Quick Answer
The correct answer is to use Azure Backup with application-consistent snapshots for VMs, Long-term retention (LTR) for Azure SQL Database, and soft delete for Azure Files. Azure Backup leverages Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) to ensure VM backups are application-consistent, freezing I/O operations long enough for a clean snapshot. LTR for Azure SQL Database allows you to retain full, differential, and transaction log backups for up to 10 years, meeting long-term compliance needs. Soft delete for Azure Files provides a recovery window against accidental deletion by retaining deleted data for a configurable period. On the AZ-305 exam, this scenario tests your ability to distinguish backup services from disaster recovery (Azure Site Recovery) and governance tools (Azure Policy). A common trap is confusing Azure Backup with Site Recovery—remember that backup is for point-in-time recovery, while Site Recovery is for replication and failover. Memory tip: “VMs need VSS, SQL needs LTR, Files need soft delete.”
This AZ-305 practice question tests your understanding of design infrastructure solutions. 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 backup strategy for Azure resources. They have the following resources: Azure VMs, Azure SQL Database, and Azure Files shares. They need to meet the following requirements: 1) Backup of VMs must be application-consistent. 2) SQL Database backups must be retained for 10 years. 3) Azure Files backups must support soft delete. Which THREE services or features should they use?
Azure Backup
Azure Backup provides application-consistent backups for VMs.
Soft delete for Azure Files
Soft delete protects against accidental deletion.
Long-term retention (LTR) for Azure SQL Database
LTR retains backups for up to 10 years.
Azure Site Recovery
Why wrong: Azure Site Recovery is for DR, not backup.
Azure Policy
Why wrong: Azure Policy is for compliance, not backup.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Azure Backup
Options B, C, and D are correct. Azure Backup can perform application-consistent backups for VMs (using VSS). Long-term retention (LTR) for SQL Database can retain backups for up to 10 years. Soft delete for Azure Files can be enabled to protect against accidental deletion. Option A is incorrect because Azure Site Recovery is for disaster recovery, not backup. Option E is incorrect because Azure Policy is for governance, not backup.
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.
Azure Backup
Why this is correct
Azure Backup provides application-consistent backups for VMs.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Soft delete for Azure Files
Why this is correct
Soft delete protects against accidental deletion.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Long-term retention (LTR) for Azure SQL Database
Why this is correct
LTR retains backups for up to 10 years.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Azure Site Recovery
Why it's wrong here
Azure Site Recovery is for DR, not backup.
Azure Policy
Why it's wrong here
Azure Policy is for compliance, not backup.
Common exam traps
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
An e-commerce site experiences heavy traffic on Black Friday and near-zero traffic during off-peak weeks. Rather than provisioning permanent large VMs, the team uses auto-scaling groups that add capacity automatically under load and reduce it overnight. Questions like this test whether you understand elasticity, availability zones, and cloud compute scaling patterns.
What to study next
Identify which AZ-305 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
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FAQ
Design infrastructure solutions — This question tests Design infrastructure solutions — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Azure Backup — Options B, C, and D are correct. Azure Backup can perform application-consistent backups for VMs (using VSS). Long-term retention (LTR) for SQL Database can retain backups for up to 10 years. Soft delete for Azure Files can be enabled to protect against accidental deletion. Option A is incorrect because Azure Site Recovery is for disaster recovery, not backup. Option E is incorrect because Azure Policy is for governance, not backup.
Identify which AZ-305 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
This AZ-305 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Microsoft 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 AZ-305 exam.
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