DP-300 Practice Question: Monitor, configure, and optimize database resources
You manage an Azure SQL Database that is experiencing higher than expected DTU consumption. You need to identify which queries are consuming the most resources. Which dynamic management view should you query?
⚠ Common exam trap
DP-300 often tests the difference between DMVs that show current activity (sys.dm_exec_requests) versus those that show historical aggregates (sys.dm_exec_query_stats), and candidates may confuse instance-level wait stats with query-level resource consumption.
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
✓
Query sys.dm_exec_query_stats
sys.dm_exec_query_stats returns aggregate performance statistics for cached query plans, including total worker time, logical reads, and execution counts. This makes it the correct DMV to identify which queries consume the most resources, as it directly attributes resource usage to individual query statements. By ordering by total_worker_time or total_logical_reads, you can pinpoint the top resource-consuming queries.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Query sys.dm_exec_requests
Why it's wrong here
This view lists currently executing requests with their live resource usage, so it misses completed queries and cannot rank historical DTU consumption. It is tempting for spotting an actively running long query, which is correct when troubleshooting a problem happening right now.
- ✗
Query sys.dm_os_wait_stats
Why it's wrong here
Wait statistics reveal cumulative time spent waiting on locks, I/O and CPU, not per-query resource consumption, so they cannot rank the heaviest DTU consumers. They are tempting for diagnosing latency bottlenecks, where identifying which wait type dominates would be the correct goal.
- ✓
Query sys.dm_exec_query_stats
Why this is correct
sys.dm_exec_query_stats aggregates execution counts, CPU time and logical reads per cached plan, so ordering by total resource consumption reveals the heaviest queries. This satisfies the requirement to identify which queries drive the elevated DTU usage on the Azure SQL Database.
- ✗
Query sys.dm_db_resource_stats
Why it's wrong here
This view reports database-level DTU and storage usage over short intervals, giving aggregate consumption rather than per-query attribution. It is tempting for confirming that a database is genuinely saturating its service tier, which is the correct use when capacity trending, not query tuning, is the objective.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Managing Environment Configurations and Resource Governance
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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Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Microsoft exam blueprint
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