DP-300 Practice Question: Monitor, configure, and optimize database resources
Exhibit
Refer to the exhibit.
```json
{
"properties": {
"longTermRetentionPolicy": {
"weeklyRetention": "P4W",
"monthlyRetention": "P12M",
"yearlyRetention": "P3Y",
"weekOfYear": 1
}
}
}
```You are reviewing the long-term retention (LTR) policy for an Azure SQL Database. The exhibit shows the current policy. You need to ensure that backups are retained for at least 10 years for compliance. What should you do?
⚠ Common exam trap
DP-300 often tests the distinction between retention duration parameters (P10Y, P120M, P10W) and configuration parameters like weekOfYear, causing candidates to confuse the backup selection week with the retention period itself.
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
✓
Increase the yearly retention to P10Y.
The long-term retention (LTR) policy in Azure SQL Database uses ISO 8601 duration formats for each retention tier: weekly (P#W), monthly (P#M), and yearly (P#Y). To retain backups for at least 10 years, the yearly retention period must be set to P10Y, which represents 10 years. Only the yearly retention option supports multi-year durations, making it the correct choice for a 10-year compliance requirement.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Increase the yearly retention to P10Y.
Why this is correct
The yearly retention period governs how long yearly full backups persist; setting it to P10Y retains them for ten years, satisfying the compliance requirement. Weekly, monthly, and daily retention values do not extend coverage to a decade.
- ✗
Change the weekOfYear to 10.
Why it's wrong here
weekOfYear selects which week of the year the yearly backup is taken, not how many years it is kept; retention duration is governed by the yearly retention setting. It tempts because week numbering does configure yearly backup scheduling, which would matter when aligning a backup to a specific calendar week.
- ✗
Increase the monthly retention to P120M.
Why it's wrong here
Monthly retention caps at P120M, roughly ten years, but LTR compliance for ten years requires the yearly retention period, which extends to P10Y and is the axis that satisfies the requirement. Monthly retention is intended for finer-grained restore points within the retention window, not long-term archival.
- ✗
Increase the weekly retention to P10W.
Why it's wrong here
Weekly retention is capped at P10W, roughly ten weeks, so it cannot reach ten years regardless of configuration. The yearly retention tier is the one designed for multi-year compliance holds; weekly backups are intended for short-term operational recovery.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Key term
Azure SQL Database Backup
Azure SQL Database Backup is a fully managed, automated service that creates and stores copies of your SQL database data and transaction logs in Azure storage, enabling point-in-time recovery and long-term retention for data protection and business continuity.
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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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Microsoft exam blueprint
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