The answer is Azure Backup with an application-consistent backup policy and geo-redundant storage. This combination is correct because Azure Backup uses the Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) on Windows or file-system-consistent snapshots on Linux to ensure application-consistent backups, meaning all in-memory data and pending I/O operations are flushed before the snapshot is taken, guaranteeing crash-consistent recovery for critical business applications. The geo-redundant storage (GRS) setting then replicates this backup data to a paired secondary region, enabling geo-restore when you need to recover in a different region. On the AZ-305 exam, this scenario tests your ability to distinguish between backup (Azure Backup) and disaster recovery (Azure Site Recovery)—a common trap is confusing the two, as Site Recovery handles replication and failover, not point-in-time backups. Remember the memory tip: “Backup for time travel, Site Recovery for failover” to keep the distinction clear.
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.
You are designing a backup strategy for Azure VMs running critical business applications. The solution must support application-consistent backups and allow for restoration to a different region. Which Azure service and configuration should you use?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Azure Backup with application-consistent backup policy and geo-redundant storage
Option A is correct because Azure Backup with application-consistent backups and geo-restore meets the requirements. Option B is wrong because Azure Site Recovery is for disaster recovery, not backups. Option C is wrong because Azure Snapshot is not application-consistent. Option D is wrong because Azure Disk Encryption encrypts disks but does not provide backups.
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.
✓
Azure Backup with application-consistent backup policy and geo-redundant storage
Why this is correct
Azure Backup supports application-consistent VSS backups and geo-restore to paired regions.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Azure Disk Encryption with Azure Backup
Why it's wrong here
Disk Encryption encrypts disks but does not provide backup functionality.
✗
Azure Snapshot with cross-region copy
Why it's wrong here
Snapshots are crash-consistent, not application-consistent.
✗
Azure Site Recovery with replication to secondary region
Why it's wrong here
Site Recovery is for replication and failover, not long-term backup.
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: Azure Backup with application-consistent backup policy and geo-redundant storage — Option A is correct because Azure Backup with application-consistent backups and geo-restore meets the requirements. Option B is wrong because Azure Site Recovery is for disaster recovery, not backups. Option C is wrong because Azure Snapshot is not application-consistent. Option D is wrong because Azure Disk Encryption encrypts disks but does not provide backups.
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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