- A
Azure Backup for SQL Server on Azure VM
Azure Backup provides a fully managed backup solution for SQL Server VMs, including point-in-time restore and long-term retention, meeting all requirements.
- B
Azure Site Recovery
Why wrong: Site Recovery is designed for disaster recovery and replication, not for long-term backup with point-in-time restore capabilities.
- C
SQL Server managed backup to Azure
Why wrong: While SQL Server managed backup stores backups in Azure, it still requires manual configuration and does not provide the same level of automation and long-term retention management as Azure Backup.
- D
Azure Disk Backup
Why wrong: Disk Backup captures crash-consistent snapshots of virtual disks, not SQL database-consistent backups, and cannot perform point-in-time restore for database transactions.
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: azure Backup for SQL Server on Azure VM provides application-consistent backups.. 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 SQL Server database on an Azure virtual machine. They need a backup strategy that supports point-in-time restore down to the second and long-term retention of backups for 7 years to meet compliance. They want to offload backup management to Azure. Which backup solution should they use?
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 Backup for SQL Server on Azure VM
Azure Backup for SQL Server on Azure VM provides native integration that supports point-in-time restore down to the second for SQL Server databases and allows configuring long-term retention (LTR) for up to 10 years, meeting the 7-year compliance requirement. It offloads backup management to Azure by automating backup schedules, retention policies, and restore operations without requiring manual scripting or third-party tools.
Key principle: Azure Backup for SQL Server on Azure VM provides application-consistent backups.
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 Backup for SQL Server on Azure VM
Why this is correct
Azure Backup provides a fully managed backup solution for SQL Server VMs, including point-in-time restore and long-term retention, meeting all requirements.
Related concept
Azure Backup for SQL Server on Azure VM provides application-consistent backups.
- ✗
Azure Site Recovery
Why it's wrong here
Site Recovery is designed for disaster recovery and replication, not for long-term backup with point-in-time restore capabilities.
- ✗
SQL Server managed backup to Azure
Why it's wrong here
While SQL Server managed backup stores backups in Azure, it still requires manual configuration and does not provide the same level of automation and long-term retention management as Azure Backup.
- ✗
Azure Disk Backup
Why it's wrong here
Disk Backup captures crash-consistent snapshots of virtual disks, not SQL database-consistent backups, and cannot perform point-in-time restore for database transactions.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse Azure Site Recovery (disaster recovery) with backup, or assume SQL Server managed backup to Azure provides the same integrated point-in-time and long-term retention capabilities as Azure Backup, when in fact Azure Backup offers a fully managed, portal-integrated solution with native SQL Server awareness.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Azure Backup for SQL Server on Azure VM uses the SQL Server VSS/VDI writer to orchestrate full, differential, and transaction log backups, enabling log chain continuity for point-in-time restore with sub-second granularity. The service stores backups in a Recovery Services vault, leveraging Azure's geo-redundant storage (GRS) options, and supports long-term retention (LTR) via a grandfather-father-son (GFS) policy that can retain weekly, monthly, and yearly backups for up to 10 years. In a real-world scenario, if a compliance audit requires restoring a database to a specific second from seven years ago, Azure Backup's log backup frequency (as low as every 5 minutes) and LTR policy ensure that the required restore point is available without manual intervention.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Azure Backup for SQL Server on Azure VM provides application-consistent backups.
- It supports point-in-time restore down to the second for SQL Server databases.
- Long-term retention policies can store backups for up to 99 years.
- Azure Backup offloads backup management, including scheduling and retention, to Azure.
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
Azure Backup for SQL Server on Azure VM provides application-consistent backups.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
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
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Review azure Backup for SQL Server on Azure VM provides application-consistent backups., then practise related AZ-305 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
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Design business continuity solutions — study guide chapter
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Design business continuity solutions practice questions
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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 — Azure Backup for SQL Server on Azure VM provides application-consistent backups..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Azure Backup for SQL Server on Azure VM — Azure Backup for SQL Server on Azure VM provides native integration that supports point-in-time restore down to the second for SQL Server databases and allows configuring long-term retention (LTR) for up to 10 years, meeting the 7-year compliance requirement. It offloads backup management to Azure by automating backup schedules, retention policies, and restore operations without requiring manual scripting or third-party tools.
What should I do if I get this AZ-305 question wrong?
Review azure Backup for SQL Server on Azure VM provides application-consistent backups., then practise related AZ-305 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Azure Backup for SQL Server on Azure VM provides application-consistent backups.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 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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