The correct answer is to configure an Always On Availability Group with automatic failover. This solution meets the requirement for high availability without shared storage because Always On Availability Groups replicate data at the database level across multiple SQL Server instances, using direct TCP/IP communication rather than a shared disk. On the DP-300 exam, this question tests your understanding of Azure VM high-availability options, where a common trap is choosing a Failover Cluster Instance, which demands shared storage like Azure Shared Disks or a third-party cluster-in-a-box solution. Log shipping is often mistakenly selected, but it lacks automatic failover, and database mirroring is deprecated. Remember the key distinction: Availability Groups replicate data, while Failover Cluster Instances share storage. For a quick memory tip, think “AG = no shared disk, automatic failover” to avoid the FCI trap.
DP-300 Practice Question: Plan and configure a high availability and disaster recovery environment
This DP-300 practice question tests your understanding of plan and configure a high availability and disaster recovery environment. 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.
You have a SQL Server on Azure Virtual Machine running a critical OLTP workload. You need to achieve high availability with automatic failover and no shared storage. The solution must use Azure features and avoid complex clustering configurations. What should you implement?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Configure an Always On Availability Group with automatic failover.
Option B is correct because SQL Server on Azure VMs supports Always On Availability Groups, which provide automatic failover with no shared storage. Option A (Failover Cluster Instance) requires shared storage. Option C (Log shipping) does not provide automatic failover. Option D (Database mirroring) is deprecated and not recommended.
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 an Always On Availability Group with automatic failover.
Why this is correct
Availability Groups provide automatic failover without shared storage.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Set up log shipping to a secondary VM.
Why it's wrong here
Log shipping does not provide automatic failover.
✗
Use database mirroring with automatic failover.
Why it's wrong here
Database mirroring is deprecated and not supported on Azure VMs.
✗
Deploy a Windows Server Failover Cluster Instance (FCI) using Azure Shared Disks.
Why it's wrong here
FCI requires shared storage, which adds complexity.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
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.
Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
→Underline the problem statement mentally.
→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.
Identify which DP-300 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Plan and configure a high availability and disaster recovery environment — This question tests Plan and configure a high availability and disaster recovery environment — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Configure an Always On Availability Group with automatic failover. — Option B is correct because SQL Server on Azure VMs supports Always On Availability Groups, which provide automatic failover with no shared storage. Option A (Failover Cluster Instance) requires shared storage. Option C (Log shipping) does not provide automatic failover. Option D (Database mirroring) is deprecated and not recommended.
What should I do if I get this DP-300 question wrong?
Identify which DP-300 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
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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