AZ-305 Question 123
Single answerYour company hosts a critical Azure SQL Database for an e-commerce application. The database undergoes frequent changes, and you must ensure quick point-in-time recovery with minimal data loss if accidental deletions occur or if the region hosting the database becomes unavailable. Additionally, you must retain monthly backups for at least one year to satisfy compliance requirements. The solution must be as cost-effective as possible while meeting these needs. Which approach should you recommend?
- A
Configure only locally redundant storage for automated backups.
- B
Enable Geo-redundant backups and configure a Long-Term Retention (LTR) policy within Azure SQL Database.
- C
Use a custom PowerShell script to export BACPAC files to a Standard Azure Storage account daily.
- D
Deploy an Azure Backup server within an Azure VM to back up the Azure SQL Database.
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: B
Explanation
Azure SQL Database includes automated backups that can be configured for geo-redundancy to protect against region-wide failures. Point-in-time restore ensures minimal data loss for accidental deletions, while Long-Term Retention (LTR) policies store monthly backups for extended periods. This architecture is both cost-effective and designed for mission-critical workloads, aligning with best practices documented in Microsoft Azure's official guidance for SQL Database backup and recovery.
- A. Incorrect.
Option 1 is incorrect. Locally redundant storage for automated backups only protects against single-datacenter failures within the same region. It does not provide geographic redundancy in case of a regional outage. Additionally, this approach does not address longer retention requirements by itself.
- B. Correct.
Option 2 is correct. Geo-redundant backups for Azure SQL Database automatically replicate backup data to a secondary region, ensuring minimal data loss and quick recovery if the primary region is unavailable. Configuring a Long-Term Retention (LTR) policy allows you to store monthly backups for up to 10 years, meeting compliance requirements in a cost-effective manner.
- C. Incorrect.
Option 3 is incorrect. Although exporting BACPAC files is a valid backup strategy, relying on daily exports may result in significant data loss if changes occur frequently. It also introduces additional management overhead, and does not provide simple point-in-time restore capabilities.
- D. Incorrect.
Option 4 is incorrect. Deploying Azure Backup Server on a VM is typically used for on-premises or IaaS SQL backups. For a PaaS Azure SQL Database, Microsoft provides built-in backup and restore capabilities, including geo-redundant storage and customizable retention policies.