Question 1mediummultiple choice
Full question →mediummultiple choiceObjective-mapped
A company runs SQL Server on an Azure virtual machine. They need to ensure high availability within a single Azure region. The solution must provide automatic failover with zero data loss (synchronous replication) and support read-only routing for reporting workloads. Which solution 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
SQL Server Always On Availability Group
AG with synchronous commit ensures zero data loss on automatic failover. It also allows configuring read-only routing to direct reporting queries to secondary replicas.
B
Distractor review
SQL Server Failover Cluster Instance (FCI)
FCI provides high availability at the instance level using shared storage, but it does not support synchronous replication or read-only secondary replicas for reporting.
C
Distractor review
Azure Site Recovery
Azure Site Recovery is a disaster recovery solution that replicates VMs across regions. It is not designed for high availability within a single region and does not guarantee zero data loss.
D
Distractor review
Azure Backup
Azure Backup provides backup and restore capabilities but does not offer automatic failover or replication for high availability.
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: SQL Server Always On Availability Group — SQL Server Always On Availability Groups (AG) with synchronous replication provides automatic failover and zero data loss. It also supports read-only routing to secondary replicas for reporting. A Failover Cluster Instance (FCI) requires shared storage and does not support read-only routing. Azure Site Recovery is for disaster recovery across regions, not for high availability within a region. Azure Backup is for backup only.
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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