The answer is to use an Auto-Failover Group with the secondary in the paired region. This approach is correct because Azure SQL Database Hyperscale leverages synchronous replication for its log service within an Auto-Failover Group, ensuring that transactions are committed on both the primary and readable secondary before acknowledgment, which achieves minimal data loss during a disaster recovery drill. On the Microsoft Azure Database Administrator Associate DP-300 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of Hyperscale’s unique architecture—unlike other tiers, it does not support active geo-replication, making Auto-Failover Groups the only viable option for a readable secondary with synchronous data protection. A common trap is assuming that standard geo-replication works for Hyperscale, but it does not; remember that Hyperscale’s log service is the key differentiator. Memory tip: “Hyperscale + Failover Group = Sync Logs, Zero Loss.”
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. 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.
A company uses Azure SQL Database Hyperscale tier for a large database. They need to perform a disaster recovery drill by failing over to a secondary region with minimal data loss. The secondary is in a paired region and is readable. Which approach should they use?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Use an Auto-Failover Group with the secondary in the paired region
Auto-Failover Groups with Azure SQL Database Hyperscale provide automated, orchestrated failover to a secondary region with minimal data loss by using synchronous replication for the log service. This meets the requirement for a disaster recovery drill with a readable secondary and minimal data loss, as the secondary is kept in sync and can be failed over manually or automatically.
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.
✗
Restore a geo-redundant backup to the secondary region
Why it's wrong here
Restoring a backup takes too long for a drill.
✗
Configure Active Geo-Replication to the secondary region
Why it's wrong here
Active Geo-Replication is not supported for Hyperscale.
✗
Create a named replica in the secondary region and fail over manually
Why it's wrong here
Named replicas are for read scale-out, not disaster recovery.
✓
Use an Auto-Failover Group with the secondary in the paired region
Why this is correct
Auto-failover groups support Hyperscale and allow failover with minimal data loss.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse Active Geo-Replication (unsupported on Hyperscale) with Auto-Failover Groups (the correct feature for Hyperscale), or assume named replicas can be used for cross-region failover when they are strictly intra-region read-only replicas.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Auto-Failover Groups use a listener endpoint (e.g., `server.database.windows.net`) to redirect connections transparently during failover. In Hyperscale, the log service is replicated synchronously to the secondary region, ensuring zero data loss if the secondary is in the same failover group and configured with manual or automatic failover policy. During a drill, you can initiate a planned failover (graceful) to test readiness without data loss, and the secondary remains readable for read-only queries via the secondary listener.
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: Use an Auto-Failover Group with the secondary in the paired region — Auto-Failover Groups with Azure SQL Database Hyperscale provide automated, orchestrated failover to a secondary region with minimal data loss by using synchronous replication for the log service. This meets the requirement for a disaster recovery drill with a readable secondary and minimal data loss, as the secondary is kept in sync and can be failed over manually or automatically.
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.
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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