- A
Use Azure Backup for the SQL database with 5-minute backup frequency, deploy App Service in West US with staging slots, and use Azure Traffic Manager with priority routing.
Why wrong: Azure Backup cannot achieve 5-minute RPO; minimum is 15 minutes for SQL Server on Azure VM, not for Azure SQL Database.
- B
Configure Azure SQL Database geo-replication with readable secondary, deploy App Service in West US with deployment slots, and use Azure Front Door with health probes. Cache for Redis is not critical and can be rebuilt.
Why wrong: Readable secondary does not support automated failover; manual failover increases RTO.
- C
Configure Azure SQL Database active geo-replication with auto-failover group, deploy App Service in West US with a separate App Service plan, enable geo-replication for Cache for Redis, and use RA-GRS for Blob Storage. Use Azure Traffic Manager with priority routing for the web app.
Auto-failover group meets RPO and automates failover; Traffic Manager routes traffic; Redis geo-replication and RA-GRS ensure low data loss.
- D
Deploy the entire application in an active-active configuration using Azure Front Door, with Azure SQL Database using failover groups and manual failover. Use Azure Backup for the database with 1-hour backup frequency.
Why wrong: Manual failover increases RTO; 1-hour backup frequency does not meet 5-minute RPO.
AZ-305 Design business continuity solutions Practice Question
This AZ-305 practice question tests your understanding of design business continuity 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.
You are a Solutions Architect for an e-commerce company that runs its online store on Azure. The application consists of: - Azure App Service (Windows) hosting the web frontend - Azure SQL Database (General Purpose, serverless) for product catalog and orders - Azure Cache for Redis for session state - Azure Blob Storage for product images The application is deployed in the East US region. The company wants to implement a disaster recovery (DR) plan that can fail over to a secondary region (West US) with minimal data loss. The requirements are: - RPO: 5 minutes for the database - RTO: 30 minutes for the entire application - The solution must be cost-effective and not require manual intervention during failover. Which of the following is the BEST course of action to meet these requirements?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"best"Why it matters: Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
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 Azure SQL Database active geo-replication with auto-failover group, deploy App Service in West US with a separate App Service plan, enable geo-replication for Cache for Redis, and use RA-GRS for Blob Storage. Use Azure Traffic Manager with priority routing for the web app.
Option C is correct. Azure SQL Database active geo-replication with auto-failover groups achieves RPO of 5 seconds and RTO of 1 hour (with auto-failover, typically <1 hour). App Service can be deployed in paired region with traffic manager or Front Door for quick failover. Blob Storage can use geo-redundant storage (GRS) with read access (RA-GRS) for fast failover. Redis can be configured with geo-replication. Option A is wrong because Azure Backup does not provide 5-minute RPO. Option B is wrong because read-only replicas are not for failover. Option D is wrong because manual steps increase RTO beyond 30 minutes, and Azure Backup is not suitable for the required RPO.
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 Backup for the SQL database with 5-minute backup frequency, deploy App Service in West US with staging slots, and use Azure Traffic Manager with priority routing.
Why it's wrong here
Azure Backup cannot achieve 5-minute RPO; minimum is 15 minutes for SQL Server on Azure VM, not for Azure SQL Database.
- ✗
Configure Azure SQL Database geo-replication with readable secondary, deploy App Service in West US with deployment slots, and use Azure Front Door with health probes. Cache for Redis is not critical and can be rebuilt.
Why it's wrong here
Readable secondary does not support automated failover; manual failover increases RTO.
- ✓
Configure Azure SQL Database active geo-replication with auto-failover group, deploy App Service in West US with a separate App Service plan, enable geo-replication for Cache for Redis, and use RA-GRS for Blob Storage. Use Azure Traffic Manager with priority routing for the web app.
Why this is correct
Auto-failover group meets RPO and automates failover; Traffic Manager routes traffic; Redis geo-replication and RA-GRS ensure low data loss.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Deploy the entire application in an active-active configuration using Azure Front Door, with Azure SQL Database using failover groups and manual failover. Use Azure Backup for the database with 1-hour backup frequency.
Why it's wrong here
Manual failover increases RTO; 1-hour backup frequency does not meet 5-minute RPO.
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 startup's cloud architect reviews their monthly bill and notices costs are higher than expected for a long-running batch job. Switching from on-demand instances to Reserved Instances — or using Spot/Preemptible VMs — can reduce compute costs by up to 72 %. Questions like this test whether you understand the tradeoffs between commitment, flexibility, and cost across cloud pricing models.
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: Configure Azure SQL Database active geo-replication with auto-failover group, deploy App Service in West US with a separate App Service plan, enable geo-replication for Cache for Redis, and use RA-GRS for Blob Storage. Use Azure Traffic Manager with priority routing for the web app. — Option C is correct. Azure SQL Database active geo-replication with auto-failover groups achieves RPO of 5 seconds and RTO of 1 hour (with auto-failover, typically <1 hour). App Service can be deployed in paired region with traffic manager or Front Door for quick failover. Blob Storage can use geo-redundant storage (GRS) with read access (RA-GRS) for fast failover. Redis can be configured with geo-replication. Option A is wrong because Azure Backup does not provide 5-minute RPO. Option B is wrong because read-only replicas are not for failover. Option D is wrong because manual steps increase RTO beyond 30 minutes, and Azure Backup is not suitable for the required RPO.
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: "best". Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 21, 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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