Which feature allows a user to retrieve only a portion of records from a database?

The feature that allows a user to retrieve only a portion of records from a database is the option related to specifying a limit on the number of records returned, often referred to as "Max Rows." This functionality is important for performance optimization and resource management, especially when dealing with large datasets. By setting a maximum number of rows, users can control how much data is pulled from the database at one time, preventing overloading both the application and the database itself.

This capability is particularly useful in scenarios where not all the data is needed for processing, such as in paginated queries or when displaying limited data in UIs. By retrieving only a specific number of records, developers can facilitate quicker response times and more efficient application performance.

Other features like a query function generally pertain to how queries are constructed and executed, whereas database profiles and link elements serve different purposes related to configuration and data connections. These features do not inherently provide the capability to limit the number of records returned from a query.