The answer is to scale up the Azure SQL Database to a higher service tier. This is correct because an underprovisioned database lacks sufficient Database Transaction Units (DTUs) to handle the concurrent query load generated by multiple Power BI users using DirectQuery, where each user interaction sends live queries to the database. Scaling up increases DTU throughput, directly reducing query latency and improving report responsiveness without requiring any changes to the report design. On the Microsoft Azure Data Fundamentals DP-900 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of performance scaling options for Azure SQL Database in a Power BI DirectQuery context, often appearing as a trap where candidates mistakenly consider scaling out or adding read replicas—but the key is that DirectQuery relies on the single database’s compute capacity. A simple memory tip: DirectQuery means direct pressure on the database’s DTU budget, so when users pile on, you must scale up, not out.
DP-900 Describe an analytics workload on Azure Practice Question
This DP-900 practice question tests your understanding of describe an analytics workload on azure. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
Your company has a Power BI report that uses DirectQuery to Azure SQL Database. Users report that the report is slow when multiple users access it simultaneously. The database is underprovisioned. Which action should you take to improve performance without changing the report design?
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 Azure SQL Database to a higher service tier.
Option C is correct because the root cause is an underprovisioned Azure SQL Database, which cannot handle the concurrent query load from multiple Power BI users using DirectQuery. Scaling up to a higher service tier (e.g., from S2 to S3 or a DTU-based tier) increases the database's DTUs (Database Transaction Units), directly improving throughput and reducing query latency without altering the report design.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
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 query caching in Power BI Premium.
Why it's wrong here
Caching helps repeated queries but not the initial load.
✗
Change the report to use Import mode instead of DirectQuery.
Why it's wrong here
This changes report design and may not be feasible.
✓
Scale up the Azure SQL Database to a higher service tier.
Why this is correct
More DTUs/vCores handle more concurrent queries.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Add indexes to the tables used in the report.
Why it's wrong here
Indexes improve query speed but not concurrency.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse performance tuning at the database level (scaling up) with caching or data import strategies, overlooking the explicit constraint that the report design must remain unchanged and that the database is the bottleneck.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, DirectQuery translates Power BI visuals into T-SQL queries executed in real time against Azure SQL Database. When the database is underprovisioned, DTU consumption hits 100%, causing query throttling and increased response times. Scaling up increases the DTU limit, allowing more concurrent queries to be processed without queuing. Indexing (Option D) might help individual query speed but does not increase the database's overall capacity to handle concurrency, which is the bottleneck here.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A media company stores terabytes of video archives that are accessed once a year for audit purposes. Moving these objects to a cold storage tier (Azure Archive, S3 Glacier, or Google Nearline) costs a fraction of hot storage. Questions like this test whether you understand storage tiers, access frequency tradeoffs, and retrieval latency requirements.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this DP-900 question in full detail.
Describe an analytics workload on Azure — This question tests Describe an analytics workload on Azure — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Scale up the Azure SQL Database to a higher service tier. — Option C is correct because the root cause is an underprovisioned Azure SQL Database, which cannot handle the concurrent query load from multiple Power BI users using DirectQuery. Scaling up to a higher service tier (e.g., from S2 to S3 or a DTU-based tier) increases the database's DTUs (Database Transaction Units), directly improving throughput and reducing query latency without altering the report design.
What should I do if I get this DP-900 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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