DP-300 Practice Question: Monitor, configure, and optimize database resources
Your organization runs a critical application on Azure SQL Managed Instance. You notice that the `tempdb` database is experiencing contention, leading to PAGELATCH_EX waits. The managed instance has 16 vCores and is using the General Purpose service tier. You need to reduce `tempdb` contention without altering the application code or changing the service tier. What should you do?
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
✓
Add 16 tempdb data files of equal size, matching the number of vCores.
Adding tempdb data files equal to the number of vCores (16) is the recommended best practice to reduce allocation contention. With 16 vCores, 16 files minimize PAGELATCH_EX waits. Option A is incorrect because memory-optimized tempdb metadata helps only with system metadata contention, not data page allocation. Option B is incorrect because adding only 4 files is insufficient; the recommended number is equal to the number of vCores. Option D is incorrect because accelerated database recovery does not address tempdb contention.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Enable memory-optimized tempdb metadata to reduce allocation contention.
Why it's wrong here
Memory-optimized tempdb metadata reduces contention on system tables, not on data page allocations.
- ✗
Add 4 additional tempdb data files of equal size.
Why it's wrong here
While adding files helps, 4 may not be enough; best practice is to match the number of vCores.
- ✓
Add 16 tempdb data files of equal size, matching the number of vCores.
Why this is correct
Distributing tempdb data across multiple files reduces allocation contention; best practice is to have one file per vCore.
- ✗
Enable accelerated database recovery to reduce transaction log overhead.
Why it's wrong here
Accelerated database recovery does not address tempdb contention.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Overview of Azure Data Platform Options
Key term
Azure SQL Managed Instance
Azure SQL Managed Instance is a fully managed cloud database service that gives you nearly all the features of Microsoft SQL Server on your own server, without you having to manage the hardware or operating system.
About these practice questions
This DP-300 question is part of Courseiva's 906-question bank — original exam-style content with full explanations and wrong-answer analysis, never real exam questions or exam dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.