AZ-305 Question 69
Select 2Contoso runs an Azure SQL Database that serves an online analytics application. During peak reporting hours, the database experiences heavy read traffic, which occasionally impacts performance for both read and write operations. The company wants to scale out the read workloads with minimal downtime and keep administrative overhead low. Which two approaches should you recommend?
- A
Scale up the existing Azure SQL Database to a higher service tier
- B
Implement read-scale replicas with Azure SQL Database Hyperscale
- C
Use Active Geo-Replication to create read-only secondary databases in Azure SQL Database
- D
Migrate the database to an on-premises SQL Server environment with basic replication
Show answer and explanation
Correct answers: B, C
Explanation
When facing high read demand, the most efficient way to scale out in Azure SQL Database is to use features designed for read replicas. Azure SQL Database Hyperscale supports up to four named replicas, reducing the load on the primary. Active Geo-Replication is another viable solution, providing globally distributed read-only secondary replicas while enhancing resiliency. Both approaches minimize downtime and offer greater flexibility than simply scaling up to a higher tier or moving to an on-premises solution. For more information, see the Microsoft documentation on Azure SQL Database Hyperscale and Active Geo-Replication.
- A. Incorrect.
Scaling up can help handle more load by increasing compute resources, but it does not truly scale out read workloads and may involve some downtime during tier changes. While it can be useful for short-term performance improvements, it does not address the long-term goal of separating read traffic from write traffic.
- B. Correct.
Read-scale replicas in Azure SQL Database Hyperscale allow you to have multiple read-only replicas to offload read traffic and reduce contention on the primary. This approach supports elastic scaling without significant downtime and is well-suited for read-heavy workloads.
- C. Correct.
Active Geo-Replication can create read-only secondary databases in different Azure regions. These secondary databases can handle read queries, reducing load on the primary. This approach also provides a disaster recovery benefit if the primary region becomes unavailable.
- D. Incorrect.
Migrating to an on-premises SQL Server with basic replication typically increases administrative overhead and hardware costs. It also moves away from a managed PaaS solution, which contradicts the requirement to keep operational overhead low. This approach is not recommended for rapid scalability.