Quick Answer
The answer is Azure SQL Database auto-failover groups and Azure Site Recovery. This combination satisfies the requirement for automatic database failover with minimal data loss while allowing manual VM failover to a secondary region. Auto-failover groups handle database-level replication and automatic failover based on the configured grace period, ensuring data consistency, whereas Azure Site Recovery replicates the entire VM infrastructure and supports manual, controlled failover for the application tier. On the AZ-305 exam, this scenario tests your ability to distinguish between services that provide automatic versus manual failover, and to pair database-level DR with infrastructure-level DR. A common trap is choosing active geo-replication, which lacks automatic failover, or Traffic Manager, which only routes traffic. Remember the mnemonic: “DB auto, VM manual” — for the database, let the group decide; for the VMs, you take the wheel.
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. 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.
A company runs an application on Azure VMs that uses Azure SQL Database. They need a disaster recovery solution that ensures the application can fail over to a secondary region with minimal data loss. The solution must include automatic failover for the database and manual failover for the VMs. Which TWO Azure services should they use? (Choose two.)
Azure SQL Database auto-failover groups
Provides automatic failover for the database.
Azure Traffic Manager
Why wrong: Does not replicate VMs.
Azure Front Door
Why wrong: Not for VM replication or DR.
Azure Site Recovery
Replicates VMs and supports manual failover.
Azure SQL Database active geo-replication
Why wrong: Requires manual failover.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Azure SQL Database auto-failover groups
Options B and D are correct. Azure SQL Database auto-failover groups provide automatic failover for the database. Azure Site Recovery replicates the VMs to the secondary region and allows manual failover. Option A is wrong because Azure SQL active geo-replication does not automatically failover; it requires manual action. Option C is wrong because Azure Traffic Manager is for routing, not VM replication. Option E is wrong because Azure Front Door is for global load balancing.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Azure SQL Database auto-failover groups
Why this is correct
Provides automatic failover for the database.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Azure Traffic Manager
Why it's wrong here
Does not replicate VMs.
Azure Front Door
Why it's wrong here
Not for VM replication or DR.
Azure Site Recovery
Why this is correct
Replicates VMs and supports manual failover.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Azure SQL Database active geo-replication
Why it's wrong here
Requires manual failover.
Common exam traps
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.
Detailed technical explanation
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.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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
Identify which AZ-305 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
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FAQ
Design business continuity solutions — This question tests Design business continuity solutions — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Azure SQL Database auto-failover groups — Options B and D are correct. Azure SQL Database auto-failover groups provide automatic failover for the database. Azure Site Recovery replicates the VMs to the secondary region and allows manual failover. Option A is wrong because Azure SQL active geo-replication does not automatically failover; it requires manual action. Option C is wrong because Azure Traffic Manager is for routing, not VM replication. Option E is wrong because Azure Front Door is for global load balancing.
Identify which AZ-305 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
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