Point-in-Time Restore Breaks Geo-Replication for Azure SQL Database
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.
Network Topology
Refer to the exhibit. An administrator wants to restore the primary database SalesDB to a point in time 2025-03-15T09:00:00Z. What is the impact on the geo-replication?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "primary"
Why it matters: Asks for the main purpose or function, not a secondary benefit. Eliminate answers that describe side-effects or partial functions.
Network Topology
A
The geo-replication will continue seamlessly after the restore.
Why wrong: Geo-replication is disrupted when the primary database is restored to a different point.
B
The restore will fail because the database is in a geo-replication relationship.
Why wrong: Restore is allowed but will break replication.
C
The geo-replication will be terminated, and the secondary will become a standalone database.
Restoring the primary to a different point in time breaks the replication link.
D
The secondary database will automatically be restored to the same point in time.
Why wrong: The secondary is not automatically restored.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The geo-replication will be terminated, and the secondary will become a standalone database.
When you perform a point-in-time restore (PITR) on a primary database that is configured for geo-replication, the geo-replication link is broken. The secondary database becomes a standalone read-only database, and the primary is restored as a new database (typically with a name like SalesDB_restored or a specified name). This is because PITR creates a new database from backups, which cannot maintain the continuous replication stream required for geo-replication.
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.
✗
The geo-replication will continue seamlessly after the restore.
Why it's wrong here
Geo-replication is disrupted when the primary database is restored to a different point.
✗
The restore will fail because the database is in a geo-replication relationship.
Why it's wrong here
Restore is allowed but will break replication.
✓
The geo-replication will be terminated, and the secondary will become a standalone database.
Why this is correct
Restoring the primary to a different point in time breaks the replication link.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "primary" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
The secondary database will automatically be restored to the same point in time.
Why it's wrong here
The secondary is not automatically restored.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates assume geo-replication is resilient to any restore operation, but point-in-time restore is a data-level operation that breaks the replication link, unlike a failover which preserves it.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Geo-replication in Azure SQL Database uses asynchronous replication based on the Always On availability groups technology. A point-in-time restore creates a new database from full, differential, and log backups, which is a different operation from the continuous log replay used in geo-replication. After the restore, you must manually reconfigure geo-replication by creating a new secondary on the restored database, which may involve reseeding the entire database to the secondary region.
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 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. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Cloud exam questions reward reading the constraint carefully: the same technology can be right or wrong depending on the use case.
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: The geo-replication will be terminated, and the secondary will become a standalone database. — When you perform a point-in-time restore (PITR) on a primary database that is configured for geo-replication, the geo-replication link is broken. The secondary database becomes a standalone read-only database, and the primary is restored as a new database (typically with a name like SalesDB_restored or a specified name). This is because PITR creates a new database from backups, which cannot maintain the continuous replication stream required for geo-replication.
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.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "primary". Asks for the main purpose or function, not a secondary benefit. Eliminate answers that describe side-effects or partial functions.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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.