- A
Run one server and keep nightly backups in cloud object storage.
Why wrong: Backups help recovery after loss, but they do not provide automatic service continuity during an outage.
- B
Use two servers in one site behind a load balancer and maintain an asynchronously replicated warm standby site.
This provides local redundancy for server failure and a lower-cost secondary site for failover if the primary site is lost.
- C
Deploy active-active multi-region capacity with identical production load in both regions.
Why wrong: Active-active meets the availability goal, but it usually costs more than the scenario allows and duplicates production capacity.
- D
Add RAID 1 and a spare power supply to the database server.
Why wrong: These hardware controls improve a single server’s reliability, but they do not address a site outage or application-level failover.
SY0-701 Security Architecture Practice Question
This SY0-701 practice question tests your understanding of security architecture. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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.
An order-entry application must survive a single server failure and continue serving users if the primary site becomes unavailable. Management wants automatic failover, but does not want to pay for fully active production capacity in two regions. Which design is best?
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 choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Use two servers in one site behind a load balancer and maintain an asynchronously replicated warm standby site.
Option B is correct because it combines a load-balanced active-passive pair at the primary site with an asynchronously replicated warm standby at a secondary site. This design meets the requirement for automatic failover and continued service after a single server failure or primary site outage, while avoiding the cost of fully active multi-region capacity. Asynchronous replication ensures the standby site is ready to take over without requiring synchronous writes that would add latency or require identical production load.
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.
- ✗
Run one server and keep nightly backups in cloud object storage.
Why it's wrong here
Backups help recovery after loss, but they do not provide automatic service continuity during an outage.
- ✓
Use two servers in one site behind a load balancer and maintain an asynchronously replicated warm standby site.
Why this is correct
This provides local redundancy for server failure and a lower-cost secondary site for failover if the primary site is lost.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "primary" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Deploy active-active multi-region capacity with identical production load in both regions.
Why it's wrong here
Active-active meets the availability goal, but it usually costs more than the scenario allows and duplicates production capacity.
- ✗
Add RAID 1 and a spare power supply to the database server.
Why it's wrong here
These hardware controls improve a single server’s reliability, but they do not address a site outage or application-level failover.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse high availability (local redundancy) with disaster recovery (site-level failover), and incorrectly assume that RAID or backups alone satisfy the requirement for automatic failover after a site outage.
Trap categories for this question
Scenario analysis trap
Active-active meets the availability goal, but it usually costs more than the scenario allows and duplicates production capacity.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Asynchronous replication (e.g., using MySQL asynchronous replication or AWS RDS cross-Region read replicas) allows the warm standby to lag slightly behind the primary, which is acceptable for an order-entry system that can tolerate a few seconds of data loss during failover. The load balancer at the primary site (e.g., HAProxy or AWS ALB) distributes traffic between the two servers, so if one fails, the other continues serving; health checks automatically remove the failed server from the pool. A DNS-level failover mechanism (e.g., Route 53 health checks) or a global load balancer can redirect traffic to the warm standby site when the entire primary site becomes unavailable.
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.
TExam Day Tips
- 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 security analyst at a medium-sized enterprise encounters this scenario during an investigation or architecture review. The correct answer reflects best practice for the specific threat or control described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Security exam questions test whether you can match controls to threats in context — not just recall definitions.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SY0-701 question test?
Security Architecture — This question tests Security Architecture — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Use two servers in one site behind a load balancer and maintain an asynchronously replicated warm standby site. — Option B is correct because it combines a load-balanced active-passive pair at the primary site with an asynchronously replicated warm standby at a secondary site. This design meets the requirement for automatic failover and continued service after a single server failure or primary site outage, while avoiding the cost of fully active multi-region capacity. Asynchronous replication ensures the standby site is ready to take over without requiring synchronous writes that would add latency or require identical production load.
What should I do if I get this SY0-701 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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.
About these practice questions
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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