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Design business continuity solutions →hardMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped

Quick Answer

The answer is that VM3 is in a Shutdown group, which means it is not started during failover. In Azure Site Recovery, a recovery plan organizes VMs into groups that define the order and actions of failover; a Shutdown group is specifically designed to stop VMs gracefully before other groups start, and VMs placed in this group are never automatically started after failover. This concept tests your understanding of how recovery plan groups control VM lifecycle during disaster recovery, a key scenario for the Microsoft Azure Solutions Architect Expert AZ-305 exam where you must design resilient solutions. A common trap is assuming all VMs in a recovery plan are started, but Shutdown groups serve a different purpose—often used for VMs that should remain off until manually verified. Remember the memory tip: “Shutdown groups stop, not start—if it’s in Shutdown, it stays down.”

AZ-305 Design business continuity solutions Practice Question

This AZ-305 practice question tests your understanding of design business continuity solutions. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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.

Exhibit

{
  "properties": {
    "replicationMode": "PrimaryToSecondary",
    "recoveryPlan": {
      "groups": [
        {
          "groupType": "Boot",
          "replicationProtectedItems": ["vm1", "vm2"]
        },
        {
          "groupType": "Shutdown",
          "replicationProtectedItems": ["vm3"]
        }
      ],
      "primaryLocation": "eastus",
      "recoveryLocation": "westus"
    }
  }
}

Refer to the exhibit. You are testing a disaster recovery plan for three Azure VMs. The recovery plan in the exhibit is failing during a test failover. VM3 fails to start after failover. What is the most likely cause?

Clue words in this question

Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.

  • Clue: "most likely"

    Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.

Question 1hardmultiple choice
Full question →

Exhibit

{
  "properties": {
    "replicationMode": "PrimaryToSecondary",
    "recoveryPlan": {
      "groups": [
        {
          "groupType": "Boot",
          "replicationProtectedItems": ["vm1", "vm2"]
        },
        {
          "groupType": "Shutdown",
          "replicationProtectedItems": ["vm3"]
        }
      ],
      "primaryLocation": "eastus",
      "recoveryLocation": "westus"
    }
  }
}

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

✓

VM3 is in a Shutdown group, which means it is not started during failover.

Option C (Shutdown group) is correct because VM3 is in a Shutdown group, which means it is not started during failover. Option A (replication) is not indicated. Option B (boot order) not shown. Option D (recovery location) is valid.

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.

  • ✗

    VM3 is not replicated properly.

    Why it's wrong here

    The exhibit shows it is in the plan.

  • ✗

    The boot order is incorrect; VM3 should be before VM1.

    Why it's wrong here

    No boot order specified.

  • ✓

    VM3 is in a Shutdown group, which means it is not started during failover.

    Why this is correct

    Shutdown group is used for graceful shutdown, not startup.

    Clue confirmation

    The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.

    Related concept

    Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.

  • ✗

    The primary and recovery locations are swapped.

    Why it's wrong here

    Locations are correct.

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.

Trap categories for this question

  • Command / output trap

    The exhibit shows it is in the plan.

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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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: VM3 is in a Shutdown group, which means it is not started during failover. — Option C (Shutdown group) is correct because VM3 is in a Shutdown group, which means it is not started during failover. Option A (replication) is not indicated. Option B (boot order) not shown. Option D (recovery location) is valid.

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.

Are there clue words in this question I should notice?

Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.

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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Same concept, more angles

1 more ways this is tested on AZ-305

These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.

Variation 1. You are reviewing a recovery plan for Azure Site Recovery. The exhibit shows a snippet of the recovery plan configuration. What is the purpose of the script action defined in the exhibit?

hard
  • ✓ A.To run a custom script on the recovered VMs after they boot up during test and unplanned failover.
  • B.To run a script before the VMs shut down during failover.
  • C.To update the Azure DNS records after failover.
  • D.To run a script only during planned failover from the primary to the recovery region.

Why A: The script action runs a PowerShell script after the VMs boot (during the Boot group) for test and unplanned failovers. This script is typically used to perform post-failover tasks such as updating DNS records or configuring application settings. Option A is incorrect because the script runs after boot, not before shutdown. Option C is incorrect because the script runs only for specific failover directions. Option D is incorrect because the script is not limited to planned failover.

Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026

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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.