The answer is that the source region must be a supported Azure region and the VMs must be using managed disks. Azure Site Recovery for Azure VMs relies on the Azure backbone for replication traffic, so the source region must be listed in the official supported regions matrix to ensure service availability and compliance. Managed disks are mandatory because Site Recovery replicates disk snapshots and change data at the storage level, and unmanaged disks lack the necessary integration for consistent, automated failover. On the AZ-305 exam, this question tests your understanding of Azure Site Recovery prerequisites for Azure VMs, often appearing as a multi-select trap where candidates mistakenly think a VPN or specific VM size is required. A common memory tip is to remember “Region and Managed” as the two core pillars—no VPN, no unmanaged disks, and no size restrictions beyond general VM limits.
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.
Which TWO of the following are requirements for using Azure Site Recovery to protect Azure VMs? (Choose two.)
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
VMs must be using managed disks
Options A and D are correct. VMs must be in a region that supports Azure Site Recovery (A). VMs must be using managed disks (D). Option B is wrong because unmanaged disks are not supported. Option C is wrong because VMs can be any size, but there are some limitations. Option E is wrong because Site Recovery does not require a VPN connection for Azure-to-Azure replication; it uses the Azure backbone.
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.
✗
VMs must use unmanaged disks
Why it's wrong here
Azure Site Recovery requires managed disks.
✓
VMs must be using managed disks
Why this is correct
Managed disks are required for Azure Site Recovery.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
VMs must be connected to a virtual network that has a VPN gateway to the target region
Why it's wrong here
No VPN is required for Azure-to-Azure replication.
✓
The source region must be a supported Azure region
Why this is correct
Azure Site Recovery is available in most Azure regions.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
VMs must be at least Standard_D2s_v3 size
Why it's wrong here
There is no minimum size requirement.
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.
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 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: VMs must be using managed disks — Options A and D are correct. VMs must be in a region that supports Azure Site Recovery (A). VMs must be using managed disks (D). Option B is wrong because unmanaged disks are not supported. Option C is wrong because VMs can be any size, but there are some limitations. Option E is wrong because Site Recovery does not require a VPN connection for Azure-to-Azure replication; it uses the Azure backbone.
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.
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Question Discussion
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