- A
Configure active geo-replication to a secondary database in East US and set up a custom monitoring script to trigger failover.
Why wrong: Active geo-replication does not have automatic failover; custom scripting adds complexity and may not meet RTO.
- B
Create a failover group with a readable secondary in East US and enable auto-failover.
Why wrong: A readable secondary could be used for read traffic, which is not desired.
- C
Create a failover group with a non-readable secondary in East US and enable auto-failover.
Auto-failover group meets the RPO/RTO, and non-readable secondary prevents read traffic.
- D
Deploy a zone-redundant General Purpose database in West Europe and use geo-restore to East US.
Why wrong: Zone-redundancy does not protect regionally, and geo-restore cannot meet the RTO.
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.
You are a database administrator for a healthcare company that uses Azure SQL Database for its electronic health records (EHR) system. The database is in the West Europe region using the General Purpose service tier. The company is expanding to the United States and wants to set up disaster recovery with the secondary in East US. The requirements are: RPO of 5 minutes and RTO of 1 hour. The application should automatically failover without manual intervention. Additionally, you must ensure that the secondary database is not used for read traffic to avoid any performance impact on the primary. What should you configure?
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.
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
Create a failover group with a non-readable secondary in East US and enable auto-failover.
Option C is correct because a failover group with auto-failover and a non-readable secondary meets all requirements: RPO of 5 minutes can be achieved with async replication, RTO of 1 hour with automatic failover, and no read traffic. Option A is wrong because active geo-replication alone does not provide automatic failover. Option B is wrong because a readable secondary would be used for read traffic. Option D is wrong because zone-redundancy doesn't protect regionally.
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.
- ✗
Configure active geo-replication to a secondary database in East US and set up a custom monitoring script to trigger failover.
Why it's wrong here
Active geo-replication does not have automatic failover; custom scripting adds complexity and may not meet RTO.
- ✗
Create a failover group with a readable secondary in East US and enable auto-failover.
Why it's wrong here
A readable secondary could be used for read traffic, which is not desired.
- ✓
Create a failover group with a non-readable secondary in East US and enable auto-failover.
Why this is correct
Auto-failover group meets the RPO/RTO, and non-readable secondary prevents read traffic.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "primary" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Deploy a zone-redundant General Purpose database in West Europe and use geo-restore to East US.
Why it's wrong here
Zone-redundancy does not protect regionally, and geo-restore cannot meet the RTO.
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.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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.
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Plan and configure a high availability and disaster recovery environment — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this DP-300 question test?
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: Create a failover group with a non-readable secondary in East US and enable auto-failover. — Option C is correct because a failover group with auto-failover and a non-readable secondary meets all requirements: RPO of 5 minutes can be achieved with async replication, RTO of 1 hour with automatic failover, and no read traffic. Option A is wrong because active geo-replication alone does not provide automatic failover. Option B is wrong because a readable secondary would be used for read traffic. Option D is wrong because zone-redundancy doesn't protect regionally.
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.
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
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Last reviewed: Jun 21, 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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