AZ-305 Auto-failover groups Practice Question
Which TWO of the following are requirements for using Azure SQL Database auto-failover groups? (Select two.)
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often mistakenly think the secondary server must have the same logical server name as the primary, but in fact it must be different. Also, the requirement for servers to be in different regions is strict; they cannot be in the same region.
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
✓
The primary and secondary servers must be in different Azure regions.
Option B is correct because auto-failover groups are designed for geo-replication and disaster recovery, requiring the primary and secondary logical servers to reside in different Azure regions to provide regional failover capability. Option E is correct because the databases in the failover group must be on the same service tier (and same compute tier/edition) so that the secondary can properly host the replicated databases and maintain consistent performance characteristics. Option A is incorrect because placing both servers in the same region defeats the purpose of geo-failover and is not a requirement. Option C is incorrect because the secondary server must have a different logical server name; it is the failover group listener that provides a stable connection endpoint, not identical server names. Option D is incorrect because elastic pool membership is not a requirement for auto-failover groups; databases can be in elastic pools or single databases, and they do not need to be in different pools.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Both servers must be in the same Azure region.
Why it's wrong here
Both servers must be in different regions for geo-replication, not the same region. This is incorrect.
- ✓
The primary and secondary servers must be in different Azure regions.
Why this is correct
Primary and secondary servers must be in different regions to ensure geo-redundancy and disaster recovery. This is correct.
- ✗
The secondary server must have the same logical server name.
Why it's wrong here
The secondary server must have a different logical server name from the primary. Having the same name is not allowed. This is incorrect.
- ✗
The databases must be in different elastic pools.
Why it's wrong here
Databases in a failover group can be in the same or different elastic pools; there is no requirement for different pools. This is incorrect.
- ✓
The databases must use the same service tier.
Why this is correct
All databases in the failover group must use the same service tier to maintain consistent performance. This is correct.
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