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DP-300 Availability set Practice Question
You have a SQL Server on Azure VM that hosts a mission-critical database. The VM is in a single availability zone. You need to achieve a 99.99% SLA for the SQL Server instance. Which two actions should you perform? (Choose two.)
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
✓
Configure SQL Server Always On availability group with synchronous replication.
To achieve a 99.99% SLA for SQL Server on Azure VM, you need to ensure high availability. Deploying two VMs in an availability set (Option E) and configuring an Always On availability group with synchronous replication (Option A) provides the required redundancy and automatic failover. Option C, configuring a failover cluster instance using Azure shared disks, is supported for SQL Server 2019 and later, but it is not the correct answer because the question specifically asks for two actions, and A and E are the designated correct ones. Option B (geo-redundant backup) does not affect availability. Option D (single VM with premium SSD) does not achieve 99.99% because it lacks redundancy.
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 SQL Server Always On availability group with synchronous replication.
Why this is correct
Always On availability group provides database-level high availability.
- ✗
Enable geo-redundant backup storage.
Why it's wrong here
Backup redundancy does not affect availability.
- ✗
Configure a failover cluster instance using Azure shared disks.
Why it's wrong here
FCI requires clustered VMs, not single VM.
- ✗
Use a single VM with premium SSD disks.
Why it's wrong here
Single VM cannot achieve 99.99% SLA due to planned maintenance events.
- ✓
Deploy two Azure VMs in an availability set.
Why this is correct
Two VMs in an availability set provide high availability.
Visual reference
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Related to this question
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Overview of Azure Data Platform Options
Key term
SQL Server on Azure VM
SQL Server on Azure VM is a cloud service that lets you run Microsoft SQL Server software inside a virtual machine in Microsoft Azure, giving you full control over the database environment just like you would have on your own physical server.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.