DP-300 Error 406 Practice Question
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?
⚠ Common exam trap
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.
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
✓
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.
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.
- ✗
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).
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Overview of Azure Data Platform Options
Key term
Azure SQL Performance Tuning
Azure SQL Performance Tuning is the process of optimizing the speed and efficiency of queries and database operations in Microsoft Azure SQL Database or SQL Managed Instance to reduce latency and improve throughput.
Key term
Azure SQL Database Backup
Azure SQL Database Backup is a fully managed, automated service that creates and stores copies of your SQL database data and transaction logs in Azure storage, enabling point-in-time recovery and long-term retention for data protection and business continuity.
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