Question 1mediummultiple choice
Full question →mediummultiple choiceObjective-mapped
Exhibit
Business requirements: RTO: 45 minutes RPO: 15 minutes Budget: lower than a fully duplicated production stack Current state: One production Region hosts the live application Daily backups are stored in a separate Region The application tier can be recreated from automation scripts
Based on the exhibit, the business needs Regional disaster recovery with an RTO of 45 minutes and an RPO of 15 minutes. The solution should keep cost lower than running two fully active production environments. Which DR strategy is the best fit?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Good practice is not just finding the correct option. The wrong answers often show the exact trap the exam wants you to fall into.
A
Distractor review
Backup and restore only, because the existing daily backups are already in another Region.
Backup and restore typically takes too long to rebuild the environment and recover data for a 45-minute RTO, especially when application tiers and databases both need to be restored and validated.
B
Distractor review
Pilot light, because the recovery Region only needs minimal resources and can be scaled after a disaster.
Pilot light keeps only core components running in the recovery Region. That is cheaper, but it usually requires too much time to scale and activate the full stack to meet a 45-minute RTO.
C
Best answer
Warm standby, because a scaled-down but fully functional copy can take traffic quickly while keeping costs below full duplication.
Warm standby keeps a functional copy of the environment running in the recovery Region at reduced capacity. That shortens failover time compared with backup and restore or pilot light, while still costing less than a fully scaled second production stack. With continuous or near-continuous data replication and automated cutover, it can satisfy an RTO of 45 minutes and an RPO of 15 minutes.
D
Distractor review
Active-active, because it minimizes RTO by keeping both Regions fully live all the time.
Active-active provides the fastest recovery, but it is typically the most expensive option because both Regions must be fully provisioned and operating all the time. That conflicts with the stated budget constraint.
Common exam trap
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
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
How to think about this question
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.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
- Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
- Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
- Underline the problem statement mentally.
- Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
- Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SAA-C03 question test?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Warm standby, because a scaled-down but fully functional copy can take traffic quickly while keeping costs below full duplication. — Warm standby is the best fit because it balances recovery speed and cost. The recovery Region already has a working environment, so traffic can be shifted quickly without rebuilding everything from scratch. That makes the 45-minute RTO realistic, while still avoiding the cost of two fully scaled production stacks. With automated data replication and scripted cutover, the RPO target is also achievable. Backup and restore is usually too slow for a sub-hour RTO. Pilot light is cheaper, but there is too much to provision after a disaster for this recovery objective. Active-active gives the shortest failover time, but the question explicitly says the organization cannot afford a fully duplicated live environment.
What should I do if I get this SAA-C03 question wrong?
Then try more questions from the same exam bank and focus on understanding why the wrong options are tempting.
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