- A
Azure SQL Database on General Purpose tier with active geo-replication.
Why wrong: Incorrect. Active geo-replication for Azure SQL Database is asynchronous, resulting in potential data loss (RPO > 0) during failover.
- B
Azure SQL Database on Hyperscale tier with named replicas.
Why wrong: Incorrect. Named replicas on Hyperscale are read-only and not used for failover; cross-region replication is asynchronous.
- C
SQL Server on Azure VMs with Always On Availability Groups.
Correct. Always On Availability Groups on Azure VMs support synchronous-commit replication across regions, enabling zero data loss and automatic failover when configured with a witness.
- D
Azure SQL Managed Instance on Business Critical tier with failover groups.
Why wrong: Incorrect. Azure SQL Managed Instance failover groups use asynchronous replication (RPO up to 5 seconds), so they cannot meet the zero data loss requirement. Additionally, the question specifies Azure SQL Database, not Managed Instance.
DP-300 Always On Availability Groups Practice Question
This DP-300 practice question tests your understanding of plan and implement data platform resources. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. A key principle to apply: always On Availability 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 planning a deployment of Azure SQL Database for a mission-critical application. The application requires a high level of resilience to regional failures. You need to ensure that data is replicated synchronously across two Azure regions and that automatic failover occurs with zero data loss. Which deployment option should you choose?
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
SQL Server on Azure VMs with Always On Availability Groups.
Option C is correct. SQL Server on Azure VMs with Always On Availability Groups can be configured with synchronous-commit mode across Azure regions, ensuring zero data loss (RPO=0) and automatic failover. In contrast, Azure SQL Database and Azure SQL Managed Instance only support asynchronous replication across regions via failover groups or geo-replication, which cannot guarantee zero data loss. General Purpose and Hyperscale tiers also lack synchronous cross-region replication.
Key principle: Always On Availability 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.
- ✗
Azure SQL Database on General Purpose tier with active geo-replication.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. Active geo-replication for Azure SQL Database is asynchronous, resulting in potential data loss (RPO > 0) during failover.
- ✗
Azure SQL Database on Hyperscale tier with named replicas.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. Named replicas on Hyperscale are read-only and not used for failover; cross-region replication is asynchronous.
- ✓
SQL Server on Azure VMs with Always On Availability Groups.
Why this is correct
Correct. Always On Availability Groups on Azure VMs support synchronous-commit replication across regions, enabling zero data loss and automatic failover when configured with a witness.
Related concept
Always On Availability Groups
- ✗
Azure SQL Managed Instance on Business Critical tier with failover groups.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. Azure SQL Managed Instance failover groups use asynchronous replication (RPO up to 5 seconds), so they cannot meet the zero data loss requirement. Additionally, the question specifies Azure SQL Database, not Managed Instance.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap is assuming that any managed Azure SQL service can achieve zero data loss across regions. Only SQL Server on Azure VMs with synchronous Always On Availability Groups provides RPO=0 for cross-region failover.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Azure SQL Managed Instance Business Critical failover groups leverage the same underlying Always On Availability Group technology as SQL Server, but with Microsoft managing the quorum and automatic failover orchestration. The synchronous replication ensures that transactions are committed on both the primary and secondary replicas before acknowledging the client, achieving an RPO of 0. In a real-world scenario, if a regional outage occurs, the failover group automatically promotes the secondary region to primary, and the application reconnects using the same listener endpoint, minimizing downtime.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Always On Availability Groups
- Zero Data Loss (RPO=0)
- Cross-Region Replication
- Automatic Failover
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
Always On Availability Groups
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.
Visual reference
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Review always On Availability 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 — Always On Availability Groups.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: SQL Server on Azure VMs with Always On Availability Groups. — Option C is correct. SQL Server on Azure VMs with Always On Availability Groups can be configured with synchronous-commit mode across Azure regions, ensuring zero data loss (RPO=0) and automatic failover. In contrast, Azure SQL Database and Azure SQL Managed Instance only support asynchronous replication across regions via failover groups or geo-replication, which cannot guarantee zero data loss. General Purpose and Hyperscale tiers also lack synchronous cross-region replication.
What should I do if I get this DP-300 question wrong?
Review always On Availability Groups, then practise related DP-300 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Always On Availability Groups
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
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.
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