DP-300 Plan and configure a high availability and disaster recovery environment Practice Test 4 — 15 Questions

Question 1

You manage an Azure SQL Database that uses the General Purpose tier. The database has a failover group with a secondary in a paired region. During a regional outage, you initiate a forced failover. After the outage is resolved, you want to bring the original primary region back online without data loss. What should you do?

Accepted Answer

Wait for data synchronization, then initiate a planned failover.. Option C is correct because after a forced failover, the old primary becomes a secondary. To fail back, you need to re-sync data (which happens automatically) and then perform a planned failover to switch roles without data loss. Option A is wrong because it causes data loss. Option B is wrong because you cannot simply delete and re-add; the group still exists. Option D is wrong because a forced failover from the new primary would cause data loss.

Answer

Initiate a forced failover from the new primary to the old primary.

Answer

Perform a forced failover again to switch back.

Answer

Delete the failover group and recreate it with the original primary as primary.

Question 2

You have an Azure SQL Database in the Business Critical tier with zone redundancy enabled. The database experiences a brief outage due to a zone failure. How does the platform automatically recover?

Accepted Answer

A replica in another availability zone is automatically promoted to primary.. Option B is correct because the Business Critical tier with zone redundancy automatically fails over to a replica in another zone without data loss. Option A is wrong because the service heals itself without manual intervention. Option C is wrong because no data loss occurs (zero data loss is guaranteed). Option D is wrong because automatic failover happens within seconds.

Answer

You must perform a manual failover to a secondary replica.

Answer

The database is restored from the latest backup.

Answer

The database becomes read-only until the zone is restored.

Question 3

Your company uses Azure SQL Managed Instance for a critical application. You need to meet a Recovery Point Objective (RPO) of 15 seconds and a Recovery Time Objective (RTO) of 30 seconds for planned maintenance. You also need to protect against a regional failure with an RPO of 5 minutes and an RTO of 1 hour. What combination of features should you use?

Accepted Answer

Deploy the instance in the Business Critical tier with zone redundancy, and configure a failover group to a secondary region.. Option A is correct because a failover group provides cross-region DR with RPO of 5 minutes and RTO of 1 hour, while zone redundancy (available in Business Critical) provides HA within region with RPO of 0 and RTO of ~30 seconds for planned maintenance. Option B is wrong because active geo-replication is not available for Managed Instance. Option C is wrong because failover groups do not provide sub-minute RTO for planned maintenance alone. Option D is wrong because zone redundancy alone does not protect against regional failure.

Answer

Configure active geo-replication to a secondary region and use automatic failover.

Answer

Deploy in General Purpose tier with zone redundancy and geo-redundant backup.

Answer

Create a failover group to a secondary region and rely on that for both HA and DR.

Question 4

You have an Azure SQL Database that uses active geo-replication with a readable secondary in another region. You need to ensure that if a failover occurs, the application can automatically reconnect to the new primary with minimal code changes. What should you configure?

Accepted Answer

Implement retry logic in the application to reconnect to the secondary server after failover.. Option D is correct because using a retry logic with a connection string that includes the failover partner (or using the ApplicationIntent=ReadWrite) and implementing retry logic allows the application to reconnect automatically. Option A is wrong because the listener endpoint is a feature of failover groups, not active geo-replication. Option B is wrong because Traffic Manager can be used but adds complexity. Option C is wrong because the application needs to handle failover; DNS change is not automatic.

Answer

Manually update the DNS record to point to the new primary after failover.

Answer

Configure a failover group listener endpoint and use that in the connection string.

Answer

Use Azure Traffic Manager with priority routing to the secondary server.

Question 5

You are planning a disaster recovery strategy for an Azure SQL Database that is used by a non-critical application. The database is in the Standard tier. You need to minimize cost while ensuring the database can be restored to a different region within 12 hours of a regional disaster. What should you use?

Accepted Answer

Use geo-restore from geo-redundant backups.. Option B is correct because geo-redundant backup storage (RA-GRS) is automatically enabled for databases in the Standard tier, allowing geo-restore to any region within 12 hours. Option A is wrong because active geo-replication is not available in Standard tier. Option C is wrong because failover groups require Premium or Business Critical. Option D is wrong because cross-region replication is a setting for backup storage, not a separate feature.

Answer

Enable cross-region replication on the database.

Answer

Configure active geo-replication to a secondary region.

Answer

Create a failover group with the secondary in a paired region.

Question 6

You have an Azure SQL Database in the Premium tier with a failover group to a secondary region. The primary database experiences a performance issue due to a sudden increase in workload. You need to temporarily offload read-only queries to the secondary replica without affecting the failover group configuration. What should you do?

Accepted Answer

Use the secondary database in the failover group for read-only queries by setting ApplicationIntent=ReadOnly.. Option C is correct because the secondary in a failover group can be used for read-only queries by setting ApplicationIntent=ReadOnly in the connection string. Option A is wrong because scaling up the primary does not offload reads. Option B is wrong because active geo-replication would create a separate secondary outside the failover group. Option D is wrong because read scale-out is only available in Premium and Business Critical tiers, but it uses replicas within the same region, not the failover group secondary.

Answer

Configure active geo-replication to a new secondary in the same region.

Answer

Enable read scale-out on the primary database.

Answer

Scale up the primary database to a higher performance level.

Question 7

You are designing a high availability and disaster recovery solution for an Azure SQL Managed Instance that hosts a mission-critical database. You need to ensure zero data loss during planned maintenance and automatic failover within 30 seconds. Additionally, you must protect against a regional outage with an RPO of 5 minutes and an RTO of 1 hour. Which TWO features should you implement? (Select two.)

Accepted Answer

Configure a failover group to a secondary region.. Option A is correct because Business Critical tier with zone redundancy provides zero data loss and fast failover within a region. Option C is correct because a failover group to another region provides DR with RPO of 5 minutes and RTO of 1 hour. Option B is wrong because General Purpose tier does not support zone redundancy. Option D is wrong because default backup retention does not meet RPO/RTO. Option E is wrong because active geo-replication is not supported for Managed Instance.

Answer

Configure long-term backup retention with geo-redundant storage.

Answer

Configure active geo-replication to a secondary region.

Answer

Deploy the instance in the General Purpose tier with zone redundancy.

Question 8

You have an Azure SQL Database in the Premium tier configured with a failover group to a secondary region. The secondary region is not readable. You need to ensure that the secondary database is readable for reporting purposes without compromising the failover group's DR capabilities. Which TWO actions should you take? (Select two.)

Accepted Answer

Add a zone-redundant replica to the secondary region.. Option A is correct because adding a zone-redundant replica makes the secondary readable without changing the failover group. Option D is correct because setting the failover group's secondary type to readable enables read-only access. Option B is wrong because active geo-replication is separate and would create a different relationship. Option C is wrong because enabling read scale-out on the primary does not affect the secondary. Option E is wrong because changing the secondary to Premium tier is not necessary; it already is Premium.

Answer

Configure active geo-replication in addition to the failover group.

Answer

Enable read scale-out on the primary database.

Answer

Change the secondary database's service tier to Business Critical.

Question 9

You are planning a disaster recovery strategy for an Azure SQL Database that is part of a failover group. The application requires that after a failover, the database is accessible with minimal downtime and without data loss. Which THREE components are essential for this configuration? (Select three.)

Accepted Answer

Secondary database in a paired region with data synchronization. Option B is correct because the failover group listener provides a constant connection endpoint. Option D is correct because the failover group orchestrates replication and failover. Option E is correct because the secondary database must be seeded and synchronized. Option A is wrong because geo-redundant backup is not used during failover. Option C is wrong because Traffic Manager is not needed when using failover groups.

Answer

Geo-redundant backup storage

Answer

Azure Traffic Manager with priority routing

Question 10

You manage a SQL Managed Instance in the East US region. The instance must be recoverable within 1 hour in the event of a regional disaster. You need to configure a secondary replica in a paired region with automatic failover. Which solution meets the requirement?

Accepted Answer

Create an auto-failover group with a secondary replica in West US.. Option C is correct because SQL Managed Instance supports automatic failover groups with a readable secondary in a paired region. Option A is wrong because geo-restore takes up to 12 hours. Option B is wrong because log shipping is not supported for Managed Instance. Option D is wrong because Always On availability groups require manual failover configuration.

Answer

Configure log shipping to a secondary instance in West US.

Answer

Enable geo-redundant backup storage and use geo-restore.

Answer

Deploy an Always On availability group with a synchronous secondary in West US.

Question 11

Your company has a SQL Server on Azure VM hosting a critical database. You need to ensure high availability with automatic failover and no data loss during a planned patching event. The solution must minimize cost. Which configuration should you use?

Accepted Answer

Deploy two Azure VMs in an availability set, configure SQL Server Always On availability group with synchronous commit and automatic failover.. Option A is correct because SQL Server Always On availability groups with synchronous replication and automatic failover meet the requirement of no data loss and automatic failover. Option B is wrong because FCI with Storage Spaces Direct does not provide automatic failover for planned patching. Option C is wrong because log shipping is not automatic. Option D is wrong because Azure SQL Database Managed Instance is not for SQL Server on Azure VM.

Answer

Migrate to Azure SQL Database Managed Instance and configure geo-replication.

Answer

Configure log shipping with a secondary VM in another region.

Answer

Use a single VM with a failover cluster instance (FCI) using Storage Spaces Direct.

Question 12

You are designing a disaster recovery plan for an Azure SQL Database that uses the Business Critical service tier. The database is 2 TB. You need to ensure that the secondary replica in a different Azure region is readable for reporting queries. What should you configure?

Accepted Answer

Configure active geo-replication to a secondary server in the target region.. Option B is correct because active geo-replication creates a readable secondary database in a different region. Option A is wrong because auto-failover groups require a secondary in the same region for readable secondaries. Option C is wrong because geo-restore is not readable during recovery. Option D is wrong because backup redundancy does not provide a readable secondary.

Answer

Create an auto-failover group with a secondary in the paired region.

Answer

Enable zone-redundant backup storage.

Answer

Use geo-restore from geo-redundant backups.

Question 13

Your company runs a global e-commerce application using Azure SQL Database in the West Europe region. You need to implement a solution that provides automatic failover and allows the secondary region to be used for read-only queries during normal operations. The secondary must be in a different region. Which configuration meets these requirements?

Accepted Answer

Configure active geo-replication to a secondary server in West US and implement application-level failover logic.. Option D is correct because active geo-replication allows a readable secondary in a different region, and application-level failover can be automated. Option A is wrong because auto-failover groups with a secondary in the same region cannot be used for cross-region read-only queries. Option B is wrong because read scale-out only works within the same region. Option C is wrong because geo-restore is not for continuous read access.

Answer

Enable read scale-out on the primary database.

Answer

Create an auto-failover group with a secondary in West US and use the secondary as readable.

Answer

Configure geo-restore with a recovery point objective of 1 hour.

Question 14

You are responsible for a SQL Server 2019 instance on an Azure VM. The VM is part of a failover cluster instance (FCI) using Azure shared disks. During a recent failover test, the cluster took 15 minutes to bring the database online. You need to reduce the failover time to under 5 minutes. What should you do?

Accepted Answer

Remove unnecessary databases from the FCI and distribute them to other instances.. Option C is correct because reducing the number of databases in the FCI reduces the time to recover each database during failover. Option A is wrong because increasing the disk size does not improve failover time. Option B is wrong because increasing VM size may help but not directly address the root cause. Option D is wrong because enabling instant file initialization helps with data file growth, not failover recovery.

Answer

Upgrade the VM to a larger size with more CPU and memory.

Answer

Increase the size of the Azure shared disks.

Answer

Enable instant file initialization on all SQL Server instances.

Question 15

You manage an Azure SQL Database in the East US region. The database uses the General Purpose service tier with geo-redundant backup storage. You need to ensure that in the event of a regional outage, you can restore the database to the West US region with the least possible downtime. What should you use?

Accepted Answer

Use the geo-restore feature to restore from the geo-redundant backups to a new database in West US.. Option B is correct because geo-restore from geo-redundant backups allows restoring to a different region. Option A is wrong because active geo-replication is not configured by default. Option C is wrong because point-in-time restore is for within the same region. Option D is wrong because copy-only backup is not relevant.

Answer

Configure active geo-replication to a secondary server in West US.

Answer

Create a copy-only backup and manually transfer it to West US.

Answer

Perform a point-in-time restore to a new database in West US.