DP-300 Configure and manage automation of tasks Practice Question
You are configuring automated backup retention for Azure SQL Managed Instance. The compliance policy requires that you be able to restore a database to any point within the last 90 days, and that you keep backups for a minimum of 7 years for auditing purposes. Which backup retention policy should you configure?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many exam-takers assume PITR retention can be extended to any value, but Azure SQL Managed Instance enforces a hard 35-day maximum, forcing you to combine PITR with LTR to meet longer retention requirements.
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
✓
Set PITR retention to 35 days and configure a long-term retention (LTR) policy to keep weekly backups for 7 years.
Azure SQL Managed Instance's point-in-time restore (PITR) retention is capped at 35 days, so to meet the 90-day restore requirement, you must combine a 35-day PITR policy with a long-term retention (LTR) policy that keeps weekly full backups for 7 years. LTR allows you to restore to any point within the LTR window by using full, differential, and log backups, satisfying both the 90-day point-in-time restore and the 7-year auditing compliance.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Set PITR retention to 35 days and configure a long-term retention (LTR) policy to keep weekly backups for 7 years.
Why this is correct
PITR covers 35 days; LTR can retain backups for up to 10 years, satisfying the 7-year requirement.
- ✗
Set point-in-time restore (PITR) retention to 90 days.
Why it's wrong here
PITR retention for Azure SQL Managed Instance is limited to 35 days at maximum.
- ✗
Set PITR retention to 90 days and configure geo-replication to achieve the 7-year retention.
Why it's wrong here
PITR cannot exceed 35 days, and geo-replication does not extend retention.
- ✗
Configure geo-redundant backup storage with a retention of 90 days.
Why it's wrong here
Geo-redundancy affects storage redundancy, not retention period; PITR retention still maxes at 35 days.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Overview of Azure Data Platform Options
Key term
Azure SQL Managed Instance
Azure SQL Managed Instance is a fully managed cloud database service that gives you nearly all the features of Microsoft SQL Server on your own server, without you having to manage the hardware or operating system.
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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