Which backup type restores an Azure SQL Database if the logical server is deleted?
Case study - This is a case study. Case studies are not timed separately. You can use as much exam time as you would like to complete each case. However, there may be additional case studies and sections on this exam. You must manage your time to ensure that you are able to complete all questions included on this exam in the time provided. To answer the questions included in a case study, you will need to reference information that is provided in the case study. Case studies might contain exhibits and other resources that provide more information about the scenario that is described in the case study. Each question is independent of the other questions in this case study. At the end of this case study, a review screen will appear. This screen allows you to review your answers and to make changes before you move to the next section of the exam. After you begin a new section, you cannot return to this section. To start the case study - To display the first question in this case study, click the Next button. Use the buttons in the left pane to explore the content of the case study before you answer the questions. Clicking these buttons displays information such as business requirements, existing environment, and problem statements. If the case study has an All Information tab, note that the information displayed is identical to the information displayed on the subsequent tabs. When you are ready to answer a question, click the Question button to return to the question. Overview - ADatum Corporation is a financial services company that has a main office in New York City. Existing Environment. Licensing Agreement ADatum has a Microsoft Volume Licensing agreement that includes Software Assurance. Existing Environment. Network Infrastructure ADatum has an on-premises datacenter and an Azure subscription named Sub1. Sub1 contains a virtual network named Network1 in the East US Azure region. The datacenter is connected to Network1 by using a Site-to-Site (S2S) VPN. Existing Environment. Identity Environment The on-premises network contains an Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) forest. The forest contains a single domain named corp.adatum.com. The corp.adatum.com domain syncs with a Microsoft Entra tenant named adatum.com. Existing Environment. Database Environment The datacenter contains the servers shown in the following table. DB1 and DB2 are used for transactional and analytical workloads by an application named App1. App1 runs on Microsoft Entra hybrid joined servers that run Windows Server 2022. App1 uses Kerberos authentication. DB3 stores compliance data used by two applications named App2 and App3. DB3 performance is monitored by using Extended Events sessions, with the event_file target set to a file share on a local disk of SVR3. Resource allocation for DB3 is managed by using Resource Governor. Requirements. Planned Changes - ADatum plans to implement the following changes: • Deploy an Azure SQL managed instance named Instance1 to Network1. • Migrate DB1 and DB2 to Instance1. • Migrate DB3 to Azure SQL Database. • Following the migration of DB1 and DB2, hand over database development to remote developers who use Microsoft Entra joined Windows 11 devices. • Following the migration of DB3, configure the database to be part of an auto-failover group. Requirements. Availability Requirements ADatum identifies the following post-migration availability requirements: • For DB1 and DB2, offload analytical workloads to a read-only database replica in the same Azure region. • Ensure that if a regional disaster occurs, DB1 and DB2 can be recovered from backups. • After the migration, App1 must maintain access to DB1 and DB2. • For DB3, manage potential performance issues caused by resource demand changes by App2 and App3. • Ensure that DB3 will still be accessible following a planned failover. • Ensure that DB3 can be restored if the logical server is deleted. • Minimize downtime during the migration of DB1 and DB2. Requirements. Security Requirements ADatum identifies the following security requirements for after the migration: • Ensure that only designated developers who use Microsoft Entra joined Windows 11 devices can access DB1 and DB2 remotely. • Ensure that all changes to DB3, including ones within individual transactions, are audited and recorded. Requirements. Management Requirements ADatum identifies the following post-migration management requirements: • Continue using Extended Events to monitor DB3. • In Azure SQL Database, automate the management of DB3 by using elastic jobs that have database-scoped credentials. Requirements. Business Requirements ADatum identifies the following business requirements: • Minimize costs whenever possible, without affecting other requirements. • Minimize administrative effort. You need to recommend a backup solution to restore DB3. The solution must meet the availability requirements. Which type of backup should you use? - 
Community Votes
54% of anonymous learners picked answer C. Votes are pick records left by other test-takers — they are not the verified answer.
Community Insight
The key trap is confusing PITR with LTR: PITR backups are tied to the logical server and are deleted with it, while LTR backups are stored independently in Azure Blob storage and survive server deletion.
This question tests knowledge of Azure SQL Database backup types and their behavior when the logical server is deleted. Community consensus confirms that Long-Term Retention (LTR) backups survive logical server deletion, whereas Point-in-Time Restore (PITR) backups do not.
Many candidates choose D (PITR) because it supports restoring a deleted database, but fail to realize that if the logical server itself is deleted, PITR backups are also removed and cannot be used for recovery.
Community Discussion (10 comments)
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Expert Analysis
Why the Answer Is Correct
Long-Term Retention (LTR) backups are stored in a separate Azure Storage account and are not dependent on the logical server's lifecycle. According to Microsoft documentation, LTR backups remain available even after the logical server is deleted, allowing the database to be restored to a new server. This directly satisfies the requirement: "Ensure that DB3 can be restored if the logical server is deleted."Why the Other Options Are Wrong
Differential (A) and transaction log (B) backups are components of the automated backup strategy but are not standalone restore solutions for this scenario. Point-in-time restore (D) is a restore mechanism, not a backup type, and its backups are deleted when the logical server is deleted. As noted in the comments, PITR cannot fulfill the requirement if the server itself is removed.Community Comment Notes
Comment [2] and [3] correctly identify that PITR backups are deleted with the logical server, making LTR the only viable option. Comment [1] and [7] initially favored PITR but overlooked the critical detail about server deletion. Comment [4] provides a clear explanation of LTR's independence from the logical server lifecycle.Official Reference
Exam Strategy
When a question mentions restoring a database after the logical server is deleted, immediately eliminate PITR and focus on LTR. Always read the full requirement carefully, as subtle details like 'logical server deleted' can completely change the correct answer.
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