DP-300 Practice Question: Monitor, configure, and optimize database resources
You manage a SQL Server on Azure VM. Users report slow queries during peak hours. You suspect memory pressure. Which metric should you monitor in Azure Monitor to confirm this?
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
✓
Target Server Memory (KB)
Target Server Memory (KB) shows the amount of memory SQL Server is trying to acquire; consistently high values relative to Total Server Memory indicate memory pressure. Option A is wrong because Page Life Expectancy is affected by memory but is a secondary indicator. Option B is wrong because Batch Requests/sec measures throughput, not memory. Option C is wrong because Buffer Cache Hit Ratio indicates cache efficiency but not directly memory pressure.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Page Life Expectancy
Why it's wrong here
Page Life Expectancy is affected by memory but is a secondary indicator of memory pressure.
- ✗
Batch Requests/sec
Why it's wrong here
Batch Requests/sec measures throughput, not memory.
- ✗
Buffer Cache Hit Ratio
Why it's wrong here
Buffer Cache Hit Ratio indicates cache efficiency but not directly memory pressure.
- ✓
Target Server Memory (KB)
Why this is correct
Target Server Memory (KB) shows the amount of memory SQL Server is trying to acquire; consistently high values relative to Total Server Memory indicate memory pressure.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Overview of Azure Data Platform Options
Key term
SQL Server on Azure VM
SQL Server on Azure VM is a cloud service that lets you run Microsoft SQL Server software inside a virtual machine in Microsoft Azure, giving you full control over the database environment just like you would have on your own physical server.
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