DP-300 Plan and implement data platform resources Practice Question
You are configuring Azure SQL Database for a new e-commerce application that must support high read throughput for product catalog queries. The application uses Entity Framework Core and requires that read-only queries be offloaded to a secondary replica to reduce load on the primary. Which feature should you enable?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many candidates confuse read scale-out with Active Geo-Replication, assuming that any readable secondary must be in a different region, but read scale-out works within the same region and is specifically designed for read-only workload offloading.
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 read scale-out and configure the application to use read-only intent.
Read scale-out in Azure SQL Database allows you to offload read-only workloads to a readable secondary replica by setting the application connection string's `ApplicationIntent=ReadOnly`. This reduces load on the primary replica, which is essential for high read throughput in an e-commerce catalog scenario. Entity Framework Core can use this by specifying `ReadOnly` in the connection string or via a custom interceptor.
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 read scale-out and configure the application to use read-only intent.
Why this is correct
Read scale-out provisions a read-only secondary replica, and routing connections with ApplicationIntent=ReadOnly directs Entity Framework Core catalog queries there, offloading the primary. This satisfies the high read throughput requirement without manual replication, since Microsoft Entra ID authentication and the existing connection string remain unchanged.
- ✗
Enable Query Performance Insights and create indexes for frequent queries.
Why it's wrong here
Query Performance Insights and indexing tune individual query plans; neither creates a secondary replica, so read-only Entity Framework Core queries still hit the primary. It is tempting because indexing genuinely raises read throughput, and would be the right answer if the requirement were query tuning rather than offloading reads.
- ✗
Configure Active Geo-Replication with a readable secondary in a different region.
Why it's wrong here
Active geo-replication's readable secondary serves failover and cross-region disaster recovery, and its secondary is not the same-region read-scale replica that the application's read-only connection string targets. It is tempting because it does provide a readable secondary, and would be correct for regional outage resilience.
- ✗
Enable automatic tuning to force parameterization of queries.
Why it's wrong here
Automatic tuning's FORCE_LAST_GOOD_PLAN and parameterisation options stabilise plan choice and reduce compilation; they create no secondary replica, so reads remain on the primary. It is tempting because parameterisation does cut CPU on read-heavy workloads, and would be correct if plan regression, not read offloading, were the problem.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Implementing High Availability for Azure SQL Databases
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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