AZ-305 Question 74
Single answerYou manage an environment with multiple Azure Virtual Machines running critical applications and an Azure SQL Database storing financial data. You must design a cost-effective solution that enables you to: (1) perform reliable backups for both VMs and the Azure SQL Database; (2) keep backup data for at least 10 years to comply with regulatory requirements; and (3) easily restore entire virtual machines or individual files in case of data loss. Which solution should you recommend to meet these requirements?
- A
Enable Azure Backup for VMs and configure Long-Term Retention (LTR) for Azure SQL Database backups.
- B
Use daily manual backups stored on local on-premises media and rely on custom scripts for Azure SQL Database backups.
- C
Implement Azure Site Recovery (ASR) for all VMs while continuing built-in Azure SQL Database backups without adjusting retention.
- D
Leverage Azure Disk Encryption for VMs and Transparent Data Encryption (TDE) for the Azure SQL Database.
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: A
Explanation
For data protection and compliance, Azure Backup is the recommended service to back up Azure VMs (including file-level restore), and Azure SQL Database supports Long-Term Retention (LTR) to store backups for extended periods (up to 10 years or beyond). This combination ensures both regulatory compliance and ease of recovery. Refer to Microsoft documentation on Azure Backup (https://learn.microsoft.com/azure/backup/backup-overview) and Azure SQL Database long-term backup retention (https://learn.microsoft.com/azure/azure-sql/database/long-term-retention-overview) for details.
- A. Correct.
Correct: Azure Backup can handle backups for VMs (including individual file restores) and, combined with Azure SQL Database’s Long-Term Retention feature, provides a simple, cost-effective way to meet extended retention needs of 10 years or more.
- B. Incorrect.
Incorrect: Relying on daily manual backups and storing them on-premises can be error-prone, lacks the built-in longevity of Azure-based solutions, and might not meet compliance if offsite retention or easy restoration is required.
- C. Incorrect.
Incorrect: Azure Site Recovery is designed for disaster recovery scenarios (replicating entire VM environments), not long-term backup retention. By itself, it does not guarantee extended backup retention for 10 years.
- D. Incorrect.
Incorrect: Encryption options like Azure Disk Encryption and TDE secure data at rest but do not address backup retention needs or provide restore capabilities for entire VMs or individual files.