The answer is active geo-replication, auto-failover groups, and point-in-time restore with geo-redundant backup storage. These three disaster recovery options for Azure SQL Database meet the RTO of 1 hour and RPO of 15 minutes because active geo-replication uses asynchronous replication to a secondary server in a paired region, auto-failover groups build on that replication to automate failover, and point-in-time restore leverages geo-redundant backups taken every 5-10 minutes to recover within the required window. On the DP-300 exam, this question tests your understanding of which DR features align with specific recovery metrics for the General Purpose tier, and a common trap is confusing zone redundancy—which only protects against datacenter failures within a region—with cross-region DR. Remember the mnemonic “GAP” for Geo-replication, Auto-failover groups, and Point-in-time restore to quickly recall the three valid options.
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. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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 need to design a disaster recovery solution for an Azure SQL Database that uses the General Purpose service tier. The solution must have an RTO of 1 hour and an RPO of 15 minutes. Which THREE options can achieve these requirements?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Point-in-time restore (PITR) using geo-redundant backup storage.
Options A, B, and C are correct. Active geo-replication can meet the RPO of 15 minutes with asynchronous replication. Auto-failover groups use geo-replication and provide automatic failover, also meeting the RPO. Point-in-time restore with geo-redundant backup storage can restore to a point in time within the backup retention period, which can be within 15 minutes if the backups are taken frequently (every 5-10 minutes). Option D (zone redundancy) does not provide DR across regions. Option E (long-term retention) does not meet RPO as it retains backups for longer periods but not for quick recovery.
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.
✓
Point-in-time restore (PITR) using geo-redundant backup storage.
Why this is correct
PITR can restore to a point within 15 minutes if backups are taken frequently.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Long-term retention (LTR) backups.
Why it's wrong here
LTR is for archival, not for meeting RTO/RPO of 1 hour/15 minutes.
✓
Auto-failover group with a secondary in a different region.
Why this is correct
Auto-failover groups use geo-replication and provide automatic failover.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✓
Active geo-replication to a secondary server in a paired region.
Why this is correct
Active geo-replication provides asynchronous replication with low RPO.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Zone redundancy on the primary database.
Why it's wrong here
Zone redundancy protects against zonal failures, not regional.
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: Point-in-time restore (PITR) using geo-redundant backup storage. — Options A, B, and C are correct. Active geo-replication can meet the RPO of 15 minutes with asynchronous replication. Auto-failover groups use geo-replication and provide automatic failover, also meeting the RPO. Point-in-time restore with geo-redundant backup storage can restore to a point in time within the backup retention period, which can be within 15 minutes if the backups are taken frequently (every 5-10 minutes). Option D (zone redundancy) does not provide DR across regions. Option E (long-term retention) does not meet RPO as it retains backups for longer periods but not for quick recovery.
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.
About these practice questions
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These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. You are designing a disaster recovery plan for an Azure SQL Database that stores critical financial data. The RPO must be 5 seconds, and the RTO must be 30 seconds. Which solution should you recommend?
easy
A.Zone-redundant configuration within the primary region.
✓ B.Failover groups with automatic failover policy.
C.Active geo-replication with manual failover.
D.Automated backups with geo-restore.
Why B: Option A is correct because failover groups with automatic failover can achieve RPO of 5 seconds and RTO of 30 seconds. Option B is incorrect because active geo-replication has a higher RPO (typically 5 seconds as well) but requires manual failover, increasing RTO. Option C is incorrect because automated backups have much higher RPO and RTO. Option D is incorrect because zone-redundant configuration only protects within a region.
Variation 2. You are designing a disaster recovery plan for an Azure SQL Database that supports an e-commerce application. The application requires an RPO of 15 seconds and an RTO of 1 hour during a regional outage. Which solution should you recommend?
easy
A.Create a failover group with automatic failover policy
✓ B.Deploy active geo-replication to a secondary region and automate failover
C.Use long-term backup retention and restore in another region
D.Configure zone-redundant availability for the database
Why B: Option C is correct because active geo-replication allows you to create a readable secondary in another region with an RPO of 5 seconds and manual failover, which can meet the RTO if automated via scripts. Failover groups have a default RPO of 5 seconds but an RTO of 1 hour; however, active geo-replication with a manual failover script can achieve the required RTO. Zone redundancy does not protect against regional outage. Backup restore has higher RPO.
Variation 3. You are planning a disaster recovery strategy for an Azure SQL Database that supports a critical application. The database is 500 GB in size and you need to recover it within 1 hour (RTO) with a maximum data loss of 5 minutes (RPO). Which Azure SQL Database feature should you use?
easy
A.Long-term retention (LTR) backups.
B.Point-in-time restore (PITR) with geo-redundant backup storage.
C.Auto-failover group with a secondary in a different region.
✓ D.Active geo-replication to a secondary server in a paired region.
Why D: Option D is correct. Active geo-replication provides asynchronous replication with an RPO of a few seconds to a few minutes, and failover can be initiated manually within minutes, meeting the RTO and RPO. Option A is wrong because point-in-time restore does not provide a separate secondary region. Option B is wrong because long-term retention is for archival, not DR. Option C is wrong because failover groups use geo-replication but the RPO is still asynchronous; the question asks for the feature, and geo-replication is the core.
Last reviewed: Jun 21, 2026
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