SNOW-CSA Database Administration and CMDB Practice Question
A company has a large CMDB and wants to improve query performance on CI tables. Which two actions would help achieve this? (Choose two.)
⚠ Common exam trap
A common mix-up: candidates confuse application-layer caching (CI Cache) with database-level query optimization, leading them to select Option D instead of recognizing that indexes and archiving are the correct database-focused actions.
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
✓
Adding indexes to frequently queried columns.
Adding indexes to frequently queried columns (Option A) improves query performance by allowing the database to locate rows more efficiently, reducing full table scans. This is a standard database optimization technique that directly addresses slow CI table queries in ServiceNow.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Adding indexes to frequently queried columns.
Why this is correct
Indexes improve query performance by allowing faster data retrieval.
- ✗
Disabling all CMDB audit history.
Why it's wrong here
Auditing is important for compliance; disabling it poses risks and may not significantly improve performance.
- ✗
Increasing the database heap size.
Why it's wrong here
Heap size is managed by the database administrator, not a typical CMDB task, and may not impact query performance directly.
- ✗
Using the CI Cache feature.
Why it's wrong here
ServiceNow does not have a built-in 'CI Cache'; caching is not standard.
- ✓
Archiving historical data from the CI table.
Why this is correct
Archiving reduces the active table size, making queries faster.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This SNOW-CSA practice question is part of Courseiva's free ServiceNow 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 SNOW-CSA exam.