Quick Answer
The answer is to examine Average CPU percentage and log write bytes/sec. CPU percentage directly shows how much of the allocated compute capacity is being consumed, so a sustained high value points to a CPU bottleneck. Log write bytes/sec measures the rate at which transaction log data is written to storage, and a high value indicates heavy I/O activity, particularly for write-intensive workloads. On the DP-300 exam, this question tests your ability to differentiate between compute and I/O pressure using DTU metrics, a common scenario in performance troubleshooting. A frequent trap is mistaking deadlocks or session count for resource bottlenecks—deadlocks are concurrency conflicts, not resource saturation, and session count reflects workload volume, not usage intensity. To remember, think of CPU percentage as the engine load and log write bytes/sec as the exhaust flow: one tells you how hard the processor is working, the other how much data is being pushed to disk.
This DP-300 practice question tests your understanding of monitor, configure, and optimize database resources. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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 are monitoring an Azure SQL Database that is experiencing high DTU usage. Which TWO metrics should you examine to determine whether the bottleneck is CPU or I/O?
Log write bytes per second.
High log write I/O suggests I/O bottleneck.
Average CPU percentage.
Directly shows CPU utilization.
Number of deadlocks per second.
Why wrong: Deadlocks indicate contention but not CPU or I/O bottleneck.
Used storage space in GB.
Why wrong: Capacity metric, not performance.
Number of active sessions.
Why wrong: Indicates concurrency, not resource bottleneck.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Log write bytes per second.
Options B and D are correct. CPU percentage directly indicates CPU usage, and log write bytes/sec indicates I/O activity for writes. Option A (deadlocks) is not a bottleneck. Option C (session count) shows concurrency, not resource usage. Option E (storage space) is capacity, not performance.
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.
Log write bytes per second.
Why this is correct
High log write I/O suggests I/O bottleneck.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Average CPU percentage.
Why this is correct
Directly shows CPU utilization.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Number of deadlocks per second.
Why it's wrong here
Deadlocks indicate contention but not CPU or I/O bottleneck.
Used storage space in GB.
Why it's wrong here
Capacity metric, not performance.
Number of active sessions.
Why it's wrong here
Indicates concurrency, not resource bottleneck.
Common exam traps
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
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.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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
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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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: Log write bytes per second. — Options B and D are correct. CPU percentage directly indicates CPU usage, and log write bytes/sec indicates I/O activity for writes. Option A (deadlocks) is not a bottleneck. Option C (session count) shows concurrency, not resource usage. Option E (storage space) is capacity, not performance.
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.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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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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