CompTIA DataSys+ (DS0-001)Business ContinuityMedium
A database administrator is evaluating different disaster recovery strategies for a critical analytical database. The business requires that the database be restored to a functional state within 24 hours (RTO) and accepts a maximum data loss of 12 hours (RPO). The current backup strategy involves daily full backups taken at midnight and stored off-site. Which of the following disaster recovery strategies best meets these requirements while minimizing operational complexity?
- ACold standby database with daily full backup restoration.
- BSynchronous replication to a remote data center.
- CWarm standby database with hourly log shipping.
- DMulti-master replication across geographically dispersed data centers.
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: C. Warm standby database with hourly log shipping.
A warm standby with hourly log shipping allows for a recovery point within an hour (meeting the 12-hour RPO) and a recovery time that is typically faster than cold standby, often within the 24-hour RTO, without the complexity or cost of synchronous replication or multi-master replication for an analytical database with these specific requirements.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Cold standby with daily full backup restoration would result in an RPO of up to 24 hours and an RTO potentially exceeding 24 hours, not meeting the requirements.
- B. Synchronous replication provides near-zero RPO but is often overkill and more complex/expensive for a 12-hour RPO requirement.
- D. Multi-master replication is complex and primarily used for high availability and write scalability, not the most efficient solution for the given RPO/RTO for an analytical database.
Warm Standby
A disaster recovery strategy where a secondary database server is continuously updated with changes from the primary, often via log shipping, making it ready to take over with minimal delay and data loss.
- Secondary server is partially active (e.g., database instance running, but not applications).
- Data is frequently updated from the primary, typically via transaction logs.
- Offers a balance between RPO/RTO and cost/complexity compared to hot or cold standby.
Memory trick: Remember, RPO and RTO are like a compass guiding your DR choice.