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AZ-305 · Domain 3

Design business continuity solutions practice questions

Design business continuity solutions is worth 17% of the AZ-305 exam — the lightest of the 4 domains. Designing backup and disaster recovery that meet recovery objectives for Azure and hybrid workloads, compute, databases and unstructured data, and high availability for compute, relational data and semi-structured and unstructured data. Official weighting 15–20%. 6 fully worked examples are further down this page, answers included.

Exam weight
17%
the lightest of the 4 domains
Questions
82
across 2 topics
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6 sample Design business continuity solutions questions, fully explained

Questions from the AZ-305 bank mapped to domain 3, with the answer key and the reasoning behind every option. None of them repeat the examples on the main AZ-305 practice page.

Question 1Design business continuity solutions

Auditors require Contoso to prove twice a year that its Site Recovery-protected application VMs can start in the recovery region. The drill must not interrupt replication, must not affect the production VMs and must not let the recovered VMs communicate with the production network. What should you recommend?

Choose one.

  • a
    Run a failover to the recovery region and then re-protect and fail back

    A real failover moves the workload: replication stops in its current direction and production is affected until you fail back.

  • b
    Restore the latest backup to the recovery region with Cross Region Restore

    This proves backups can be restored, not that the Site Recovery configuration fails over, which is what the auditors asked about.

  • c
    Run a test failover to the virtual network used for production failover

    Using the production failover network risks IP and name conflicts with the live environment; Microsoft recommends an isolated network for drills.

  • d
    Run a test failover to an isolated virtual network in the recovery region Correct

    A test failover creates VMs from a recovery point in a network you choose while replication continues, so production is untouched and an isolated VNet keeps the copies off the production network.

The concept

Site Recovery DR drills use test failover.

Why that’s the answer

A test failover starts VMs in the target region from a chosen recovery point without stopping replication and without touching the source VMs. Microsoft recommends pointing it at a network isolated from production so the copies can't conflict with live systems; you clean up the test failover afterwards. A real failover interrupts the source, and a backup restore tests a different mechanism.

How to reason it out
  1. Identify that the requirement is a drill, not a real recovery.
  2. Choose the Site Recovery operation that leaves replication running.
  3. Pick a target network that is isolated from production.
  4. Clean up the test VMs when the drill is complete.

Exam tip: DR drill with no impact on production = test failover into an isolated VNet.

AZ-305 Backup and Disaster Recovery Design: Site Recovery, Azure Backup, Database and Storage Recovery — the lesson that teaches this.

Question 2Design business continuity solutions

A three-tier application on Azure VMs is protected by Site Recovery. Two application-tier VMs write related data and must recover to the same point in time. During failover the database VM must start first, then the application tier, then the web tier, and a script must update a DNS record at the end. Which two configurations should you recommend? (Select TWO.)

Choose TWO.

  • a
    A replication group with multi-VM consistency for the two application VMs Correct

    VMs in a replication group share crash-consistent and app-consistent recovery points, so they recover to the same moment.

  • b
    A recovery plan with ordered groups and an Azure Automation runbook action Correct

    Recovery plans start groups in sequence and can run Automation runbooks before or after a group, which handles the start order and the DNS update.

  • c
    An app-consistent snapshot frequency of one hour for each application VM

    App-consistent snapshots improve application consistency per VM, but they don't give two VMs a shared recovery point or control start order.

  • d
    An availability set in the recovery region that holds the VMs from the three tiers

    Availability sets spread VMs across fault domains for high availability; they don't sequence a failover or run scripts.

  • e
    An Azure Traffic Manager profile that uses priority routing to the recovery region

    Priority routing can redirect users after failover, but it neither orders VM start-up nor gives the VMs a shared recovery point.

The concept

Site Recovery separates consistency (replication groups) from orchestration (recovery plans).

Why that’s the answer

Multi-VM consistency puts VMs into a replication group so they share recovery points, which matters when VMs write related data. A recovery plan models the failover: groups start in order, and you can add manual actions or Azure Automation runbooks before or after any group. Snapshot frequency, availability sets and DNS routing each solve a different problem.

How to reason it out
  1. Separate the two requirements: a shared recovery point and an ordered failover.
  2. Map the shared recovery point to a replication group (multi-VM consistency).
  3. Map ordering and scripts to a recovery plan with runbook actions.
  4. Discard options that only add per-VM consistency or traffic routing.

Exam tip: Same point in time across VMs = multi-VM consistency; start order and scripts = recovery plan.

AZ-305 Backup and Disaster Recovery Design: Site Recovery, Azure Backup, Database and Storage Recovery — the lesson that teaches this.

Question 3Design business continuity solutions

A manufacturer runs 120 VMware vSphere VMs in its datacenter and wants disaster recovery to Azure with an RPO of minutes. The team wants to use the current, modernized Site Recovery architecture for VMware and keep the number of on-premises components small. What should you deploy on-premises?

Choose one.

  • a
    The Site Recovery Provider and the Recovery Services agent installed on each ESXi host

    Installing the Provider and agent on the host is the Hyper-V pattern; ESXi hosts don't run these components.

  • b
    The Site Recovery replication appliance, with the Mobility service on each VM Correct

    In the modernized VMware architecture, the replication appliance coordinates replication and the Mobility service on each VM captures disk writes.

  • c
    The Azure Migrate appliance, then replication with the Migration and modernization tool

    Azure Migrate replication moves servers to Azure once; it isn't a DR solution with failover and failback.

  • d
    A Microsoft Azure Backup Server, with the Mobility service installed on each VM

    Azure Backup Server takes backups, not continuous replication, so it can't deliver an RPO of minutes; the Mobility service belongs to Site Recovery.

The concept

VMware-to-Azure disaster recovery architecture in Site Recovery.

Why that’s the answer

For VMware VMs, the modernized Site Recovery experience uses an on-premises Azure Site Recovery replication appliance (which replaces the classic configuration server) and the Mobility service agent on each protected VM. Hyper-V uses a different model: the Site Recovery Provider and Recovery Services agent run on the Hyper-V hosts, with no appliance. Migration tooling and backup servers don't provide continuous replication with failover.

How to reason it out
  1. Identify the source platform: VMware vSphere.
  2. Recall the modernized VMware components: replication appliance plus Mobility service.
  3. Rule out the Hyper-V host-based pattern and migration-only tooling.
  4. Confirm continuous replication meets the RPO of minutes.

Exam tip: VMware to Azure DR = replication appliance + Mobility service; Hyper-V = Provider on the host.

AZ-305 Backup and Disaster Recovery Design: Site Recovery, Azure Backup, Database and Storage Recovery — the lesson that teaches this.

Question 4Design business continuity solutions

A hospital runs its patient scheduling system on Hyper-V VMs in one on-premises datacenter. It wants Azure to act as its secondary site: if the datacenter fails, the VMs must start in Azure with only minutes of data lost, and later move back on-premises. Which service should you recommend?

Choose one.

  • a
    Azure Site Recovery Correct

    Site Recovery replicates Hyper-V VMs to Azure continuously, fails them over during an outage and supports failback to on-premises.

  • b
    Azure Backup with the MARS agent

    The MARS agent backs up files, folders and system state on a schedule; it doesn't replicate VMs or start them in Azure.

  • c
    Azure Migrate

    Azure Migrate moves workloads to Azure as a one-way migration; it isn't designed for repeated failover and failback.

  • d
    Azure Backup Server

    Azure Backup Server can back up Hyper-V VMs, but restores take time and recovery points are periodic, so minutes of data loss isn't achievable.

The concept

Azure as a disaster recovery site for on-premises VMs.

Why that’s the answer

Azure Site Recovery orchestrates replication, failover and failback for Hyper-V and VMware VMs and physical servers, using Azure as the secondary site. Backup products keep periodic copies and restore slowly; Azure Migrate is one-way.

How to reason it out
  1. Recognise a DR requirement: failover with minutes of data loss and failback.
  2. Separate replication (Site Recovery) from backup (MARS, Azure Backup Server).
  3. Rule out one-way migration tooling.

Exam tip: On-premises VMs failing over to Azure and back = Azure Site Recovery.

AZ-305 Backup and Disaster Recovery Design: Site Recovery, Azure Backup, Database and Storage Recovery — the lesson that teaches this.

Question 5Design business continuity solutions

A trading firm's Azure VMs use Premium SSD v2 data disks. Compliance requires a backup of each VM at least every four hours, retained for 30 days, with management through Azure Backup. What should you recommend?

Choose one.

  • a
    A Standard backup policy, plus on-demand backups started every four hours

    The Standard policy doesn't support Premium SSD v2 disks, so the VMs can't be protected with it whatever the schedule.

  • b
    An Enhanced backup policy with an hourly schedule every four hours Correct

    The Enhanced policy supports several backups a day (as often as every four hours) and is required to protect VMs with Premium SSD v2 disks.

  • c
    A Standard backup policy with a daily schedule and 30-day retention

    The Standard policy schedules one backup a day, which misses the four-hour requirement, and it doesn't support Premium SSD v2 disks.

  • d
    Site Recovery with a recovery point retention of 30 days

    Site Recovery is replication for failover, not backup, and its recovery point retention can't be set to 30 days.

The concept

Azure VM backup policy types: Standard and Enhanced.

Why that’s the answer

Azure Backup's Enhanced policy supports multiple backups per day (every 4, 6, 8, 12 or 24 hours), longer instant-restore snapshot retention, zone-redundant snapshots, and newer offerings such as Premium SSD v2 and Ultra Disks that the Standard policy can't protect. The Standard policy schedules one backup a day. Site Recovery replicates for failover; its short recovery point retention doesn't serve as a 30-day backup.

How to reason it out
  1. Check the disk type: Premium SSD v2 needs the Enhanced policy.
  2. Check the frequency: several backups a day also needs the Enhanced policy.
  3. Set retention in the policy for the required 30 days.

Exam tip: Several VM backups a day, or Premium SSD v2/Ultra disks = Enhanced backup policy.

AZ-305 Backup and Disaster Recovery Design: Site Recovery, Azure Backup, Database and Storage Recovery — the lesson that teaches this.

Question 6Design business continuity solutions

Woodgrove protects its Azure VMs with Azure Backup in West Europe. A regulator requires the bank to show it can restore those VMs in North Europe, the paired region, at any time, including in a drill when West Europe is healthy. The bank doesn't want to pay for continuous replication. What should you configure?

Choose one.

  • a
    A geo-redundant Recovery Services vault with Cross Region Restore enabled Correct

    Cross Region Restore lets you restore from the secondary copy in the paired region whenever you choose, which supports drills as well as a regional disaster.

  • b
    A Recovery Services vault in the restore region, North Europe, protecting the VMs

    Azure VM backup needs a vault in the same region as the VMs it protects, so a North Europe vault can't back up the West Europe VMs.

  • c
    A zone-redundant Recovery Services vault with an Enhanced backup policy

    ZRS keeps backup data across zones within West Europe; it never places a copy in North Europe.

  • d
    Azure Site Recovery replication of the VMs to North Europe

    Site Recovery would allow recovery in North Europe, but it's continuous replication, which the bank doesn't want to pay for.

The concept

Restoring backups in the paired region: GRS vaults and Cross Region Restore.

Why that’s the answer

Cross Region Restore is supported only on Recovery Services vaults that use geo-redundant storage. With it enabled, you can restore VMs (and SQL or SAP HANA databases in VMs) in the paired secondary region at any time, so you can run audit drills, not just recover from a declared outage. A vault for Azure VM backup has to be in the VMs' own region, so you can't simply back up to a vault in North Europe. ZRS stays in the primary region. Site Recovery meets the goal through replication, which the scenario rules out.

How to reason it out
  1. Note the target: restore in the paired region, on demand.
  2. Remember that the vault must sit in the same region as the VMs it protects.
  3. Require geo-redundant vault storage plus Cross Region Restore for an on-demand copy in North Europe.
  4. Reject replication because of the cost constraint.

Exam tip: Restore backups in the paired region on demand = GRS vault + Cross Region Restore.

AZ-305 Backup and Disaster Recovery Design: Site Recovery, Azure Backup, Database and Storage Recovery — the lesson that teaches this.

What AZ-305 domain 3 tests, topic by topic

The official exam guide breaks Design business continuity solutions into 2 topics. The question bank follows the same split, so a weak topic shows up as a cluster of misses you can go back and read.

Published AZ-305 practice questions per topic in Design business continuity solutions
TopicWhat it coversQuestions
Design solutions for backup and disaster recoverySkills outline section (AZ-305, skills measured as of April 17, 2026): Recommend a recovery solution for Azure and hybrid workloads that meets recovery objectives; Recommend a backup and recovery solution for compute; Recommend a backup and recovery solution for databases; Recommend a backup and recovery solution for unstructured data.41
Design for high availabilitySkills outline section (AZ-305, skills measured as of April 17, 2026): Recommend a high availability solution for compute; Recommend a high availability solution for relational data; Recommend a high availability solution for semi-structured and unstructured data.41
Total82

Revise Design business continuity solutions before you drill it

AZ-305 Backup and Disaster Recovery Design: Site Recovery, Azure Backup, Database and Storage RecoveryQuestions on this topic are design scenarios: an organisation describes its workloads, where they run and two or three requirements, such as an RPO and RTO, the failure that must be survived (deletion, ransomware, a zone or a region), data residency, how long copies must be kept, who may delete them, or the lowest cost or administrative effort, and asks what you should recommend. The options are real Azure services, vault settings, policies or tiers that each miss one requirement, so read every constraint before choosing. Expect near-twin comparisons (Site Recovery versus Azure Backup, Recovery Services versus Backup vaults, LRS versus ZRS versus GRS vaults, Standard versus Enhanced VM policies, MARS versus Azure Backup Server, geo-restore versus geo-replication versus failover groups, periodic versus continuous Cosmos DB backup, operational versus vaulted blob backup, snapshot versus vault-standard Azure Files backup) and some select-TWO items where each correct option is part of the solution, often one for failover and one for retention.AZ-305 High Availability Design: Availability Zones, Scale Sets, App Service, AKS, Azure SQL, Cosmos DB and StorageQuestions on this topic are design scenarios: an organisation describes its current compute or data tier, the failure it must survive (a rack, an availability zone or a whole region) and two or three constraints such as minimizing cost, no connection-string changes, no operator action, no load balancer to maintain, keeping capacity without waiting for new instances, or a required consistency level. The options are real Azure features that each miss one requirement, so identify the failure scope first and check every constraint before choosing. Expect near-twin comparisons (availability sets versus zones versus proximity placement groups, best-effort versus strict zone balancing, Front Door versus Traffic Manager versus a cross-region load balancer, active geo-replication versus failover groups, planned versus forced failover, zone-redundant versus same-zone HA, multi-region writes versus service-managed failover, RA-GRS versus RA-GZRS), settings that can be chosen only at creation, and multi-component scenarios where you must find the single point of failure. Some items ask you to select two actions that together meet the requirement.

Other AZ-305 domains

Domain 1: Design identity, governance, and monitoring solutions28% of the exam · 135 questionsDomain 2: Design data storage solutions22% of the exam · 105 questionsDomain 4: Design infrastructure solutions33% of the exam · 160 questionsAll AZ-305 practice questionsMixed sessions across all 4 domains — the way the real exam interleaves them.

Design business continuity solutions: your questions

Design business continuity solutions is domain 3 of the AZ-305 exam guide and carries 17% of the scored content — the lightest of the 4 domains. On a 50-question paper that works out to roughly 9 questions, though Microsoft Azure does not publish an exact per-domain count and individual exam forms vary.

Source

The domain weight and topic list on this page come from the official AZ-305 exam guide.