Quick Answer
The answer is Long-Term Retention (LTR) for Azure SQL Database backups. LTR is the correct choice because it is specifically designed to meet regulatory compliance requirements like the 7-year retention mandate, allowing you to retain full database backups for up to 10 years with configurable policies based on weekly, monthly, or yearly intervals. On the Microsoft Cybersecurity Architect exam, this scenario tests your understanding of how LTR differs from point-in-time restore (PITR), which only covers up to 35 days—a common trap where candidates mistakenly choose PITR for long-term needs. The key distinction is that LTR stores backups in separate, geo-redundant containers for archival purposes, making it the only native Azure SQL feature that satisfies multi-year compliance. Memory tip: think “LTR = Long-Term Rule” for regulatory holds, while PITR is for short-term recovery.
This SC-100 practice question tests your understanding of design a strategy for data and applications. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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.
A company is designing a data protection strategy for Azure SQL Database. They need to ensure that backups are retained for 7 years to meet regulatory compliance. Which Azure feature should they use?
Geo-redundant backup storage
Why wrong: Does not extend retention period.
Long-Term Retention (LTR)
LTR retains backups for up to 10 years.
Point-in-Time Restore
Why wrong: PITR max retention is 35 days.
Active Geo-Replication
Why wrong: Used for read-scale, not backup retention.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Long-Term Retention (LTR)
Long-Term Retention (LTR) for Azure SQL Database allows you to retain full database backups for up to 10 years, which meets the 7-year regulatory compliance requirement. LTR is specifically designed for archival and compliance scenarios, storing backups in separate containers with configurable retention policies based on weekly, monthly, or yearly intervals.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Geo-redundant backup storage
Why it's wrong here
Does not extend retention period.
Long-Term Retention (LTR)
Why this is correct
LTR retains backups for up to 10 years.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Point-in-Time Restore
Why it's wrong here
PITR max retention is 35 days.
Active Geo-Replication
Why it's wrong here
Used for read-scale, not backup retention.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates confuse Point-in-Time Restore (PITR) with Long-Term Retention (LTR), mistakenly thinking PITR can be configured for years-long retention, when in fact PITR is limited to a maximum of 35 days and LTR is the only feature that supports multi-year archival retention.
Detailed technical explanation
LTR backups are stored as separate full backups in Azure Blob Storage with RA-GRS redundancy by default, and each backup is associated with a specific time-based retention policy (e.g., weekly for 4 weeks, monthly for 12 months, yearly for 7 years). The LTR policy is defined at the database level using the Azure portal, PowerShell, or CLI, and the actual backup frequency is managed by the service—weekly LTR backups are automatically taken on the same day as the full backup from the automated backup schedule. A common real-world scenario is financial institutions that must retain audit-accessible database snapshots for 7 years; LTR ensures these backups are immutable and can be restored to a new database at any time within the retention period.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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.
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FAQ
Design a strategy for data and applications — This question tests Design a strategy for data and applications — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Long-Term Retention (LTR) — Long-Term Retention (LTR) for Azure SQL Database allows you to retain full database backups for up to 10 years, which meets the 7-year regulatory compliance requirement. LTR is specifically designed for archival and compliance scenarios, storing backups in separate containers with configurable retention policies based on weekly, monthly, or yearly intervals.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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