Quick Answer
The answer is to configure a long-term retention (LTR) backup policy. This is correct because Azure SQL Database’s automated point-in-time restore backups are capped at 35 days, which falls far short of a 7-year compliance mandate. LTR extends retention by storing full database backups in separate Azure Blob Storage containers, allowing you to keep them for up to 10 years—easily covering your 7-year requirement. On the AZ-305 exam, this scenario tests your ability to distinguish between short-term automated backups and compliance-driven long-term retention; a common trap is selecting a higher short-term retention window or assuming geo-replication alone satisfies archival rules. Remember that LTR is the only native Azure SQL feature designed for multi-year regulatory holds. A useful memory tip: LTR stands for “Long-Term Retention,” and if you need more than 35 days, you must go LTR—think “35 is short, LTR for the court.”
This AZ-305 practice question tests your understanding of design data storage 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.
Your company uses Azure SQL Database and needs to retain backups for 7 years for compliance. Which backup retention policy should you configure?
Increase automated backup retention to 7 years.
Why wrong: Automated backup retention max is 35 days.
Configure point-in-time restore backup retention for 7 years.
Why wrong: Point-in-time restore maximum retention is 35 days.
Enable geo-redundant backups.
Why wrong: Geo-redundancy does not extend retention period beyond default.
Configure long-term retention (LTR) backup policy.
LTR allows weekly, monthly, yearly backups up to 10 years.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Configure long-term retention (LTR) backup policy.
Azure SQL Database's automated backup retention is limited to a maximum of 35 days, which is insufficient for a 7-year compliance requirement. Long-term retention (LTR) allows you to retain full database backups for up to 10 years by storing them in separate Azure Blob Storage containers. Therefore, configuring an LTR backup policy is the correct solution for meeting a 7-year retention mandate.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Increase automated backup retention to 7 years.
Why it's wrong here
Automated backup retention max is 35 days.
Configure point-in-time restore backup retention for 7 years.
Why it's wrong here
Point-in-time restore maximum retention is 35 days.
Enable geo-redundant backups.
Why it's wrong here
Geo-redundancy does not extend retention period beyond default.
Configure long-term retention (LTR) backup policy.
Why this is correct
LTR allows weekly, monthly, yearly backups up to 10 years.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates often confuse the maximum retention for automated backups (35 days) with the ability to extend it arbitrarily, or they mistakenly think point-in-time restore retention can be configured for years, when in reality only long-term retention (LTR) supports multi-year archival.
Detailed technical explanation
Long-term retention (LTR) in Azure SQL Database uses a policy that defines weekly, monthly, or yearly backup retention periods, storing these backups in Azure Blob Storage with geo-redundant storage (GRS) by default. Under the hood, LTR backups are full database backups taken automatically based on the configured schedule, and they are retained independently of the short-term backup chain used for point-in-time restore. A real-world scenario where this matters is financial services requiring 7-year data retention for audits; without LTR, backups would be automatically purged after 35 days, leading to compliance failure.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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
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FAQ
Design data storage solutions — This question tests Design data storage solutions — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Configure long-term retention (LTR) backup policy. — Azure SQL Database's automated backup retention is limited to a maximum of 35 days, which is insufficient for a 7-year compliance requirement. Long-term retention (LTR) allows you to retain full database backups for up to 10 years by storing them in separate Azure Blob Storage containers. Therefore, configuring an LTR backup policy is the correct solution for meeting a 7-year retention mandate.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
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