DP-300 Practice Question: Monitor, configure, and optimize database resources
You are optimizing an Azure SQL Database that runs a reporting workload. The database is in the General Purpose tier. You notice that many queries are performing table scans on large tables. Which TWO actions would most likely improve query performance without increasing costs?
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
✓
Update statistics on the tables.
Updating statistics (A) helps the query optimizer generate more accurate execution plans, potentially avoiding table scans. Creating nonclustered indexes on columns used in WHERE clauses (E) can provide direct access paths, reducing the need for full table scans. Both actions improve performance without increasing costs. Option B (upgrading to Business Critical) increases cost and may not directly address table scans. Option C (increasing MAXDOP) can cause parallelism issues and is not guaranteed to reduce scans. Option D (enabling automatic tuning) is a feature that can suggest index and plan changes but is not as direct as updating statistics or creating indexes.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Update statistics on the tables.
Why this is correct
Updated statistics help the optimizer choose better execution plans, potentially avoiding scans.
- ✗
Upgrade to Business Critical tier.
Why it's wrong here
Upgrading tier increases cost.
- ✗
Increase MAXDOP to 8.
Why it's wrong here
Increasing MAXDOP may not improve table scans; it can cause parallelism issues.
- ✗
Enable automatic tuning.
Why it's wrong here
Automatic tuning helps but does not directly address table scans; it may create indexes over time.
- ✓
Create nonclustered indexes on columns used in WHERE clauses.
Why this is correct
Indexes can eliminate table scans by providing seek operations.
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.
About these practice questions
One of 906 original DP-300 practice questions on Courseiva, each with a full explanation and wrong-answer analysis — not exam dumps or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.