Database Performance Tuning: Master the Art of Database Optimization

Question 1

A primary index is created on which of the following?

Accepted Answer

The primary key of a table

Answer

A unique column of a table

Answer

A commonly used column of a table

Answer

All columns of a table

Question 2

What is the primary objective of a clustered index?

Accepted Answer

To group physically adjacent rows together

Answer

To enhance query speed across multiple columns

Answer

To enforce a unique key constraint on a table

Answer

To prevent duplicate values within a column

Question 3

Query optimization refers to the process of:

Accepted Answer

Modifying a query to enhance its performance

Answer

Creating a new index specifically for a query

Answer

Adjusting hardware settings to improve query execution speed

Answer

Identifying and eliminating redundant indexes

Question 4

Which approach to database performance tuning is considered best practice?

Accepted Answer

Employing a holistic approach that combines hardware and software tuning

Answer

Prioritizing hardware upgrades and subsequently addressing software optimizations

Answer

Focusing primarily on query optimization techniques

Answer

Commencing with software tuning and considering hardware upgrades only if necessary

Question 5

What is the primary purpose of a clustered index?

Accepted Answer

Physically organizing related data on disk

Answer

Enhancing performance of range queries

Answer

Enhancing performance of equality queries

Answer

Enforcing data integrity

Question 6

What is the fundamental distinction between a primary key and a foreign key?

Accepted Answer

A primary key uniquely identifies each row in a table, while a foreign key references a primary key in a different table.

Answer

A foreign key uniquely identifies each row in a table, while a primary key references a foreign key in a different table.

Answer

Both primary and foreign keys serve the purpose of uniquely identifying rows in a table.

Answer

There is no distinction between a primary key and a foreign key.

Question 7

Which approach is considered a best practice for optimizing join performance?

Accepted Answer

Utilizing indexes on the join columns

Answer

Minimizing the number of joins in a single query

Answer

Prioritizing the use of nested loop joins

Answer

Avoiding the use of outer joins

Question 8

What is the primary objective of a materialized view?

Accepted Answer

Storing pre-calculated query results for faster retrieval

Answer

Providing a logical representation of data from multiple tables

Answer

Enhancing data security by concealing sensitive data

Answer

Ensuring data integrity by maintaining data consistency

Question 9

What is the primary goal of database performance tuning?

Accepted Answer

Reducing query response times

Answer

Minimizing resource consumption

Answer

Improving data accuracy

Answer

Guaranteeing data security

Question 10

Which indexing strategy is primarily employed to optimize search performance on range queries, organizing data sequentially on disk based on the indexed column?

Accepted Answer

Clustered index

Answer

Hash index

Answer

Full-text index

Answer

Spatial index

Question 11

In database performance tuning, what is the main goal of query optimization?

Accepted Answer

Minimizing disk I/O operations

Answer

Reducing memory consumption during query execution

Answer

Preventing deadlocks

Answer

Ensuring data integrity

Question 12

In a database system, which hardware component is commonly the primary source of performance bottlenecks?

Accepted Answer

Hard disk

Answer

CPU

Answer

RAM

Answer

Network interface card

Question 13

What is the primary function of a clustered index?

Accepted Answer

Physically sorting data on disk based on the indexed column

Answer

Creating a separate index structure in memory

Answer

Accelerating updates and inserts

Answer

Reducing the size of the database file

Question 14

Which query optimization technique involves altering the sequence of operations in a query to enhance efficiency?

Accepted Answer

Join reordering

Answer

Predicate pushing

Answer

Index merging

Answer

Materialized views

Question 15

What is the purpose of a full-text index?

Accepted Answer

Enabling efficient searches on large volumes of textual data

Answer

Improving the performance of range queries

Answer

Creating a unique identifier for each row in the table

Answer

Enforcing referential integrity constraints

Question 16

Which of the following is an advantage of utilizing a materialized view?

Accepted Answer

Enhanced query performance

Answer

Reduced data redundancy

Answer

Increased data security

Answer

Simplified data maintenance

Question 17

What is the primary objective of a spatial index?

Accepted Answer

Optimizing queries involving spatial data, such as geographic coordinates

Answer

Creating a unique identifier for each row in a table

Answer

Improving performance of range queries on numeric data

Answer

Enforcing referential integrity constraints

Question 18

When tuning database performance for a large transaction processing system, which factor is crucial to consider?

Accepted Answer

Concurrency

Answer

Data integrity

Answer

User interface design

Answer

Database backup strategy

Question 19

What is the main purpose of a hash index?

Accepted Answer

Providing rapid lookups based on a hash value of the indexed column

Answer

Physically sorting data on disk based on the indexed column

Answer

Creating a separate index structure in memory

Answer

Accelerating updates and inserts

Question 20

Which indexing strategy is most appropriate for queries that need to efficiently search for a range of values within a specific column?

Accepted Answer

Range index

Answer

Bitmap index

Answer

Hash index

Answer

Full-text index

Question 21

Which query optimization technique involves modifying the structure of a query to enhance its performance?

Accepted Answer

Query rewriting

Answer

Index creation

Answer

Hardware upgrade

Question 22

In the context of database performance tuning, what is the primary goal of considering hardware?

Accepted Answer

To optimize resource allocation and minimize performance bottlenecks.

Answer

To reduce software licensing costs

Answer

To enhance database security

Question 23

Which of the following is NOT a potential factor contributing to poor database performance?

Accepted Answer

A well-designed database schema

Answer

Inefficient query execution plans

Answer

Excessive data fragmentation

Answer

Inadequate indexing

Question 24

Which query optimization tool can be used to reveal and improve inefficient query execution plans?

Accepted Answer

EXPLAIN PLAN

Answer

SQL Profiler

Answer

Database Performance Analyzer

Answer

Index Tuning Wizard

Question 25

What is the purpose of partitioning data in database performance tuning?

Accepted Answer

To distribute data across multiple storage devices, thereby reducing I/O bottlenecks.

Answer

To simplify database backups

Answer

To improve data security

Question 26

Which of the following is a crucial metric for measuring database performance?

Accepted Answer

Query execution time

Answer

Number of database connections

Answer

Amount of available memory

Answer

Database size

Question 27

What is the primary responsibility of a database performance tuning specialist?

Accepted Answer

To analyze database performance, identify bottlenecks, and implement strategies for optimization.

Answer

To design and build database systems

Answer

To manage database users and permissions

Question 28

Which of the following is NOT a recommended practice in database performance tuning?

Accepted Answer

Neglecting regular monitoring and performance analysis

Answer

Creating appropriate indexes

Answer

Optimizing query execution plans