The answer is high availability, as it is the cloud characteristic designed to ensure geographic redundancy for backup accessibility. High availability achieves this by replicating data across multiple, physically separate cloud regions, so if the primary region fails, the backups remain accessible from another geographic location without interruption. On the CompTIA A+ Core 1 220-1201 exam, this concept tests your understanding that high availability is specifically about uptime and redundancy across zones or regions, while fault tolerance focuses on surviving component failures within a single site, and scalability or elasticity only handle demand changes, not geographic failover. A common trap is confusing high availability with fault tolerance—remember that high availability uses redundant geographic locations to keep services running, whereas fault tolerance keeps a system operational despite local hardware faults. A helpful memory tip: “High availability hops regions; fault tolerance fixes local failures.”
220-1201 Cloud Computing Concepts Practice Question
This 220-1201 practice question tests your understanding of cloud computing concepts. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A company uses a cloud storage service for backup. The technician needs to ensure that if the primary cloud region goes down, the backups are still accessible from another geographic location. Which cloud characteristic should be configured?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "primary"
Why it matters: Asks for the main purpose or function, not a secondary benefit. Eliminate answers that describe side-effects or partial functions.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
High availability
High availability across regions is achieved through redundancy, such as replicating data to multiple geographic locations. This ensures that if one region fails, another can serve the data. Scalability, elasticity, and fault tolerance at a single site do not provide geographic redundancy.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
Elasticity
Why it's wrong here
Elasticity refers to automatically scaling resources up or down based on demand, not geographic redundancy.
✗
Scalability
Why it's wrong here
Scalability is the ability to handle increased load, not to survive a regional outage.
✓
High availability
Why this is correct
High availability, especially when implemented across multiple regions, ensures service continuity even if one region fails.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "primary" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Fault tolerance
Why it's wrong here
Fault tolerance typically applies within a single data center (e.g., redundant power), not across geographic regions.
Common exam traps
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.
Detailed technical explanation
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.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A practitioner preparing for the 220-1201 exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this 220-1201 question in full detail.
Identify which 220-1201 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Cloud Computing Concepts — This question tests Cloud Computing Concepts — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: High availability — High availability across regions is achieved through redundancy, such as replicating data to multiple geographic locations. This ensures that if one region fails, another can serve the data. Scalability, elasticity, and fault tolerance at a single site do not provide geographic redundancy.
What should I do if I get this 220-1201 question wrong?
Identify which 220-1201 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "primary". Asks for the main purpose or function, not a secondary benefit. Eliminate answers that describe side-effects or partial functions.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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