DP-300 Practice Question: Monitor, configure, and optimize database resources
You have an Azure SQL Database that uses the Hyperscale service tier. You notice that the log rate is frequently throttled. Which configuration change can help reduce log rate throttling?
⚠ Common exam trap
DP-300 often tests whether candidates understand that Hyperscale log rate is tied to the service level objective, not to parallelism or replica count; candidates frequently pick 'add more replicas' assuming more compute always solves throughput problems.
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 log rate limit by scaling up the service level objective
In Azure SQL Database Hyperscale, log rate is governed by the service level objective, and when the log generation rate exceeds the limit the workload is throttled. Scaling up to a higher service level objective raises the log rate limit, directly relieving the throttling. This is the documented remedy for log rate throttling in Hyperscale.
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 max degree of parallelism
Why it's wrong here
MAXDOP controls intra-query parallelism for individual statements, not the volume of log records written per transaction. It is tempting because parallelism tuning often improves throughput, but raising it can increase concurrent log generation rather than relieve the log-rate limit.
- ✓
Increase the log rate limit by scaling up the service level objective
Why this is correct
Hyperscale log rate limits scale with the service level objective, so scaling up raises the permitted log generation rate. This directly addresses the throttling constraint, unlike storage or replica changes, which do not affect the log rate ceiling.
- ✗
Reduce backup retention period
Why it's wrong here
Backup retention governs how long restore points are kept, not the rate at which log records are generated or hardened. It is tempting because retention settings are tunable per database, but shortening it would only reduce storage and point-in-time restore coverage, leaving log generation untouched.
- ✗
Add more compute replicas
Why it's wrong here
Compute replicas serve read-only queries, so adding them does not change the log generation rate on the primary. It is tempting because Hyperscale scales reads horizontally, but log throttling is governed by the primary's log throughput, which extra replicas do not increase.
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Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Microsoft exam blueprint
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.