DP-300 Configure and manage automation of tasks Practice Question
You are configuring automated performance tuning for an Azure SQL Database. You want to automatically create missing indexes and drop unused indexes, but you need to prevent automatic index creation during peak business hours (9 AM - 5 PM). What is the best approach?
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
✓
Enable automatic tuning but set the 'INDEX_CREATE' option to 'OFF' and use a schedule to run a script that enables it during off-peak hours and disables during peak hours.
It leverages Azure SQL Database's built-in automatic tuning feature while still allowing you to enforce a schedule. By setting the 'INDEX_CREATE' option to 'OFF' and using a script (e.g., via Azure Automation or SQL Server Agent) to toggle it on during off-peak hours and off during peak hours, you can automatically create missing indexes outside the prohibited window. This approach combines the intelligence of automatic tuning with your scheduling requirement. Option A does not allow scheduling; Option C relies on manual scripts without the built-in tuning intelligence; Option D is similar to B but less integrated with automatic tuning.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Enable automatic indexing in Azure SQL Database and rely on the system to decide when to create indexes.
Why it's wrong here
The system may create indexes during peak hours.
- ✓
Enable automatic tuning but set the 'INDEX_CREATE' option to 'OFF' and use a schedule to run a script that enables it during off-peak hours and disables during peak hours.
Why this is correct
You can toggle the setting using ALTER DATABASE SET AUTOMATIC_TUNING (FORCE_LAST_GOOD_PLAN = ON, CREATE_INDEX = OFF) and schedule changes.
- ✗
Use SQL Server Agent to schedule index creation scripts that check for missing indexes.
Why it's wrong here
SQL Agent not available in Azure SQL Database.
- ✗
Use Azure Automation to run index analysis scripts only during off-peak hours.
Why it's wrong here
Requires custom scripts and does not leverage built-in automatic tuning.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Overview of Azure Data Platform Options
Key term
Azure SQL Performance Tuning
Azure SQL Performance Tuning is the process of optimizing the speed and efficiency of queries and database operations in Microsoft Azure SQL Database or SQL Managed Instance to reduce latency and improve throughput.
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