Quick Answer
The answer is Memory Grants Pending and Page Life Expectancy (PLE). Memory Grants Pending tracks the number of queries waiting for a memory grant to execute; a non-zero value directly indicates that the server cannot allocate enough memory to satisfy query workspace requirements, signaling immediate memory pressure. Page Life Expectancy measures how long a data page stays in the buffer pool before being evicted, and a consistently low PLE—typically below 300 seconds—reveals that pages are being flushed too quickly due to insufficient buffer pool memory. On the DP-300 exam, this pairing tests your ability to distinguish between memory pressure symptoms and root causes; a common trap is focusing only on PLE while ignoring Memory Grants Pending, which catches active contention. Remember the mnemonic “PLE for pressure, Grants for grants”—PLE shows the effect on cached data, while Memory Grants Pending reveals queries starving for workspace memory.
This DP-300 practice question tests your understanding of monitor, configure, and optimize database resources. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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 metrics should you monitor in Azure SQL Database to detect a potential memory pressure issue?
Page Life Expectancy
Low PLE indicates memory pressure.
Memory Grants Pending
Pending grants indicate memory contention.
Average CPU percent
Why wrong: CPU metric, not memory.
Log IO
Why wrong: Transaction log metric.
Data IO
Why wrong: Disk IO metric.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Page Life Expectancy
Page Life Expectancy (PLE) is a key metric that indicates how long a data page remains in the buffer pool before being evicted. A consistently low PLE (e.g., below 300 seconds) signals that pages are being flushed too quickly due to memory pressure, often from insufficient buffer pool memory. Memory Grants Pending tracks the number of queries waiting for a memory grant to execute; a non-zero value indicates that the server cannot allocate enough memory to satisfy query workspace requirements, directly pointing to memory pressure.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Page Life Expectancy
Why this is correct
Low PLE indicates memory pressure.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Memory Grants Pending
Why this is correct
Pending grants indicate memory contention.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Average CPU percent
Why it's wrong here
CPU metric, not memory.
Log IO
Why it's wrong here
Transaction log metric.
Data IO
Why it's wrong here
Disk IO metric.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates often confuse high CPU or I/O metrics with memory pressure, but CPU and I/O metrics reflect different resource bottlenecks, while PLE and Memory Grants Pending are the direct indicators of memory contention in Azure SQL Database.
Detailed technical explanation
Under the hood, Page Life Expectancy is tracked by the SQL Server Buffer Manager and is calculated as the number of seconds a page stays in the buffer pool without being referenced. A PLE below 300 seconds is a common threshold for memory pressure, but in Azure SQL Database with multiple resource pools, you should also monitor the 'avg_page_life_expectancy' in the sys.dm_os_performance_counters DMV. Memory Grants Pending from sys.dm_exec_query_memory_grants shows queries waiting for workspace memory; if this value is consistently above zero, it indicates that the total memory available for query execution (the 'max server memory' setting or resource governor limits) is insufficient for the workload.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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
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FAQ
Monitor, configure, and optimize database resources — This question tests Monitor, configure, and optimize database resources — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Page Life Expectancy — Page Life Expectancy (PLE) is a key metric that indicates how long a data page remains in the buffer pool before being evicted. A consistently low PLE (e.g., below 300 seconds) signals that pages are being flushed too quickly due to memory pressure, often from insufficient buffer pool memory. Memory Grants Pending tracks the number of queries waiting for a memory grant to execute; a non-zero value indicates that the server cannot allocate enough memory to satisfy query workspace requirements, directly pointing to memory pressure.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
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