SK0-005 server-administration Practice Question
A company wants to protect its Microsoft SQL Server database with a backup strategy that provides point-in-time recovery up to every 15 minutes. The database is critical and runs on a dedicated server. Which backup schedule should be implemented?
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
✓
Full backup weekly, differential daily, transaction log backups every 15 minutes.
Option B (Full backup weekly, differential daily, transaction log backups every 15 minutes) is correct because full and differential backups provide a base, while frequent transaction log backups enable granular point-in-time restore. Option A lacks transaction log backups, so recovery granularity is limited to daily. Option C uses mirroring, which is high availability (not a backup) and does not protect against logical corruption. Option D uses snapshot technology but snapshots alone are not a backup and may impact performance if taken every 15 minutes.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Use storage-level snapshots every 15 minutes on a SAN.
Why it's wrong here
Snapshots are not a substitute for database-aware backups; they may not capture in-flight transactions consistently and may cause performance overhead.
- ✗
Full backup daily, differential backup hourly.
Why it's wrong here
This schedule loses data between hourly differentials; it cannot achieve 15-minute point-in-time recovery without transaction logs.
- ✓
Full backup weekly, differential daily, transaction log backups every 15 minutes.
Why this is correct
Combining full, differential, and frequent transaction log backups allows restoration to any point in time down to the last log backup.
- ✗
Set up database mirroring with automatic failover and full weekly backups.
Why it's wrong here
Mirroring provides high availability, not point-in-time recovery; it does not replace regular transaction log backups needed for granular restore.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity Planning
Key term
SQL
SQL is a standard programming language used to manage, query, and manipulate relational databases by issuing commands like SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE.
Key term
Backup strategy
A backup strategy is a planned approach to copying and storing data so it can be recovered if the original is lost, corrupted, or destroyed.
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed July 2026 · checked against the official CompTIA exam blueprint
This SK0-005 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 SK0-005 exam.