- A
Upgrade the SQL Database in East US to a higher DTU tier and enable auto-scaling.
Why wrong: Auto-scaling is not available for DTU-based tiers; scaling up is costly and does not leverage geo-replicas.
- B
Configure read-only routing in the application connection string to use the geo-replicated databases for read queries, and keep writes directed to the primary.
This offloads read traffic to replicas, reducing primary load and improving read latency globally.
- C
Implement a second-level cache using Azure Cache for Redis with a local cache pattern in the web front-end.
Why wrong: Caching helps but does not fully address the database throughput issue.
- D
Shard the database by customer region and deploy shards in each region.
Why wrong: Adds significant complexity and may not solve the immediate DTU bottleneck.
Quick Answer
The answer is to configure read-only routing in the application connection string to use the geo-replicated databases for read queries, while keeping writes directed to the primary. This directly addresses the core issue of Azure SQL Database read scaling with geo-replication by offloading the read-heavy workload from the primary East US database to the underutilized replicas in West Europe and Southeast Asia, reducing DTU consumption and eliminating timeouts during traffic spikes. On the AZ-305 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of the read scale-out feature for geo-replicated databases, which is a cost-effective alternative to scaling up DTUs or sharding—common traps include overcomplicating with caching or sharding when the simplest read-only routing solves the global latency and load problem. Remember the key distinction: geo-replication provides both disaster recovery and read scaling, but you must explicitly configure the connection string to route reads to the secondary replicas. Memory tip: “Reads go to replicas, writes stay with the primary—just like a library where you can browse copies but only check out from the main desk.”
AZ-305 Design infrastructure solutions Practice Question
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.
Your company, Contoso Ltd., operates a global e-commerce platform hosted on Azure. The architecture consists of: (1) A web front-end running on Azure App Service in multiple regions (East US, West Europe, Southeast Asia). (2) A microservices backend running on Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) in East US. (3) A SQL Database in East US with geo-replication to West Europe and Southeast Asia for read scaling. (4) Azure Redis Cache for session state. (5) Azure Front Door for global load balancing. The platform experiences periodic traffic spikes, and during a recent spike, users reported slow page loads and intermittent errors. The operations team observed that the SQL Database in East US reached 100% DTU consumption, causing timeouts. The geo-replicated databases in other regions were underutilized. The application logic is read-heavy but also writes to a separate write-only table. You need to design a solution to improve scalability and reduce database load. The solution must: minimize latency for users, ensure write consistency, and handle traffic spikes without over-provisioning. What should you do?
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
Configure read-only routing in the application connection string to use the geo-replicated databases for read queries, and keep writes directed to the primary.
Option B is correct because it offloads read traffic to read replicas, which is the most effective way to reduce primary database load. Option A is wrong because increasing DTU is expensive and does not scale globally. Option C is wrong because Redis is already used for caching; further caching may help but does not address database read load as directly. Option D is wrong because splitting the database into shards adds complexity and may not be necessary.
Key principle: NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Upgrade the SQL Database in East US to a higher DTU tier and enable auto-scaling.
Why it's wrong here
Auto-scaling is not available for DTU-based tiers; scaling up is costly and does not leverage geo-replicas.
- ✓
Configure read-only routing in the application connection string to use the geo-replicated databases for read queries, and keep writes directed to the primary.
Why this is correct
This offloads read traffic to replicas, reducing primary load and improving read latency globally.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "minimum / minimize" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
- ✗
Implement a second-level cache using Azure Cache for Redis with a local cache pattern in the web front-end.
Why it's wrong here
Caching helps but does not fully address the database throughput issue.
- ✗
Shard the database by customer region and deploy shards in each region.
Why it's wrong here
Adds significant complexity and may not solve the immediate DTU bottleneck.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: NAT rules depend on direction and matching traffic
NAT is not only about the public address. The inside/outside interface roles and the ACL or rule that matches traffic are just as important.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
NAT questions usually test address translation, overload/PAT behaviour, static mappings and whether the right traffic is being translated. Read the interface direction and address terms carefully.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
- PAT allows many inside hosts to share one public address using ports.
- Inside local and inside global describe the private and translated addresses.
- NAT ACLs identify traffic for translation, not always security filtering.
TExam Day Tips
- Identify inside and outside interfaces first.
- Check whether the scenario needs static NAT, dynamic NAT or PAT.
- Do not confuse NAT matching ACLs with normal packet-filtering intent.
Key takeaway
NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A media company stores terabytes of video archives that are accessed once a year for audit purposes. Moving these objects to a cold storage tier (Azure Archive, S3 Glacier, or Google Nearline) costs a fraction of hot storage. Questions like this test whether you understand storage tiers, access frequency tradeoffs, and retrieval latency requirements.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related AZ-305 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
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Design infrastructure solutions — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this AZ-305 question test?
Design infrastructure solutions — This question tests Design infrastructure solutions — Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Configure read-only routing in the application connection string to use the geo-replicated databases for read queries, and keep writes directed to the primary. — Option B is correct because it offloads read traffic to read replicas, which is the most effective way to reduce primary database load. Option A is wrong because increasing DTU is expensive and does not scale globally. Option C is wrong because Redis is already used for caching; further caching may help but does not address database read load as directly. Option D is wrong because splitting the database into shards adds complexity and may not be necessary.
What should I do if I get this AZ-305 question wrong?
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related AZ-305 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
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?
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
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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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