- A
Azure Site Recovery for VMs and SQL Server Always On Availability Groups with synchronous commit
Why wrong: Synchronous commit across regions causes high latency and potential performance degradation; not cost-effective.
- B
Azure Site Recovery for VMs and SQL Server log shipping
Why wrong: Log shipping has a longer RTO (requires manual recovery) and may not meet the RTO of 10 minutes.
- C
Azure Backup for VMs and SQL Server database mirroring
Why wrong: Azure Backup does not provide the low RPO/RTO needed; database mirroring is deprecated and not suitable for cross-region.
- D
Azure Site Recovery for VMs and SQL Server Always On Availability Groups with asynchronous commit
Asynchronous commit meets RPO of 30 seconds, and ASR meets VM RPO/RTO requirements; this is cost-effective and recommended across regions.
AZ-305 Design business continuity solutions Practice Question
This AZ-305 practice question tests your understanding of design business continuity 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. A key principle to apply: sQL Server Always On Availability Groups with asynchronous commit prioritizes performance over zero data loss for cross-region DR.. 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 runs a critical application on Azure VMs in a single region. The database tier uses SQL Server on Azure VMs. They need to implement disaster recovery to a secondary region with an RPO of 30 seconds and an RTO of 10 minutes for the database, and an RPO of 5 minutes and RTO of 1 hour for the VMs. The solution must minimize data loss and be cost-effective. Which combination should they use?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"minimum / minimize"Why it matters: Asks for the least resource use — fewest addresses, smallest subnet, lowest overhead. Eliminate over-provisioned options even if they would technically work.
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
Azure Site Recovery for VMs and SQL Server Always On Availability Groups with asynchronous commit
Option D is correct because Azure Site Recovery (ASR) provides VM replication to a secondary region with an RPO of 5 minutes and RTO of 1 hour, meeting the VM requirements. SQL Server Always On Availability Groups with asynchronous commit can achieve an RPO of 30 seconds (or less) while minimizing cost by avoiding synchronous replication overhead, and it supports automatic failover for the database tier, meeting the 10-minute RTO.
Key principle: SQL Server Always On Availability Groups with asynchronous commit prioritizes performance over zero data loss for cross-region DR.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Azure Site Recovery for VMs and SQL Server Always On Availability Groups with synchronous commit
Why it's wrong here
Synchronous commit across regions causes high latency and potential performance degradation; not cost-effective.
- ✗
Azure Site Recovery for VMs and SQL Server log shipping
Why it's wrong here
Log shipping has a longer RTO (requires manual recovery) and may not meet the RTO of 10 minutes.
- ✗
Azure Backup for VMs and SQL Server database mirroring
Why it's wrong here
Azure Backup does not provide the low RPO/RTO needed; database mirroring is deprecated and not suitable for cross-region.
- ✓
Azure Site Recovery for VMs and SQL Server Always On Availability Groups with asynchronous commit
Why this is correct
Asynchronous commit meets RPO of 30 seconds, and ASR meets VM RPO/RTO requirements; this is cost-effective and recommended across regions.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "minimum / minimize" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
SQL Server Always On Availability Groups with asynchronous commit prioritizes performance over zero data loss for cross-region DR.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often choose synchronous commit (Option A) thinking it minimizes data loss, but they overlook the cost and latency constraints of cross-region synchronous replication, making asynchronous commit the practical choice for the given RPO and cost-effectiveness requirements.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
SQL Server Always On Availability Groups with asynchronous commit uses a 'commit-at-primary-only' model, where the primary replica does not wait for the secondary to harden the log, allowing sub-30-second RPO in practice with sufficient network bandwidth. Azure Site Recovery leverages continuous replication using change tracking and can fail over entire VMs, including their OS and data disks, to meet the 1-hour RTO. In a real-world scenario, if the secondary region is far away (e.g., US East to US West), asynchronous commit avoids transaction delays while still meeting the 30-second RPO target.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- SQL Server Always On Availability Groups with asynchronous commit prioritizes performance over zero data loss for cross-region DR.
- Azure Site Recovery provides continuous replication and orchestrated failover for Azure VMs.
- Asynchronous commit allows the primary replica to commit transactions without waiting for secondary confirmation.
- ASR supports RPO as low as 30 seconds for some workloads, and 5 minutes for VMs is easily achievable.
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
SQL Server Always On Availability Groups with asynchronous commit prioritizes performance over zero data loss for cross-region DR.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A startup's cloud architect reviews their monthly bill and notices costs are higher than expected for a long-running batch job. Switching from on-demand instances to Reserved Instances — or using Spot/Preemptible VMs — can reduce compute costs by up to 72 %. Questions like this test whether you understand the tradeoffs between commitment, flexibility, and cost across cloud pricing models.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Review sQL Server Always On Availability Groups with asynchronous commit prioritizes performance over zero data loss for cross-region DR., then practise related AZ-305 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this AZ-305 question test?
Design business continuity solutions — This question tests Design business continuity solutions — SQL Server Always On Availability Groups with asynchronous commit prioritizes performance over zero data loss for cross-region DR..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Azure Site Recovery for VMs and SQL Server Always On Availability Groups with asynchronous commit — Option D is correct because Azure Site Recovery (ASR) provides VM replication to a secondary region with an RPO of 5 minutes and RTO of 1 hour, meeting the VM requirements. SQL Server Always On Availability Groups with asynchronous commit can achieve an RPO of 30 seconds (or less) while minimizing cost by avoiding synchronous replication overhead, and it supports automatic failover for the database tier, meeting the 10-minute RTO.
What should I do if I get this AZ-305 question wrong?
Review sQL Server Always On Availability Groups with asynchronous commit prioritizes performance over zero data loss for cross-region DR., then practise related AZ-305 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "minimum / minimize". Asks for the least resource use — fewest addresses, smallest subnet, lowest overhead. Eliminate over-provisioned options even if they would technically work.
What is the key concept behind this question?
SQL Server Always On Availability Groups with asynchronous commit prioritizes performance over zero data loss for cross-region DR.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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