A fintech startup uses AWS to run a web API and a PostgreSQL database. They must meet an RPO of 15 minutes and an RTO of 2 hours for a Region-wide disaster. Budget allows running a small, always-on set of infrastructure in a secondary Region, but not full production capacity. The team wants a DR approach that is regularly testable without large manual effort.
Which disaster recovery strategy is the best fit?
Answer choices
Good practice is not just finding the correct option. The wrong answers often show the exact trap the exam wants you to fall into.
Pilot light: replicate databases and store backups, keep only minimal infrastructure in the secondary Region, and scale up fully during failover.
Pilot light can work for some RTO goals, but fully scaling dependencies within 2 hours may be difficult depending on application initialization and data warm-up.
Warm standby: keep a scaled-down application environment and database replication active in the secondary Region, using automated failover controls.
Warm standby aligns with moderate RTO requirements by having ready-to-run resources plus continuous replication to meet the RPO target during failover.
Backup and restore only: rely on daily automated backups and restore into the secondary Region during an incident.
Daily backups cannot meet a 15-minute RPO, and restoration time would likely exceed the 2-hour RTO.
Multi-site active-active: run both Regions at full capacity and route live traffic to both simultaneously.
Active-active typically costs more than allowed, and it adds complexity beyond what the budget and requirements describe.
Common exam trap
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Technical deep dive
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
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Keep practising from the same exam bank, or move into a focused topic page if this question exposed a weak area.
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FAQ
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
The correct answer is: Warm standby: keep a scaled-down application environment and database replication active in the secondary Region, using automated failover controls. — Warm standby best fits the stated tradeoff: an always-on but scaled-down environment in the secondary Region, combined with continuous or near-continuous replication for the database to meet an RPO of 15 minutes, and faster readiness to satisfy a 2-hour RTO. Unlike backup/restore, it avoids lengthy rebuild and restore windows. Unlike pilot light, it keeps critical components running enough to reduce the time needed for instance provisioning and application bootstrapping. It also supports routine DR testing with controlled failover/failback. Why others are wrong: Backup and restore fails the RPO requirement and typically cannot restore fast enough for a 2-hour RTO. Pilot light keeps fewer resources ready, so the time to scale out and initialize the application can exceed the RTO depending on workload behavior. Multi-site active-active can meet low RTO but usually violates the budget constraint and adds operational complexity that the scenario explicitly avoids.
Then try more questions from the same exam bank and focus on understanding why the wrong options are tempting.
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