DP-300 Practice Question: Monitor, configure, and optimize database resources
Exhibit
Refer to the exhibit. The following KQL query is run in Azure Monitor to analyze performance: AzureMetrics | where ResourceProvider == "MICROSOFT.SQL" | where MetricName == "dtu_consumption_percent" | where TimeGenerated > ago(1h) | summarize avg(Maximum) by bin(TimeGenerated, 5m)
You observe that the average of Maximum DTU consumption over the last hour is consistently above 90%. What should you do next?
⚠ Common exam trap
DP-300 often tests whether candidates jump to query tuning when the metric itself is a capacity signal — the trap is choosing optimization over scaling for sustained high DTU.
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
✓
Scale up the database to a higher service tier or increase DTU.
A sustained average of Maximum DTU consumption above 90% over an hour indicates the database is consistently resource-bound and approaching its tier ceiling. The correct next step is to scale up to a higher service tier or add DTUs so the workload has headroom and latency does not degrade. Query Store and index maintenance are optimization steps, but the immediate signal is capacity saturation.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Scale up the database to a higher service tier or increase DTU.
Why this is correct
Sustained Maximum DTU above 90% indicates the database tier is saturated and cannot absorb further load. Scaling up to a higher service tier or increasing DTUs adds compute and I/O capacity, directly relieving the resource bottleneck causing the high consumption.
- ✗
Enable Query Store to analyze top queries.
Why it's wrong here
Query Store captures query plans and runtime statistics for tuning individual statements, but it does not reduce DTU consumption or identify which resource is saturating the database. It is tempting because it is the standard tool for diagnosing poorly performing queries, and it would be the right first step when a specific query is slow rather than when the database is consistently resource-bound.
- ✗
Rebuild all indexes in the database.
Why it's wrong here
Sustained DTU above 90% indicates the database is hitting its compute ceiling, so the next step is to identify the top resource-consuming queries and tune or scale. Index maintenance addresses fragmentation, not CPU saturation. Rebuilding indexes is correct when fragmentation is high and query plans are inefficient.
- ✗
Do nothing; it's normal for DTU to be high.
Why it's wrong here
Averaging above 90% Maximum DTU over an hour signals the tier is being exhausted, risking throttling and timeouts, so investigation is required rather than inaction. Doing nothing is correct only when DTU sits comfortably below the limit with headroom for normal peaks.
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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
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.