- A
Enable Active Geo-Replication with a readable secondary in West US.
Why wrong: Active Geo-Replication replicates data asynchronously but does not provide automatic failover. A manual failover is required, so it does not meet the automatic failover requirement.
- B
Configure auto-failover groups between East US and West US.
Auto-failover groups in Azure SQL Database enable automatic failover to a secondary region with minimal data loss (typically seconds), meeting the requirement.
- C
Deploy a failover group with manual failover.
Why wrong: A failover group with manual failover requires administrator action to failover, which is not automatic.
- D
Use geo-restore to recover the database in West US.
Why wrong: Geo-restore recovers from backups with an RPO of up to 1 hour, which does not ensure minimal data loss.
DP-300 Auto-failover groups Practice Question
This DP-300 practice question tests your understanding of plan and implement data platform resources. 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. A key principle to apply: auto-failover groups. 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 strategy for an Azure SQL Database that supports a critical OLTP application. The database is currently deployed in the East US region. You need to ensure that failover occurs automatically with minimal data loss in the event of a regional outage. Which deployment option 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
Configure auto-failover groups between East US and West US.
Auto-failover groups in Azure SQL Database provide automatic, synchronous replication to a secondary region and enable automatic failover with minimal data loss (RPO of a few seconds). Active Geo-Replication alone requires manual failover, which does not meet the automatic failover requirement. Geo-restore has an RPO of up to 1 hour, and manual failover groups still require manual initiation.
Key principle: Auto-failover groups
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Enable Active Geo-Replication with a readable secondary in West US.
Why it's wrong here
Active Geo-Replication replicates data asynchronously but does not provide automatic failover. A manual failover is required, so it does not meet the automatic failover requirement.
- ✓
Configure auto-failover groups between East US and West US.
Why this is correct
Auto-failover groups in Azure SQL Database enable automatic failover to a secondary region with minimal data loss (typically seconds), meeting the requirement.
Related concept
Auto-failover groups
- ✗
Deploy a failover group with manual failover.
Why it's wrong here
A failover group with manual failover requires administrator action to failover, which is not automatic.
- ✗
Use geo-restore to recover the database in West US.
Why it's wrong here
Geo-restore recovers from backups with an RPO of up to 1 hour, which does not ensure minimal data loss.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Candidates often confuse Active Geo-Replication (which requires manual failover) with auto-failover groups (which provide automatic failover). They may also assume that geo-restore gives minimal data loss, but its RPO is up to 1 hour.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Active Geo-Replication uses asynchronous replication with a configurable replication lag target (typically 5-30 seconds), and the readable secondary can be used for read-only queries to offload reporting workloads. Under the hood, each transaction log record is replicated to the secondary database, and failover can be initiated with a single command or via an auto-failover group, but the key is that the secondary is always online and ready, minimizing RTO to under 1 minute in most cases. In a real-world scenario, if the East US region experiences a full outage, you can failover to the West US secondary with only the last few seconds of transactions lost, which is critical for an OLTP application requiring high availability.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Auto-failover groups
- Active Geo-Replication
- Geo-restore
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
Auto-failover groups
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A cloud solutions architect for a retail company is evaluating services for a new workload. The correct answer here reflects best practice for the specific scenario described — not a general cloud recommendation. Auto-failover groups Cloud exam questions reward reading the constraint carefully: the same technology can be right or wrong depending on the use case.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Review auto-failover groups, then practise related DP-300 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this DP-300 question test?
Plan and implement data platform resources — This question tests Plan and implement data platform resources — Auto-failover groups.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Configure auto-failover groups between East US and West US. — Auto-failover groups in Azure SQL Database provide automatic, synchronous replication to a secondary region and enable automatic failover with minimal data loss (RPO of a few seconds). Active Geo-Replication alone requires manual failover, which does not meet the automatic failover requirement. Geo-restore has an RPO of up to 1 hour, and manual failover groups still require manual initiation.
What should I do if I get this DP-300 question wrong?
Review auto-failover groups, then practise related DP-300 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Auto-failover groups
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
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