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 a SQL endpoint after a period of inactivity, which helps minimize running time and costs.

2. Use Case Fit: Since the dashboard only needs to refresh once per day, the SQL endpoint can be stopped when not in use. The Auto Stop feature will automatically stop the endpoint after the scheduled refresh completes, and it will automatically start again when the next scheduled refresh occurs.

3. Cost Optimization: This approach directly addresses the requirement to minimize total running time while ensuring the endpoint is available when needed for the daily refresh.

Why other options are incorrect:

• A: Ensuring the dashboard's SQL endpoint matches each query's SQL endpoints 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 directly minimize running time. Serverless endpoints still incur costs while running, though they may have different billing models.

• D: Ensuring the dashboard's SQL endpoint is not one of the included query's SQL endpoint doesn't help minimize running time and could actually increase complexity without addressing the core requirement.

Key Takeaway:

The Auto Stop feature is specifically designed for scenarios where SQL endpoints are only needed periodically, allowing them to automatically stop when idle and restart when needed, thus optimizing costs and resource utilization.