect log writes.
- ✗
Reduce the number of secondary replicas to minimize synchronization overhead
Why it's wrong here
Business Critical always has 4 replicas; cannot reduce.
- ✓
Increase the number of vCores to 16
Why this is correct
More vCores increase log write throughput.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "always" 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
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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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 number of vCores to 16 — Increasing the number of vCores (Option D) provides additional CPU and memory resources for the log writer, which can process transactions faster, thereby reducing log write latency. In the Business Critical tier, the log write path is CPU-intensive, and scaling up directly improves throughput. Option A is incorrect because Premium SSD v2 is not applicable to Azure SQL Database; storage is managed by the service. Option B is incorrect because disabling automatic tuning does not impact log write performance and may negatively affect overall query performance. Option C is incorrect because the number of secondary replicas is fixed at three in Business Critical, and reducing them is not possible; further, synchronous commit requires at least one secondary to ensure durability.
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.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "always". Absolute qualifier. An answer using 'always' is only correct if there are genuinely no exceptions — absolute statements are often wrong in networking.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
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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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