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CISSP Practice Question: Designing a recovery site for its critical…
A company is designing a recovery site for its critical database. The recovery time objective (RTO) is 2 hours, and the recovery point objective (RPO) is 15 minutes. Which of the following replication strategies is BEST suited?
⚠ Common exam trap
Test-takers frequently choose asynchronous replication (Option A) thinking it is sufficient for a 15-minute RPO, but they overlook that asynchronous replication can have variable lag that may exceed the RPO, especially under high write loads or network congestion.
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
✓
Synchronous replication to a hot site
Synchronous replication writes data to both the primary and the hot site simultaneously, ensuring zero data loss upon failover. With an RPO of 15 minutes, synchronous replication can meet this requirement because it commits transactions at both sites before acknowledging completion. A hot site is fully configured and ready to take over within the RTO of 2 hours, making this combination the best fit.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Asynchronous replication to a warm site
Why it's wrong here
Asynchronous replication transmits data in batches, meaning there will always be a delay between the primary site's writes and the recovery site's updates. For critical data, this inherent latency can result in a significant amount of data loss, potentially exceeding the acceptable Recovery Point Objective (RPO) during a disaster. Furthermore, a warm site requires manual configuration and data restoration, which extends the Recovery Time Objective (RTO).
- ✗
Full backups every 24 hours to a cold site
Why it's wrong here
Performing full backups only once every 24 hours means that up to a full day's worth of critical data could be lost in the event of a primary site failure, which is unacceptable for most critical systems. Additionally, a cold site is merely a shell facility without pre-installed hardware or network connectivity, necessitating extensive setup time and data restoration efforts, leading to an extremely long Recovery Time Objective (RTO).
- ✗
Weekly snapshots to a warm site
Why it's wrong here
Weekly snapshots provide only a single point-in-time recovery option per week, meaning that up to seven days of critical data changes would be irretrievably lost if a disaster occurred between snapshots. This lengthy interval makes the Recovery Point Objective (RPO) entirely inadequate for any system deemed critical, where data loss must be minimized. While a warm site offers some infrastructure, the RTO would still be impacted by the need to restore from the outdated snapshot.
- ✓
Synchronous replication to a hot site
Why this is correct
Synchronous replication ensures that data is written to both the primary and recovery sites simultaneously, guaranteeing zero data loss (RPO of near zero) in the event of a primary site failure. Coupled with a hot site, which is fully equipped with active hardware, network, and data, this configuration allows for immediate failover with minimal downtime, effectively meeting stringent Recovery Time Objectives (RTOs) for critical systems.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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