- A
Configure auto-failover groups with a readable secondary in another region for Azure SQL Database.
Why wrong: Auto-failover groups are for Azure SQL Database, not SQL Managed Instance; SQL Managed Instance uses failover groups.
- B
Implement Azure Site Recovery to replicate the SQL Managed Instance to a secondary region.
Why wrong: Azure Site Recovery does not natively support Azure SQL Managed Instance replication and cannot achieve sub-minute RPO/RTO.
- C
Use active geo-replication for Azure SQL Managed Instance with a secondary in another region.
Why wrong: Active geo-replication is a feature of Azure SQL Database, not SQL Managed Instance. SQL Managed Instance uses failover groups.
- D
Set up a failover group for Azure SQL Managed Instance between two regions with a secondary replica.
Failover groups for SQL Managed Instance provide synchronous replication, RPO of 0, and RTO of about 10 seconds, meeting the requirements.
AZ-305 Design business continuity solutions Practice Question
This AZ-305 practice question tests your understanding of design business continuity solutions. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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 disaster recovery solution for a tier-1 application that runs on Azure SQL Managed Instance. The application has a Recovery Time Objective (RTO) of 30 seconds and a Recovery Point Objective (RPO) of 10 seconds. The solution must also support failover during planned maintenance. What should you recommend?
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
Set up a failover group for Azure SQL Managed Instance between two regions with a secondary replica.
Option B is correct because failover groups for Azure SQL Managed Instance provide automatic failover with RPO of 0 (no data loss) and RTO of about 10 seconds, meeting the strict requirements. Option A is wrong because auto-failover groups for SQL Database are different and not for Managed Instance. Option C is wrong because active geo-replication is for SQL Database, not Managed Instance. Option D is wrong because Azure Site Recovery does not replicate SQL Managed Instance natively and cannot meet the low RPO/RTO.
Key principle: NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Configure auto-failover groups with a readable secondary in another region for Azure SQL Database.
Why it's wrong here
Auto-failover groups are for Azure SQL Database, not SQL Managed Instance; SQL Managed Instance uses failover groups.
- ✗
Implement Azure Site Recovery to replicate the SQL Managed Instance to a secondary region.
Why it's wrong here
Azure Site Recovery does not natively support Azure SQL Managed Instance replication and cannot achieve sub-minute RPO/RTO.
- ✗
Use active geo-replication for Azure SQL Managed Instance with a secondary in another region.
Why it's wrong here
Active geo-replication is a feature of Azure SQL Database, not SQL Managed Instance. SQL Managed Instance uses failover groups.
- ✓
Set up a failover group for Azure SQL Managed Instance between two regions with a secondary replica.
Why this is correct
Failover groups for SQL Managed Instance provide synchronous replication, RPO of 0, and RTO of about 10 seconds, meeting the requirements.
Related concept
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: NAT rules depend on direction and matching traffic
NAT is not only about the public address. The inside/outside interface roles and the ACL or rule that matches traffic are just as important.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
NAT questions usually test address translation, overload/PAT behaviour, static mappings and whether the right traffic is being translated. Read the interface direction and address terms carefully.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
- PAT allows many inside hosts to share one public address using ports.
- Inside local and inside global describe the private and translated addresses.
- NAT ACLs identify traffic for translation, not always security filtering.
TExam Day Tips
- Identify inside and outside interfaces first.
- Check whether the scenario needs static NAT, dynamic NAT or PAT.
- Do not confuse NAT matching ACLs with normal packet-filtering intent.
Key takeaway
NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
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.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related AZ-305 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
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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 — Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Set up a failover group for Azure SQL Managed Instance between two regions with a secondary replica. — Option B is correct because failover groups for Azure SQL Managed Instance provide automatic failover with RPO of 0 (no data loss) and RTO of about 10 seconds, meeting the strict requirements. Option A is wrong because auto-failover groups for SQL Database are different and not for Managed Instance. Option C is wrong because active geo-replication is for SQL Database, not Managed Instance. Option D is wrong because Azure Site Recovery does not replicate SQL Managed Instance natively and cannot meet the low RPO/RTO.
What should I do if I get this AZ-305 question wrong?
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related AZ-305 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
About these practice questions
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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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