Databricks Certified Data Engineer - Associate

Explanation

The correct answer is C - They can turn on the Auto Stop feature for the SQL endpoint.

Why this is correct:

1. Auto Stop Feature: This feature automatically stops the SQL endpoint after a period of inactivity, which is exactly what the data engineer needs. Since the dashboard only refreshes once per day, the SQL endpoint can be stopped when not in use, minimizing running time and costs.

2. How it works: When Auto Stop is enabled, the SQL endpoint will automatically shut down after a configurable period of inactivity (e.g., 15 minutes, 30 minutes, etc.). When the scheduled dashboard refresh occurs, the endpoint will automatically start up, execute the queries, and then stop again after the inactivity period.

Why other options are incorrect:

A: Ensuring the dashboard's SQL endpoint matches each query's SQL endpoint doesn't minimize running time - it just ensures consistency but doesn't control when the endpoint runs.

B: Setting up the SQL endpoint to be serverless doesn't necessarily minimize running time. Serverless endpoints still run and incur costs when active, though they may have better scaling characteristics.

D: Reducing the cluster size reduces compute power but doesn't reduce the total running time. A smaller cluster running continuously still accumulates more runtime than a larger cluster that stops when not needed.

E: Ensuring the dashboard's SQL endpoint is not one of the included query's SQL endpoint would actually increase complexity and potentially increase running time if multiple endpoints need to be managed.

Best Practice:

For dashboards that refresh infrequently (like once per day), enabling Auto Stop is the most cost-effective approach as it ensures the SQL endpoint only runs when needed for the scheduled refresh and then automatically stops to conserve resources.