Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect ExpertDesign business continuity solutionsMedium

A company is designing a new Azure solution that requires a highly available database. The database must support read and write operations across multiple Azure regions with automatic failover and minimal data loss in the event of a regional outage. Which Azure database service best meets these requirements?

  1. AAzure Cosmos DB with multi-region writes
  2. BAzure Database for PostgreSQL Single Server
  3. CAzure SQL Database Standard tier
  4. DAzure SQL Managed Instance with a geo-redundant backup
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: A. Azure Cosmos DB with multi-region writes

Azure Cosmos DB with multi-region writes provides active-active distribution across multiple regions, enabling automatic failover and RPO of zero for regional outages, which aligns with the requirement for minimal data loss.

Why the other options are wrong

  • B. Azure Database for PostgreSQL Single Server is a single-region deployment and does not offer multi-region read/write capabilities or automatic regional failover.
  • C. Azure SQL Database Standard tier offers high availability within a single region and geo-replication for disaster recovery, but not automatic multi-region write failover.
  • D. Azure SQL Managed Instance with geo-redundant backup provides disaster recovery capabilities but does not offer active-active multi-region write operations with automatic failover for high availability.

Azure Cosmos DB Multi-Region Writes

Azure Cosmos DB's multi-region write capability allows applications to perform writes to any configured region, ensuring high availability and low latency globally.

  • Active-active distribution across multiple Azure regions.
  • Automatic failover with zero RPO (Recovery Point Objective) for regional outages.
  • Provides global low-latency access for both reads and writes.

Memory trick: Cosmos DB writes globally, always available.

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