- A
Use Azure Cosmos DB accounts with a single write region and enable service-managed failover.
Why wrong: Service-managed failover may result in data loss if the write region fails before replication.
- B
Use Azure Cosmos DB accounts with multi-region writes but disable automatic failover and rely on manual failover.
Why wrong: Manual failover does not meet the automatic failover requirement.
- C
Configure single-region writes with strong consistency and enable automatic failover.
Why wrong: Strong consistency requires synchronous replication, which can cause write unavailability during failover.
- D
Configure multi-region writes with eventual consistency and enable automatic failover.
Multi-region writes with automatic failover provide zero data loss and continuous availability for both reads and writes.
Quick Answer
The correct answer is to configure multi-region writes with eventual consistency and enable automatic failover. This design ensures zero data loss because each write is replicated synchronously across all configured regions, so if one region fails, the application can continue writing to any other region without losing committed data. On the AZ-305 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of Azure Cosmos DB’s multi-region write capabilities as a core component of a business continuity and disaster recovery strategy, often appearing as a trap where candidates mistakenly choose single-region writes with strong consistency, which still risks data loss during a regional outage. The key distinction is that multi-region writes guarantee continuous write availability, while single-region writes—even with automatic failover—can lose uncommitted writes. Remember the mnemonic: “MWAF” for Multi-region Writes with Automatic Failover, ensuring your app stays alive and your data survives.
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. 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.
You manage a globally distributed application using Azure Cosmos DB. You need to design a business continuity strategy that ensures zero data loss and automatic failover in case of a regional outage. The application must continue to serve reads and writes during a region failure. What should you recommend?
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 multi-region writes with eventual consistency and enable automatic failover.
Azure Cosmos DB multi-region writes with automatic failover ensures zero data loss and continuous availability for both reads and writes. Option A is incorrect because single-region writes with eventual consistency may result in data loss. Option B is incorrect because it does not guarantee zero data loss. Option D is incorrect because manual failover does not meet automatic failover requirement.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Use Azure Cosmos DB accounts with a single write region and enable service-managed failover.
Why it's wrong here
Service-managed failover may result in data loss if the write region fails before replication.
- ✗
Use Azure Cosmos DB accounts with multi-region writes but disable automatic failover and rely on manual failover.
Why it's wrong here
Manual failover does not meet the automatic failover requirement.
- ✗
Configure single-region writes with strong consistency and enable automatic failover.
Why it's wrong here
Strong consistency requires synchronous replication, which can cause write unavailability during failover.
- ✓
Configure multi-region writes with eventual consistency and enable automatic failover.
Why this is correct
Multi-region writes with automatic failover provide zero data loss and continuous availability for both reads and writes.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
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.
Detailed technical explanation
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.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
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.
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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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 — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Configure multi-region writes with eventual consistency and enable automatic failover. — Azure Cosmos DB multi-region writes with automatic failover ensures zero data loss and continuous availability for both reads and writes. Option A is incorrect because single-region writes with eventual consistency may result in data loss. Option B is incorrect because it does not guarantee zero data loss. Option D is incorrect because manual failover does not meet automatic failover requirement.
What should I do if I get this AZ-305 question wrong?
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.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
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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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