- A
Business Critical service tier with zone redundancy enabled.
Business Critical with zone redundancy uses three synchronous replicas across zones, ensuring zero data loss and fast failover.
- B
Auto-failover group with a secondary in the same region.
Why wrong: Failover groups use asynchronous geo-replication, so RPO > 0.
- C
Hyperscale service tier with zone redundancy enabled.
Hyperscale with zone redundancy uses synchronous log replication across zones, providing zero data loss and fast failover.
- D
General Purpose service tier with zone redundancy enabled.
Why wrong: General Purpose uses asynchronous replication and does not guarantee zero data loss.
- E
Active geo-replication to a secondary in a different region.
Why wrong: Geo-replication is asynchronous, so data loss may occur (RPO > 0).
Quick Answer
The answer is the Hyperscale service tier with zone redundancy enabled, paired with the Business Critical service tier also using zone redundancy. Both configurations meet the zero data loss RPO and under 30-second RTO requirements because they rely on synchronous replication—Hyperscale synchronously writes to its log service replicas, while Business Critical maintains three synchronous replicas within the same region for automatic failover. On the Microsoft Azure Database Administrator Associate DP-300 exam, this question tests your understanding of how service tiers and redundancy options directly map to RPO and RTO guarantees; a common trap is assuming active geo-replication or failover groups can achieve zero data loss, but those use asynchronous replication and thus cannot. Remember the key distinction: synchronous replication is mandatory for zero data loss, and both Hyperscale and Business Critical offer it with zone redundancy. A useful memory tip is “Sync for Zero, Async for Geo”—if you need zero data loss, stay synchronous and regional.
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 designing high availability for a critical Azure SQL Database. The database is 1 TB in size and requires an RPO of 0 (zero data loss) and an RTO of less than 30 seconds. Which TWO configurations can meet these 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
Business Critical service tier with zone redundancy enabled.
Options A and D are correct. For zero data loss, you need synchronous replication. Business Critical with zone redundancy provides synchronous replicas within the same region with automatic failover. Hyperscale with zone redundancy also provides synchronous replicas for the log service. Option B (General Purpose) uses asynchronous replication and does not guarantee zero data loss. Option C (active geo-replication) is asynchronous, so data loss can occur. Option E (failover groups) relies on geo-replication which is asynchronous.
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.
- ✓
Business Critical service tier with zone redundancy enabled.
Why this is correct
Business Critical with zone redundancy uses three synchronous replicas across zones, ensuring zero data loss and fast failover.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Auto-failover group with a secondary in the same region.
Why it's wrong here
Failover groups use asynchronous geo-replication, so RPO > 0.
- ✓
Hyperscale service tier with zone redundancy enabled.
Why this is correct
Hyperscale with zone redundancy uses synchronous log replication across zones, providing zero data loss and fast failover.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
General Purpose service tier with zone redundancy enabled.
Why it's wrong here
General Purpose uses asynchronous replication and does not guarantee zero data loss.
- ✗
Active geo-replication to a secondary in a different region.
Why it's wrong here
Geo-replication is asynchronous, so data loss may occur (RPO > 0).
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: Business Critical service tier with zone redundancy enabled. — Options A and D are correct. For zero data loss, you need synchronous replication. Business Critical with zone redundancy provides synchronous replicas within the same region with automatic failover. Hyperscale with zone redundancy also provides synchronous replicas for the log service. Option B (General Purpose) uses asynchronous replication and does not guarantee zero data loss. Option C (active geo-replication) is asynchronous, so data loss can occur. Option E (failover groups) relies on geo-replication which is asynchronous.
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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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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