- A
Use Azure Backup with daily backup, retention of 30 days, and use locally redundant storage (LRS) for backup data.
LRS is cost-effective and meets the retention and file recovery needs.
- B
Use Azure Backup with daily backup, retention of 30 days, and enable instant restore snapshot for file-level recovery.
Instant restore snapshots enable quick file-level recovery. However, the question asks for minimizing cost; LRS is cheaper than GRS. But instant restore is needed; both A and D are similar, but D explicitly mentions instant restore which is required for quick file recovery. The correct answer is D as it meets all requirements. Actually, instant restore is enabled by default. But to be precise, D is correct.
- C
Use Azure Backup with daily backup, retention of 30 days, and use geo-redundant storage (GRS) for backup data.
Why wrong: GRS is unnecessary and increases cost.
- D
Use Azure Backup with weekly backup, retention of 30 days, and use geo-redundant storage (GRS) for backup data.
Why wrong: Weekly backup does not meet daily backup requirement; GRS adds cost.
Quick Answer
The correct answer is to use Azure Backup with a daily backup policy, a 30-day retention period, and enable instant restore snapshots for file-level recovery. This configuration works because instant restore snapshots capture the VM’s data at the time of backup, allowing you to mount the snapshot and recover individual files directly from the Azure portal without needing to restore the entire VM, which meets the requirement for quick file-level recovery. On the Microsoft Azure Solutions Architect Expert AZ-305 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of balancing recovery speed with cost efficiency—a common trap is selecting geo-redundant storage (GRS) unnecessarily, but since the requirement specifies minimizing backup storage costs and does not mandate disaster recovery across regions, locally redundant storage (LRS) is sufficient. Remember the memory tip: “Snapshots for speed, LRS for need”—instant restore snapshots give you fast file recovery, and LRS keeps costs low when geo-redundancy isn’t required.
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 designing a backup strategy for Azure VMs that host a file server. The backup must support daily backups with a retention of 30 days, and the ability to restore individual files quickly. The solution must minimize backup storage costs. What backup policy should you configure?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"minimum / minimize"Why it matters: Asks for the least resource use — fewest addresses, smallest subnet, lowest overhead. Eliminate over-provisioned options even if they would technically work.
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
Use Azure Backup with daily backup, retention of 30 days, and use locally redundant storage (LRS) for backup data.
Azure Backup with instant restore snapshots allows quick file-level recovery. Using GRS (geo-redundant storage) adds cost unnecessarily for this requirement. Option A is incorrect because LRS is sufficient. Option B is incorrect because it limits file recovery. Option D is incorrect because it adds cost without benefit.
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 with daily backup, retention of 30 days, and use locally redundant storage (LRS) for backup data.
Why this is correct
LRS is cost-effective and meets the retention and file recovery needs.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "minimum / minimize" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✓
Use Azure Backup with daily backup, retention of 30 days, and enable instant restore snapshot for file-level recovery.
Why this is correct
Instant restore snapshots enable quick file-level recovery. However, the question asks for minimizing cost; LRS is cheaper than GRS. But instant restore is needed; both A and D are similar, but D explicitly mentions instant restore which is required for quick file recovery. The correct answer is D as it meets all requirements. Actually, instant restore is enabled by default. But to be precise, D is correct.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "minimum / minimize" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Use Azure Backup with daily backup, retention of 30 days, and use geo-redundant storage (GRS) for backup data.
Why it's wrong here
GRS is unnecessary and increases cost.
- ✗
Use Azure Backup with weekly backup, retention of 30 days, and use geo-redundant storage (GRS) for backup data.
Why it's wrong here
Weekly backup does not meet daily backup requirement; GRS adds cost.
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.
- →
Design business continuity solutions — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
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Design business continuity solutions practice questions
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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: Use Azure Backup with daily backup, retention of 30 days, and use locally redundant storage (LRS) for backup data. — Azure Backup with instant restore snapshots allows quick file-level recovery. Using GRS (geo-redundant storage) adds cost unnecessarily for this requirement. Option A is incorrect because LRS is sufficient. Option B is incorrect because it limits file recovery. Option D is incorrect because it adds cost without benefit.
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: "minimum / minimize". Asks for the least resource use — fewest addresses, smallest subnet, lowest overhead. Eliminate over-provisioned options even if they would technically work.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Last reviewed: Jun 20, 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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