The answer is to implement an Always On Availability Group with an availability group listener. This is correct because an Availability Group provides high availability for SQL Server on Azure VMs without shared storage, using database-level replication to a synchronized secondary replica, while the listener enables automatic failover and seamless client redirection. On the DP-300 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of how to achieve enterprise-grade HA in an Azure VM environment where traditional shared storage (like a SAN or Azure shared disks) is unavailable, and it often appears as a trap where candidates mistakenly choose Failover Cluster Instances, which require shared storage. The key memory tip is: no shared storage means you must replicate data, not share it, so think “AG for data, FCI for storage.”
DP-300 Practice Question: Plan and configure high availability and disaster recovery
This DP-300 practice question tests your understanding of plan and configure high availability and disaster recovery. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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.
A company runs SQL Server 2019 on Azure Virtual Machines in an availability set. They need to achieve high availability for a critical database with automatic failover and no shared storage. The solution must minimize downtime during planned maintenance. What should they implement?
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 the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Create an Always On Availability Group with an availability group listener
An Always On Availability Group (AG) with a listener provides high availability with automatic failover at the database level without requiring shared storage. This solution meets the requirement for automatic failover and minimizes downtime during planned maintenance by allowing manual failover to a synchronized secondary replica with minimal disruption.
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.
✗
Configure Log Shipping to a secondary VM
Why it's wrong here
Log shipping requires manual failover, not automatic.
✗
Deploy a Failover Cluster Instance using Azure Shared Disks
Why it's wrong here
Requires shared storage, which is not desired.
✓
Create an Always On Availability Group with an availability group listener
Why this is correct
Always On AG provides automatic failover and no shared storage.
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 Database Mirroring with automatic failover
Why it's wrong here
Database mirroring is deprecated and not recommended.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse Failover Cluster Instances (which require shared storage) with Always On Availability Groups (which do not), or they overlook that Database Mirroring is deprecated and lacks the listener feature for seamless client redirection.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Always On Availability Groups use synchronous data replication between primary and secondary replicas to ensure zero data loss on automatic failover. The availability group listener provides a single, virtual network name (VNN) that clients connect to, allowing transparent failover without changing connection strings. In Azure VMs, this can be combined with an internal load balancer to route traffic to the current primary replica, ensuring high availability even during planned patching.
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.
TExam Day Tips
→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 DP-300 question in full detail.
Plan and configure high availability and disaster recovery — This question tests Plan and configure high availability and disaster recovery — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Create an Always On Availability Group with an availability group listener — An Always On Availability Group (AG) with a listener provides high availability with automatic failover at the database level without requiring shared storage. This solution meets the requirement for automatic failover and minimizes downtime during planned maintenance by allowing manual failover to a synchronized secondary replica with minimal disruption.
What should I do if I get this DP-300 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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
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These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. Which TWO options are required to configure a SQL Server Always On Availability Group on Azure Virtual Machines?
easy
✓ A.Internal Load Balancer
B.Azure Files share for witness
✓ C.Windows Server Failover Cluster
D.Azure SQL Database
E.VPN gateway between regions
Why A: A is correct because an Internal Load Balancer is required to route traffic to the primary replica in a SQL Server Always On Availability Group (AG) deployed on Azure Virtual Machines. The listener uses the ILB's frontend IP and health probe to direct client connections to the current primary node, as the Windows Server Failover Cluster (WSFC) does not support the cluster IP address in Azure without a load balancer.
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Question Discussion
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