DP-300 Plan and implement data platform resources Practice Question
You are deploying a new Azure SQL Database for a small internal inventory application. The workload is steady, with predictable usage during business hours, and the application team requires a fixed monthly cost with no risk of unexpected overage charges. You need to choose a purchasing model and service tier that meets these requirements. What should you do?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is assuming that auto-scaling always saves money or that a higher service tier is required for reliability, when the key requirement is a fixed, predictable monthly cost.
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
✓
Deploy the database by using the DTU purchasing model with a Standard service tier.
The DTU purchasing model with the Standard service tier provides a fixed monthly cost and is designed for steady, moderate workloads, which matches the small internal inventory application. The vCore model, whether Business Critical or General Purpose with auto-scaling, introduces variable costs that do not meet the fixed-cost requirement, and the Premium DTU tier is unnecessarily costly.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Deploy the database by using the vCore purchasing model with the General Purpose service tier and configure auto-scaling.
Why it's wrong here
The vCore General Purpose tier with auto-scaling can adjust resources based on demand, but auto-scaling may increase costs unpredictably, which conflicts with the requirement for a fixed monthly cost. It is better suited for variable workloads than for steady, predictable ones.
- ✓
Deploy the database by using the DTU purchasing model with a Standard service tier.
Why this is correct
The DTU purchasing model offers fixed, predictable pricing per DTU tier, and the Standard tier is designed for steady, moderate workloads like a small internal application. It provides a simple fixed monthly cost with no risk of unexpected overages, matching the requirement exactly.
- ✗
Deploy the database by using the DTU purchasing model with the Premium service tier.
Why it's wrong here
The DTU Premium tier provides high performance and low latency for mission-critical workloads, but it is significantly more expensive than the Standard tier and is overkill for a small internal inventory application. It would meet the fixed-cost requirement but at an unnecessarily high price point.
- ✗
Deploy the database by using the vCore purchasing model with the Business Critical service tier.
Why it's wrong here
The vCore model with Business Critical provides high performance and local SSD storage, but it is billed per vCore per hour and can scale, making it more expensive and less predictable for a small steady workload that needs a fixed monthly cost. It does not inherently guarantee a flat bill without provisioning limits.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Deploying and Configuring Azure SQL Managed Instance
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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Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Microsoft exam blueprint
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