Question 1mediummultiple choice
Full question →mediummultiple choiceObjective-mapped
A company runs a critical SQL Server database on an Azure virtual machine in the West US region. They need a disaster recovery solution that replicates the database to a secondary region (East US) with a recovery point objective (RPO) of 15 minutes and a recovery time objective (RTO) of 2 hours. The solution must also support non-disruptive disaster recovery drills. The company currently uses SQL Server Standard Edition. Which Azure service should they implement?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Good practice is not just finding the correct option. The wrong answers often show the exact trap the exam wants you to fall into.
A
Best answer
Azure Site Recovery
Azure Site Recovery replicates the entire VM to the secondary region, supports test failovers for drilling, and can meet the RPO/RTO requirements when configured with appropriate frequency. It works with SQL Server Standard Edition.
B
Distractor review
SQL Server Always On Availability Groups
Always On Availability Groups require SQL Server Enterprise Edition for the number of replicas needed and do not provide built-in non-disruptive test failover capabilities.
C
Distractor review
Azure Backup with cross-region restore
Azure Backup is for backup and restore, which typically has higher RTO (hours to days) and does not support automated failover or non-disruptive drills.
D
Distractor review
Azure SQL Database geo-replication
Geo-replication is for Azure SQL Database, not for SQL Server on Azure VMs. The database is on a VM, so this service does not apply.
Common exam trap
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
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.
Technical deep dive
How to think about this question
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.
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.
- Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
- Underline the problem statement mentally.
- 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.
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More questions from this exam
Keep practising from the same exam bank, or move into a focused topic page if this question exposed a weak area.
Question 1
A company is designing hub-and-spoke networking. Spoke VNets must use a central Azure Firewall for outbound internet traffic. Which two configurations are required?
Question 2
A company is designing private access to a PaaS database from workloads in a VNet. The database should not be reachable over its public endpoint. What should be recommended?
Question 3
A data platform must support analytical queries over petabytes of files in a data lake, while preserving hierarchical namespaces and fine-grained ACLs. Which storage service should you design around?
Question 4
A database workload has an RPO of 15 minutes and an RTO of 4 hours. Cost is more important than near-zero data loss. Which design is usually more appropriate than synchronous multi-region replication?
Question 5
A hub-and-spoke Azure network must centralize outbound inspection and still allow spokes to resolve private endpoint DNS names. Which two components are commonly required? (Choose 2.)
Question 6
A multinational company uses Microsoft Entra ID and several Azure subscriptions. Security administrators need to review privileged role assignments every month and require justification for continued access. Which design should be recommended?
FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this AZ-305 question test?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Azure Site Recovery — Azure Site Recovery can replicate the entire VM (including SQL Server) to a secondary region. It supports non-disruptive test failovers and can achieve the required RPO and RTO when combined with application-consistent recovery points. SQL Server Always On Availability Groups require Enterprise Edition and do not support non-disruptive testing as easily. Azure Backup is for backup, not replication with RTO. Azure SQL Database geo-replication is not applicable for SQL Server on VMs.
What should I do if I get this AZ-305 question wrong?
Then try more questions from the same exam bank and focus on understanding why the wrong options are tempting.
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