Point-in-Time Restore Error 406: Backup Frequency Issue
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. A key principle to apply: error 406. 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.
Exhibit
Error log excerpt:
2025-03-15 14:23:45.67 Error: 406, Severity: 16, State: 0.
The database 'OrdersDB' has an automated backup frequency of 12 hours and a point-in-time restore (PITR) retention period of 7 days.
The long-term retention (LTR) policy is configured as:
- Weekly: Sunday 02:00, retention 4 weeks
- Monthly: First Sunday 02:00, retention 12 months
- Yearly: First Sunday of March 02:00, retention 3 years
Current time: 2025-03-15 14:30 (Saturday)
Last successful backup: 2025-03-15 02:00
Attempted restore to 2025-03-14 10:00 UTC failed with error 406.
Refer to the exhibit. An administrator tries to restore the database OrdersDB to a point in time 2025-03-14 10:00 UTC and receives error 406. What is the most likely reason?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "most likely"
Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
Exhibit
Error log excerpt:
2025-03-15 14:23:45.67 Error: 406, Severity: 16, State: 0.
The database 'OrdersDB' has an automated backup frequency of 12 hours and a point-in-time restore (PITR) retention period of 7 days.
The long-term retention (LTR) policy is configured as:
- Weekly: Sunday 02:00, retention 4 weeks
- Monthly: First Sunday 02:00, retention 12 months
- Yearly: First Sunday of March 02:00, retention 3 years
Current time: 2025-03-15 14:30 (Saturday)
Last successful backup: 2025-03-15 02:00
Attempted restore to 2025-03-14 10:00 UTC failed with error 406.
A
The database is currently in a geo-replication secondary role.
Correct. Error 406 occurs when the database is in a geo-replication secondary role, which prevents point-in-time restore.
B
The long-term retention policy interferes with point-in-time restore.
Why wrong: Incorrect. Long-term retention policies do not interfere with point-in-time restore; they operate independently.
C
The requested restore point is outside the 7-day retention period.
Why wrong: Incorrect. The requested date is within the 7-day retention period, so this is not the cause of error 406.
D
The automated backup frequency is 12 hours, so point-in-time restore is not supported.
Why wrong: Incorrect. Azure SQL Database supports point-in-time restore regardless of full/differential backup frequency because transaction log backups are taken frequently (every 5-10 minutes).
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The database is currently in a geo-replication secondary role.
Error 406 in Azure SQL Database indicates that the database is not in a state that allows recovery to the specified point in time. This commonly occurs when the database is a secondary replica in a geo-replication relationship. Geo-secondary databases are read-only and cannot be restored to a point in time directly; instead, the primary database must be used for restore operations. Options B, C, and D are incorrect: long-term retention does not interfere with PITR, the requested time is within the 7-day retention window, and Azure SQL Database automatically takes transaction log backups every 5-10 minutes, enabling PITR regardless of full backup frequency.
Key principle: Error 406
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✓
The database is currently in a geo-replication secondary role.
Why this is correct
Correct. Error 406 occurs when the database is in a geo-replication secondary role, which prevents point-in-time restore.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Error 406
✗
The long-term retention policy interferes with point-in-time restore.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. Long-term retention policies do not interfere with point-in-time restore; they operate independently.
✗
The requested restore point is outside the 7-day retention period.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. The requested date is within the 7-day retention period, so this is not the cause of error 406.
✗
The automated backup frequency is 12 hours, so point-in-time restore is not supported.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. Azure SQL Database supports point-in-time restore regardless of full/differential backup frequency because transaction log backups are taken frequently (every 5-10 minutes).
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Candidates often associate error 406 with retention or backup frequency issues, but in Azure SQL Database, error 406 specifically relates to the database state—most often when it is a geo-replication secondary.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Treat this as a scenario question. Identify the problem, the constraint, and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Error 406
Geo-replication secondary
Point-in-time restore (PITR)
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
Error 406
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A company's IT admin needs to give a contractor read-only access to production logs without sharing account credentials. Using role-based access control (RBAC) and temporary scoped permissions — not a permanent shared password — is the correct pattern. Questions like this test whether you can apply least-privilege access across cloud identity services.
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 — Error 406.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The database is currently in a geo-replication secondary role. — Error 406 in Azure SQL Database indicates that the database is not in a state that allows recovery to the specified point in time. This commonly occurs when the database is a secondary replica in a geo-replication relationship. Geo-secondary databases are read-only and cannot be restored to a point in time directly; instead, the primary database must be used for restore operations. Options B, C, and D are incorrect: long-term retention does not interfere with PITR, the requested time is within the 7-day retention window, and Azure SQL Database automatically takes transaction log backups every 5-10 minutes, enabling PITR regardless of full backup frequency.
What should I do if I get this DP-300 question wrong?
Review error 406, then practise related DP-300 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Error 406
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
This DP-300 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Microsoft certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the DP-300 exam.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.