Which component of resource governor allows you to configure limits on system resources?

The correct answer is resource pools, as they are integral to how Resource Governor operates within SQL Server and Azure SQL Database. Resource pools act as containers that define the limits on resource consumption for a specific set of workload groups. By configuring resource pools, you can set thresholds on CPU, memory, and the I/O operations that the resource pool can use. This ensures that no single workload can monopolize system resources, thus maintaining overall system performance and stability.

Resource pools enable administrators to fine-tune performance by allocating specific amounts of resources to different workloads. For instance, you can create a resource pool that allocates a certain percentage of CPU to high-priority user queries while limiting resource usage for less critical tasks. This ability to configure and allocate resources based on workload type is key to managing performance and optimizing resource utilization within SQL Server environments.

In contrast, workload groups are used within resource pools to categorize incoming sessions based on specific criteria, but they do not directly limit resource consumption. Classification functions are responsible for determining which workload groups sessions should belong to but also do not set limits themselves. Resource allocation is more of a general term and is not a specific component within the Resource Governor framework.