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

Question 1

Refer to the exhibit. You are reviewing the JSON configuration of an Azure SQL Database in the Business Critical tier. What is the primary benefit of setting highAvailabilityReplicaCount to 2?

Accepted Answer

It provides more read-only replicas to offload read workloads.. Setting highAvailabilityReplicaCount to 2 in Business Critical tier creates two additional readable replicas (total of 3 replicas including primary). This improves read performance by allowing more read-only connections to be offloaded to replicas. Option A (automatic failover) is inherent to Business Critical, not dependent on replica count. Option B (zone redundancy) is determined by the zoneRedundant property, not replica count. Option C (zero data loss) is achieved by synchronous replication, not replica count.

Answer

It enables automatic failover in case of a node failure.

Answer

It enables zone redundancy for the database.

Answer

It ensures zero data loss during a failover.

Question 2

Refer to the exhibit. You run the Azure CLI command to check the configuration of an Azure SQL Database named db1. The output shows zoneRedundant is true and replicationRole is Primary. Which statement is true about this database?

Accepted Answer

The database is zone-redundant and is the primary database in its replication relationship.. The output shows zoneRedundant is true and replicationRole is Primary. Zone redundancy means the database has replicas in different availability zones within the same region, and replicationRole being Primary indicates this database is the primary in its replication relationship. Therefore, option B is correct. Option A is incorrect because active geo-replication involves a secondary in a different region, not just zone redundancy. Option C is incorrect because Hyperscale databases have a different architecture; zoneRedundant may be supported but the output does not specify Hyperscale. Option D is incorrect because a readable secondary replica is not indicated; zone redundancy does not necessarily imply a readable secondary.

Answer

The database is configured with active geo-replication to a secondary region.

Answer

The database is a Hyperscale database with zone redundancy enabled.

Answer

The database has a readable secondary replica in a different Azure availability zone.

Question 3

Refer to the exhibit. You are reviewing the configuration of a failover group for an Azure SQL Managed Instance. Which statement is correct about this configuration?

Accepted Answer

The read-only endpoint will not automatically redirect connections after failover.. The read-only endpoint's failover policy is set to Disabled, meaning it will not automatically redirect connections after a failover. Option A is incorrect because the read-write endpoint has its failover policy set to Automatic, so it will redirect connections automatically. Option C is incorrect because the grace period for data loss is set to 1 hour (3600 seconds), but the statement says 'more than 60 minutes' which is not exactly accurate; also the primary focus is on the endpoint behavior. Option D is incorrect because the read-only endpoint is used for read-only connections, not read-write.

Answer

The read-write endpoint will not automatically redirect connections after failover.

Answer

The failover group will automatically fail over with data loss if the primary is unavailable for more than 60 minutes.

Answer

The read-only endpoint is used for read-write connections after failover.

Question 4

You are configuring a failover group for a pair of Azure SQL Managed Instances in different regions for disaster recovery. The primary instance experiences a regional outage. You need to ensure that after a forced failover, the secondary instance automatically becomes the primary without any manual intervention and that applications can connect using the same listener endpoint. What should you configure?

Accepted Answer

Create a failover group with automatic failover policy and add the databases.. A failover group with automatic failover policy ensures that during a regional outage, the secondary database becomes the primary automatically and the listener endpoint remains unchanged. Option A is wrong because Azure Traffic Manager is not needed; the failover group listener provides the endpoint. Option B is wrong because 'enable auto-failover groups' is not a separate setting; a failover group with automatic failover policy is already the required configuration. Option C is wrong because active geo-replication does not provide a single listener endpoint and requires manual failover.

Answer

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

Answer

Enable auto-failover groups on the primary instance.

Answer

Configure active geo-replication between the instances.

Question 5

You are designing a high availability solution for an Azure SQL Database that is used by a mission-critical application. The database is currently in the Standard tier. You need to minimize downtime during planned maintenance and unplanned failures while keeping costs low. What should you recommend?

Accepted Answer

Upgrade to the Premium tier with zone-redundant configuration.. The Premium tier supports zone-redundant configuration, which replicates data across availability zones within the same region, providing high availability and minimizing downtime during planned maintenance or unplanned failures. Option A is wrong: the Basic tier does not support failover groups or zone redundancy. Option B is wrong: active geo-replication is designed for disaster recovery across regions, not for high availability within a region, and incurs higher cost and complexity. Option D is wrong: the Standard tier does not support zone redundancy; zone redundancy is only available in the Premium or Business Critical tiers.

Answer

Use the Basic tier with a failover group.

Answer

Configure active geo-replication to a secondary region.

Answer

Upgrade to the Standard tier and enable zone redundancy.

Question 6

Your company has a SQL Server on Azure VM running a critical database. The VM is in a single availability set. You need to achieve a Recovery Point Objective (RPO) of 5 minutes and a Recovery Time Objective (RTO) of 15 minutes in case of an Azure region failure. What should you implement?

Accepted Answer

Configure Azure Site Recovery to replicate the VM to a secondary region.. Azure Site Recovery (ASR) can replicate the Azure VM to a secondary region with a replication frequency as low as 5 minutes, meeting the RPO of 5 minutes. Upon failover, the RTO can be less than 15 minutes if the VM is properly configured and failover is regularly tested. Option A (Always On Availability Groups with synchronous commit) can achieve low RPO, but across regions, synchronous commit introduces significant latency and requires at least three replicas (including a witness) for automatic failover, making it complex and potentially unable to meet the RTO consistently. Option C (daily backups) has an RPO of 24 hours, failing the 5-minute requirement. Option D (geo-redundant storage) provides storage-level replication but does not ensure application-consistent recovery or VM compute availability; auto-failover for storage does not fail over the VM itself. Therefore, ASR is the best choice for the specified RPO and RTO in a region failure scenario.

Answer

Configure SQL Server Always On Availability Groups with synchronous commit to a secondary VM in another region.

Answer

Use Azure Backup with daily backups and geo-restore.

Answer

Store database files on geo-redundant storage (GRS) and enable auto-failover.

Question 7

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.. 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 8

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.. Business Critical tier with zone redundancy provides high availability within a region with an RPO of 0 and RTO of approximately 30 seconds for planned maintenance. Configuring a failover group to a secondary region provides disaster recovery with an RPO of 5 minutes and RTO of 1 hour. Option A is incorrect because active geo-replication is not supported for Azure SQL Managed Instance; failover groups are used instead. Option B is incorrect because General Purpose tier does not provide an RTO of 30 seconds for planned maintenance, and geo-redundant backup does not meet the required RPO and RTO for planned maintenance. Option C is incorrect because a failover group alone does not provide the sub-minute RTO needed for planned maintenance within the region.

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 9

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.. With active geo-replication, there is no automatic listener endpoint. To achieve automatic reconnection with minimal code changes, the application should implement retry logic in the connection string that includes the failover partner (secondary) and set ApplicationIntent=ReadWrite. When the primary is unavailable, the driver will automatically attempt to connect to the secondary. Option A is incorrect because manually updating DNS is not automatic and requires manual intervention, which violates the 'minimal code changes' requirement. Option B is incorrect because a failover group listener endpoint is specific to failover groups, not active geo-replication; configuring a failover group would be a different setup. Option C is incorrect because using Azure Traffic Manager introduces additional complexity and is not considered minimal code change; it requires managing a separate DNS service.

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 10

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.. 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 11

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.. The secondary database in a failover group for Premium-tier Azure SQL Database is readable. By setting ApplicationIntent=ReadOnly in the connection string, read-only queries are routed to this secondary replica, offloading read workloads without modifying the failover group configuration. Option B is incorrect because active geo-replication would create a separate secondary outside the failover group, which is unnecessary and adds complexity. Option C is incorrect because read scale-out uses local replicas within the same region, not the failover group secondary. Option D is incorrect because scaling up the primary does not offload read queries; it only increases resources for all workloads.

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 12

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.. A failover group to a secondary region provides disaster recovery with an RPO of 5 minutes and RTO of 1 hour, meeting the regional outage requirements. Option D is correct because the Business Critical tier with zone redundancy offers zero data loss and automatic failover within 30 seconds for planned maintenance within a region. Option A is incorrect because long-term backup retention with geo-redundant storage does not provide automatic failover or meet the RPO/RTO targets. Option B is incorrect because active geo-replication is not supported for Azure SQL Managed Instance. Option E is incorrect because the General Purpose tier does not support zone redundancy, so it cannot meet the zero data loss and fast failover requirements.

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 13

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

Configure active geo-replication in addition to the failover group.. Setting the failover group's secondary type to 'readable' enables read-only access to the secondary database for reporting, while preserving the failover group's DR capabilities. Option A is correct because configuring active geo-replication in addition to the failover group creates a separate readable secondary database that does not interfere with the existing failover group's DR, providing an alternative method for read-only workloads. Option C is incorrect because adding a zone-redundant replica (a high-availability feature across availability zones) does not affect the readability of the secondary in a failover group. Option B is incorrect because read scale-out on the primary only allows read-only connections to the primary, not the secondary. Option D is incorrect because changing the secondary's service tier to Business Critical does not automatically make it readable; readability is controlled by the failover group's secondary type.

Answer

Enable read scale-out on the primary database.

Answer

Add a zone-redundant replica to the secondary region.

Answer

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

Question 14

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. A secondary database in a paired region with data synchronization ensures that data is replicated to another region, enabling failover with minimal data loss. Option C is correct: The failover group listener endpoint provides a constant connection string that automatically routes to the current primary database, ensuring application connectivity after failover. Option E is correct: The failover group configured between primary and secondary servers orchestrates the replication and automatic failover process. Option A is incorrect: Geo-redundant backup storage is for point-in-time restore, not for failover. Option D is incorrect: Azure Traffic Manager with priority routing is not needed when using failover groups; the failover group listener handles routing.

Answer

Geo-redundant backup storage

Answer

Azure Traffic Manager with priority routing

Question 15

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.. SQL Managed Instance supports automatic failover groups with a readable secondary in a paired region. Option A is wrong because log shipping is not supported for Managed Instance. Option B is wrong because geo-restore takes up to 12 hours, which does not meet the 1-hour RTO requirement. Option D is wrong because Always On availability groups on SQL Managed Instance do not support automatic failover across regions; they require manual failover.

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.