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 have an Azure SQL Database in the Premium tier configured with a failover group to a secondary region. The secondary region is not readable. You need to ensure that the secondary database is readable for reporting purposes without compromising the failover group's DR capabilities. Which TWO actions should you take? (Select two.)
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Add a zone-redundant replica to the secondary region.
Option A is correct because adding a zone-redundant replica makes the secondary readable without changing the failover group. Option D is correct because setting the failover group's secondary type to readable enables read-only access. Option B is wrong because active geo-replication is separate and would create a different relationship. Option C is wrong because enabling read scale-out on the primary does not affect the secondary. Option E is wrong because changing the secondary to Premium tier is not necessary; it already is Premium.
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 in addition to the failover group.
Why it's wrong here
Active geo-replication would create a separate secondary, not part of the failover group.
✗
Enable read scale-out on the primary database.
Why it's wrong here
Read scale-out uses local replicas, not the secondary region.
✓
Add a zone-redundant replica to the secondary region.
Why this is correct
Zone-redundant replica can be used for read-only workloads.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Change the secondary database's service tier to Business Critical.
Why it's wrong here
Both Premium and Business Critical support readable secondaries; changing tier is unnecessary.
✓
Set the failover group's secondary type to readable.
Why this is correct
This makes the secondary readable without affecting DR.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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.
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: Add a zone-redundant replica to the secondary region. — Option A is correct because adding a zone-redundant replica makes the secondary readable without changing the failover group. Option D is correct because setting the failover group's secondary type to readable enables read-only access. Option B is wrong because active geo-replication is separate and would create a different relationship. Option C is wrong because enabling read scale-out on the primary does not affect the secondary. Option E is wrong because changing the secondary to Premium tier is not necessary; it already is Premium.
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
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
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.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.