The answer is active geo-replication and failover groups, as both are valid disaster recovery options for Azure SQL Database that provide a secondary in a different Azure region. These features work by continuously replicating transactions to a readable secondary database in a paired region, enabling a controlled failover with minimal data loss during a regional outage. On the DP-300 exam, this question tests your ability to distinguish between high-availability features within a single region and true disaster recovery across regions—a common trap is confusing zone-redundant configuration, which only protects against datacenter failures within one region, with geo-replication. Remember, geo-restore is a backup-based recovery method, not a continuous secondary, so it does not qualify. A useful memory tip: think “geo” for geography (cross-region) and “zone” for zonal (single region)—if the option mentions a different Azure region, it must be either active geo-replication or a failover group.
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. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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.
Which TWO of the following are valid disaster recovery options for Azure SQL Database that provide a secondary in a different Azure region?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Active geo-replication
Options B and D are correct. Active geo-replication and failover groups both create a readable secondary in a different region. Options A, C, and E are incorrect. Zone-redundant configuration provides high availability within a single region. Auto-failover groups is another term for failover groups, but it is not a separate option. Geo-restore restores from backups and does not maintain a continuous secondary.
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.
✓
Active geo-replication
Why this is correct
Correct: Creates a secondary in a different region.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✓
Failover groups
Why this is correct
Correct: Uses active geo-replication and provides group failover.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Geo-restore
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect: Geo-restore is a recovery method, not a continuous DR option.
✗
Zone-redundant configuration
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect: Zone-redundant provides HA within a region, not cross-region.
✗
Auto-failover groups
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect: This is synonymous with failover groups, but not a separate option.
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
An e-commerce site experiences heavy traffic on Black Friday and near-zero traffic during off-peak weeks. Rather than provisioning permanent large VMs, the team uses auto-scaling groups that add capacity automatically under load and reduce it overnight. Questions like this test whether you understand elasticity, availability zones, and cloud compute scaling patterns.
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: Active geo-replication — Options B and D are correct. Active geo-replication and failover groups both create a readable secondary in a different region. Options A, C, and E are incorrect. Zone-redundant configuration provides high availability within a single region. Auto-failover groups is another term for failover groups, but it is not a separate option. Geo-restore restores from backups and does not maintain a continuous secondary.
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 planning a disaster recovery strategy for an Azure SQL Database that is part of a failover group. The application requires that after a failover, the database is accessible with minimal downtime and without data loss. Which THREE components are essential for this configuration? (Select three.)
medium
A.Geo-redundant backup storage
✓ B.Secondary database in a paired region with data synchronization
✓ C.Failover group listener endpoint
D.Azure Traffic Manager with priority routing
✓ E.Failover group configured between primary and secondary servers
Why B: Option B is correct because the failover group listener provides a constant connection endpoint. Option D is correct because the failover group orchestrates replication and failover. Option E is correct because the secondary database must be seeded and synchronized. Option A is wrong because geo-redundant backup is not used during failover. Option C is wrong because Traffic Manager is not needed when using failover groups.
Last reviewed: Jun 21, 2026
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