Quick Answer
The answer is to take daily snapshots and transaction log backups every hour. This strategy directly satisfies the required RPO of 1 hour because transaction logs capture every change as it occurs, so even if a failure happens just before the hourly backup, you lose at most 60 minutes of data. The daily snapshot provides a full baseline for the 500 GB database, and by restoring the latest snapshot and then applying the sequential transaction logs, you can meet the 4-hour RTO—assuming your restore pipeline is automated and your infrastructure has sufficient throughput. On the CompTIA Cloud+ CV0-004 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of how snapshots and transaction logs work together to balance recovery speed and data loss; a common trap is choosing only snapshots, which would miss the RPO because snapshots alone can’t capture intra-day changes. Remember the mnemonic: “Snapshots for the big picture, logs for the minute-by-minute.”
This CV0-004 practice question tests your understanding of cloud architecture and design. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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 is designing a cloud architecture that must meet a recovery time objective (RTO) of 4 hours and a recovery point objective (RPO) of 1 hour for a critical database. The database is 500 GB and runs on a virtual machine. Which backup strategy should be used?
Take daily snapshots and transaction log backups every hour
Meets both RTO and RPO.
Take full backups weekly and differential backups daily
Why wrong: Cannot achieve 1-hour RPO.
Use continuous database replication to a standby instance
Why wrong: This is a high-availability solution, not a backup strategy.
Perform block-level incremental backups every 4 hours
Why wrong: Exceeds 1-hour RPO.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Take daily snapshots and transaction log backups every hour
Option A is correct because daily snapshots provide a baseline recovery point, and hourly transaction log backups ensure that the RPO of 1 hour is met by limiting data loss to at most one hour of transactions. Combined with the ability to restore from the latest snapshot and apply transaction logs, this strategy can achieve an RTO of 4 hours for a 500 GB database, assuming adequate infrastructure and restore automation.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Take daily snapshots and transaction log backups every hour
Why this is correct
Meets both RTO and RPO.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Take full backups weekly and differential backups daily
Why it's wrong here
Cannot achieve 1-hour RPO.
Use continuous database replication to a standby instance
Why it's wrong here
This is a high-availability solution, not a backup strategy.
Perform block-level incremental backups every 4 hours
Why it's wrong here
Exceeds 1-hour RPO.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates confuse high-availability replication (Option C) with a backup strategy, failing to recognize that replication does not protect against logical corruption or allow granular point-in-time recovery to meet RPO requirements.
Detailed technical explanation
Transaction log backups capture every committed transaction, enabling point-in-time recovery to any second within the log chain. In SQL Server, for example, the log sequence number (LSN) is used to track and apply logs, while in PostgreSQL, WAL archiving serves a similar purpose. The 500 GB size means that full backups take significant time, so combining daily snapshots with frequent log backups balances recovery speed and data loss tolerance.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A practitioner preparing for the CV0-004 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.
What to study next
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FAQ
Cloud Architecture and Design — This question tests Cloud Architecture and Design — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Take daily snapshots and transaction log backups every hour — Option A is correct because daily snapshots provide a baseline recovery point, and hourly transaction log backups ensure that the RPO of 1 hour is met by limiting data loss to at most one hour of transactions. Combined with the ability to restore from the latest snapshot and apply transaction logs, this strategy can achieve an RTO of 4 hours for a 500 GB database, assuming adequate infrastructure and restore automation.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 25, 2026
This CV0-004 practice question is part of Courseiva's free CompTIA certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the CV0-004 exam.
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