The correct answers are Azure SQL Database Managed Instance with auto-failover groups and geo-redundant backup storage (RA-GRS). This design ensures that during a regional outage, the database automatically fails over to a secondary paired region without manual intervention, while RA-GRS guarantees that backup files are replicated across regions for point-in-time restore. On the AZ-305 exam, this scenario tests your ability to distinguish between native Azure PaaS solutions and IaaS workarounds for SQL Server high availability and disaster recovery in Azure; a common trap is assuming Always On Availability Groups or Azure Site Recovery handle cross-region failover seamlessly, but they require complex manual configuration or lack transactional consistency. Remember the memory tip: “PaaS auto-failover, IaaS manual labor”—if the question demands zero-touch regional resilience, choose managed instance failover groups and geo-redundant storage, not VM-level replication.
AZ-305 Design infrastructure solutions Practice Question
This AZ-305 practice question tests your understanding of design infrastructure solutions. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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 is migrating a critical application to Azure and needs to design a highly available and disaster recovery solution. The application runs on Azure VMs with SQL Server Always On Availability Groups. You need to ensure that the database remains available even during a regional outage. Which TWO options should you include in the design? (Choose two.)
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "always"
Why it matters: Absolute qualifier. An answer using 'always' is only correct if there are genuinely no exceptions — absolute statements are often wrong in networking.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Enable geo-redundant backup storage (RA-GRS) for the database.
The correct answers are B and D. Azure SQL Database Managed Instance with auto-failover groups provides automatic failover to a secondary region. Geo-redundant backup storage (RA-GRS) ensures backups are replicated to a paired region. Option A is wrong because Always On Availability Groups require manual configuration for cross-region failover. Option C is wrong because Azure Site Recovery replicates VMs but not SQL Server databases in a consistent manner for transactional workloads. Option E is wrong because load balancers do not provide database-level failover.
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.
✓
Enable geo-redundant backup storage (RA-GRS) for the database.
Why this is correct
Geo-redundant backups allow point-in-time restore in another region.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "always" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Configure Azure Site Recovery for the SQL Server VMs.
Why it's wrong here
Site Recovery does not ensure transactional consistency for SQL Server.
✓
Use Azure SQL Database Managed Instance with auto-failover groups.
Why this is correct
Auto-failover groups provide automated regional failover.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "always" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Deploy SQL Server Always On Availability Groups across availability zones.
Why it's wrong here
Availability zones protect within a region, not across regions.
✗
Deploy a load balancer and distribute traffic to multiple replicas.
Why it's wrong here
Load balancers do not handle database failover.
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
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.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this AZ-305 question in full detail.
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.
Design infrastructure solutions — This question tests Design infrastructure solutions — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Enable geo-redundant backup storage (RA-GRS) for the database. — The correct answers are B and D. Azure SQL Database Managed Instance with auto-failover groups provides automatic failover to a secondary region. Geo-redundant backup storage (RA-GRS) ensures backups are replicated to a paired region. Option A is wrong because Always On Availability Groups require manual configuration for cross-region failover. Option C is wrong because Azure Site Recovery replicates VMs but not SQL Server databases in a consistent manner for transactional workloads. Option E is wrong because load balancers do not provide database-level failover.
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: "always". Absolute qualifier. An answer using 'always' is only correct if there are genuinely no exceptions — absolute statements are often wrong in networking.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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