- A
Increase the synchronous replication distance limit to ensure link stability over 500 km
Why wrong: The link failure was due to an outage, not distance; synchronous replication over long distances can introduce latency and is not the root cause.
- B
Conduct a full-scale disaster recovery test including DNS failover and database consistency checks
A comprehensive test would identify both the DNS script error and the replication link vulnerability, allowing corrective actions.
- C
Switch to asynchronous replication to avoid data loss during link failures
Why wrong: Asynchronous replication may increase RPO and does not guarantee consistency; it also does not address the DNS failover issue.
- D
Implement automated DNS failover with health checks and reduce TTL values to 60 seconds
Why wrong: This addresses the DNS delay but does not solve the database inconsistency from the replication link failure.
Quick Answer
The answer is to conduct a full-scale disaster recovery test including DNS failover and database consistency checks. This is the best course of action because the failover failure exposed two distinct root causes: a misconfigured DNS script that caused the RTO breach (3 hours vs. the required 2) and a broken replication link that led to an RPO breach (4-hour-old backup vs. the required 15 minutes). A full-scale test is the only method that validates both the procedural failover timing and the technical data integrity under realistic conditions, directly addressing the gaps that a tabletop or partial test would miss. On the CISA exam, this scenario tests your understanding that a disaster recovery test must simulate real-world dependencies—like DNS propagation and synchronous replication latency—not just server availability. A common trap is choosing to simply update the scripts or fix the replication link separately, which ignores the need for integrated validation. Memory tip: “Full-scale finds the failover flaws—DNS and data both need a dry run.”
CISA Practice Question: Information Systems Operations and Business Resilience
This CISA practice question tests your understanding of information systems operations and business resilience. 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 multinational corporation operates an e-commerce platform hosted in a private cloud environment. The platform consists of web servers, application servers, and a database cluster. The database cluster uses synchronous replication across two data centers (Primary and DR) located 500 km apart. The recovery time objective (RTO) for the platform is 2 hours, and the recovery point objective (RPO) is 15 minutes. During a recent disaster simulation, the primary data center lost power completely. The IT team initiated failover to the DR site. However, the failover process took 3 hours due to a misconfiguration in the DNS failover scripts, and the database was found to be inconsistent because the replication link was broken 30 minutes before the power loss. The team had to restore from a backup that was 4 hours old. After the incident, management requests a review of the disaster recovery plan. Which of the following is the BEST course of action to address the issues identified?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"best"Why it matters: Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
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
Conduct a full-scale disaster recovery test including DNS failover and database consistency checks
The correct answer is B because the incident revealed failures in DNS failover scripts (causing RTO breach) and database consistency checks (causing RPO breach). A full-scale test that includes DNS failover and database consistency validation is the only option that directly addresses both root causes, ensuring the DR plan meets the stated RTO of 2 hours and RPO of 15 minutes. Without such a test, the organization cannot verify that the failover process and data integrity mechanisms work as intended under realistic conditions.
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.
- ✗
Increase the synchronous replication distance limit to ensure link stability over 500 km
Why it's wrong here
The link failure was due to an outage, not distance; synchronous replication over long distances can introduce latency and is not the root cause.
- ✓
Conduct a full-scale disaster recovery test including DNS failover and database consistency checks
Why this is correct
A comprehensive test would identify both the DNS script error and the replication link vulnerability, allowing corrective actions.
Clue confirmation
The clue words "best", "primary" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Switch to asynchronous replication to avoid data loss during link failures
Why it's wrong here
Asynchronous replication may increase RPO and does not guarantee consistency; it also does not address the DNS failover issue.
- ✗
Implement automated DNS failover with health checks and reduce TTL values to 60 seconds
Why it's wrong here
This addresses the DNS delay but does not solve the database inconsistency from the replication link failure.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates focus on the technical symptom (DNS failover delay) and choose a quick fix like automated DNS failover (Option D), while ignoring the more critical database inconsistency issue that requires a comprehensive test to validate the entire DR plan.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Synchronous replication over 500 km typically uses two-phase commit (2PC) or similar protocols, which are highly sensitive to network latency and packet loss; a broken link for 30 minutes before the power loss likely caused a split-brain scenario or incomplete transactions, leading to inconsistency. The RPO of 15 minutes requires that backups or replication lag be within that window, but the 4-hour-old backup indicates a failure in the backup chain or replication monitoring. Full-scale DR testing should include DNS failover (e.g., using BGP or DNS-based routing with TTL values as low as 60 seconds) and database consistency checks (e.g., using DBCC CHECKDB or checksum validation) to ensure both RTO and RPO are achievable.
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 small business has 20 workstations on the 192.168.1.0/24 network and one public IP from its ISP. The router uses PAT (NAT overload) so all 20 devices share one public address using different source ports. NAT questions test whether you understand the four address terms and which direction each translation applies.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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Information Systems Operations and Business Resilience — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this CISA question test?
Information Systems Operations and Business Resilience — This question tests Information Systems Operations and Business Resilience — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Conduct a full-scale disaster recovery test including DNS failover and database consistency checks — The correct answer is B because the incident revealed failures in DNS failover scripts (causing RTO breach) and database consistency checks (causing RPO breach). A full-scale test that includes DNS failover and database consistency validation is the only option that directly addresses both root causes, ensuring the DR plan meets the stated RTO of 2 hours and RPO of 15 minutes. Without such a test, the organization cannot verify that the failover process and data integrity mechanisms work as intended under realistic conditions.
What should I do if I get this CISA 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: "best", "primary". Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
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
This CISA practice question is part of Courseiva's free ISACA 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 CISA exam.
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