Question

A company wants to use the AWS Cloud to improve its on-premises disaster recovery (DR) configuration. The company’s core production business application uses Microsoft Sql Server Standard, which runs on a virtual machine (VM). The application has a recovery point objective (RPO) of 30 seconds or fewer and a recovery time objective (RTO) of 60 minutes. The DR solution needs to minimize costs wherever possible.

Which solution will meet these requirements?

A. Configure a multi-site active/active setup between the on-premises server and AWS by using Microsoft SQL Server Enterprise with Always On availability groups.
B. Configure a warm standby Amazon RDS for SQL Server database on AWS. Configure AWS Database Migration Service (AWS DMS) to use change data capture (CDC). Most Voted
C. Use AWS Elastic Disaster Recovery configured to replicate disk changes to AWS as a pilot light.
D. Use third-party backup software to capture backups every night. Store a secondary set of backups in Amazon S3.

Answer

B. Configure a warm standby Amazon RDS for SQL Server database on AWS. Configure AWS Database Migration Service (AWS DMS) to use change data capture (CDC). Most Voted

Explanation 1

The correct answer is B. Configure a warm standby Amazon RDS for SQL Server database on AWS. Configure AWS Database Migration Service (AWS DMS) to use change data capture (CDC).

This solution meets the RPO requirement of 30 seconds or fewer because AWS DMS can replicate changes to the database in real time. It also meets the RTO requirement of 60 minutes because the warm standby database can be brought online quickly.

The other options do not meet all of the requirements.

• Option A: Configure a multi-site active/active setup between the on-premises server and AWS by using Microsoft SQL Server Enterprise with Always On availability groups. This solution is more expensive than the warm standby solution because it requires a license for Microsoft SQL Server Enterprise.
• Option C: Use AWS Elastic Disaster Recovery configured to replicate disk changes to AWS as a pilot light. This solution does not meet the RPO requirement of 30 seconds or fewer because it takes time to replicate disk changes to AWS.
• Option D: Use third-party backup software to capture backups every night. Store a secondary set of backups in Amazon S3. This solution does not meet the RTO requirement of 60 minutes because it takes time to restore from backups.

Here are some additional details about the warm standby solution:

• The warm standby database is a read-only replica of the production database that is kept up-to-date by AWS DMS.
• AWS DMS uses CDC to replicate the changes made to the production database to the warm standby database.
• The warm standby database can be brought online quickly in the event of a disaster.

Explanation 2

The correct answer is option B. This solution will meet the requirements of a low RPO and RTO, as well as minimizing costs. Here is why:

• Option A is not cost-effective, as it requires using Microsoft SQL Server Enterprise, which is more expensive than Standard. It also requires setting up a multi-site active/active configuration, which adds complexity and overhead.
• Option C is not suitable for the RPO requirement, as it only replicates disk changes to AWS, not the database transactions. This means that there could be data loss in the event of a disaster.
• Option D is not suitable for the RPO or RTO requirements, as it only captures backups every night, not continuously. This means that there could be significant data loss and downtime in the event of a disaster.
• Option B is the best solution, as it uses Amazon RDS for SQL Server, which is a managed service that handles backups, patching, scaling, and high availability. It also uses AWS DMS with CDC, which continuously captures and replicates database changes to AWS. This ensures that the RDS database is always up to date and ready to take over in case of a disaster. This solution also minimizes costs, as it only requires paying for the RDS instance and DMS replication instance, not for a full SQL Server license or a multi-site configuration.

Explanation 3

The correct answer is:

A. Configure a multi-site active/active setup between the on-premises server and AWS by using Microsoft SQL Server Enterprise with Always On availability groups.

Explanation:

Option A provides a solution that best meets the company’s requirements:

• Recovery Point Objective (RPO) of 30 seconds or fewer: Using Microsoft SQL Server Enterprise with Always On availability groups allows for synchronous data replication between the on-premises SQL Server and the SQL Server instance in AWS. This means that data changes are replicated in near-real-time, achieving a low RPO.
• Recovery Time Objective (RTO) of 60 minutes: Active/active setups with Always On availability groups enable failover to the AWS environment quickly in case of a disaster. Failover can typically be achieved in a matter of minutes, meeting the 60-minute RTO requirement.
• Minimize costs: This solution allows you to minimize costs by using the right SQL Server edition (Enterprise) for high availability features while replicating only critical data. AWS resources are utilized only during failover, which helps keep costs lower compared to continuously running a standby environment.

Let’s briefly discuss why the other options are not the best fit:

• B. Configuring a warm standby Amazon RDS for SQL Server and using AWS Database Migration Service (AWS DMS) with change data capture (CDC) might meet the RPO and RTO requirements but could potentially be more costly due to the continuous operation of RDS and DMS resources.
• C. AWS Elastic Disaster Recovery with a pilot light configuration replicates disk changes but might not meet the RPO requirement of 30 seconds or fewer. It could also be more complex and costly than an active/active setup with SQL Server Enterprise.
• D. Using third-party backup software to capture nightly backups and storing them in Amazon S3 is a backup and recovery solution but may not meet the stringent RPO and RTO requirements. It also lacks the real-time data replication provided by option A.

In summary, option A, configuring a multi-site active/active setup with Microsoft SQL Server Enterprise and Always On availability groups, is the most suitable solution for achieving the company’s disaster recovery requirements while minimizing costs.

Explanation 4

Option B: Configure a warm standby Amazon RDS for SQL Server database on AWS. Configure AWS Database Migration Service (AWS DMS) to use change data capture (CDC). This solution meets the RPO and RTO requirements and helps to minimize costs.

The solution of configuring a warm standby Amazon RDS for SQL Server database on AWS and using AWS Database Migration Service (AWS DMS) with change data capture (CDC) is considered the best for a company with a recovery point objective (RPO) of 30 seconds or fewer and a recovery time objective (RTO) of 60 minutes for several reasons:

• Continuous Replication: AWS DMS with CDC allows for continuous replication of data changes from the on-premises database to the standby RDS instance. This ensures that the RDS instance is always up-to-date, meeting the RPO of 30 seconds or fewer.
• Quick Recovery: In the event of a disaster, the warm standby RDS instance can be quickly promoted to a primary database, ensuring a quick recovery time that meets the RTO of 60 minutes.
• Cost-Effective: A warm standby solution is more cost-effective than a hot standby solution as it doesn’t require the same amount of resources to be running constantly.
• Scalability and Flexibility: AWS provides scalability and flexibility, allowing the company to adjust resources as needed.
• Security and Compliance: AWS offers robust security features to protect data and ensure compliance with various regulations.
• Ease of Use: AWS DMS simplifies the process of setting up, managing, and monitoring database migrations, reducing the operational burden on the company’s IT team.

Explanation 5

Based on the given requirements, the solution that will meet the company’s needs while minimizing costs is Option B: Configure a warm standby Amazon RDS for SQL Server database on AWS and use AWS Database Migration Service (AWS DMS) with change data capture (CDC).

Here’s a detailed explanation of why this option is the most suitable:

1. Recovery Point Objective (RPO): The RPO specifies the maximum acceptable data loss in the event of a disaster. In this case, the RPO is 30 seconds or fewer. Option B satisfies this requirement by using AWS DMS with change data capture (CDC). CDC captures and replicates changes made to the on-premises SQL Server database to the Amazon RDS for SQL Server database in near real-time, ensuring minimal data loss.
2. Recovery Time Objective (RTO): The RTO defines the maximum acceptable downtime for the application. The requirement here is 60 minutes. Option B can meet this objective by having a warm standby Amazon RDS for SQL Server database on AWS. A warm standby database is already synchronized with the primary database and can be quickly activated in case of a disaster, reducing the recovery time.
3. Minimize Costs: Option B also addresses the need to minimize costs. By using Amazon RDS for SQL Server, the company can leverage AWS’s managed database service, eliminating the need to manage and maintain their own SQL Server VM. This reduces operational costs and overhead. Additionally, AWS DMS with CDC allows for efficient replication of changes, minimizing data transfer costs.

In contrast, let’s briefly discuss why the other options may not be the best fit:

• Option A: Configuring a multi-site active/active setup with Microsoft SQL Server Enterprise and Always On availability groups can provide high availability but may not be the most cost-effective solution. It requires additional licensing costs for SQL Server Enterprise and may involve more complex configuration and management.
• Option C: AWS Elastic Disaster Recovery with a pilot light configuration involves replicating disk changes to AWS. While it can be a viable solution, it may not meet the RPO and RTO requirements as effectively as Option B. Additionally, it may require more manual intervention and configuration.
• Option D: Using third-party backup software to capture backups every night and storing them in Amazon S3 can provide a backup solution but may not offer the desired RPO and RTO. It may involve longer recovery times and potential data loss.

In summary, Option B provides a cost-effective solution that meets the company’s requirements for RPO, RTO, and cost optimization by utilizing Amazon RDS for SQL Server with a warm standby configuration and AWS DMS with CDC.

Explanation 6

The correct answer is B. Configure a warm standby Amazon RDS for SQL Server database on AWS. Configure AWS Database Migration Service (AWS DMS) to use change data capture (CDC).

This solution meets the RPO requirement of 30 seconds or fewer by using CDC to continuously replicate changes from the on-premises database to the Amazon RDS database. The RTO requirement of 60 minutes is met by the warm standby configuration, which means that the Amazon RDS database is always up and running, but it is not actively being used. This solution is also cost-effective, as it does not require the company to purchase additional Microsoft SQL Server licenses.

The other options are not as good solutions for this requirement.

• Option A: Configure a multi-site active/active setup between the on-premises server and AWS by using Microsoft SQL Server Enterprise with Always On availability groups. This solution would meet the RPO and RTO requirements, but it is more expensive than the warm standby solution.
• Option C: Use AWS Elastic Disaster Recovery configured to replicate disk changes to AWS as a pilot light. This solution would meet the RPO requirement, but it would not meet the RTO requirement. This is because Elastic Disaster Recovery is a disaster recovery as a service (DRaaS) solution that creates a snapshot of your on-premises disk every 5 minutes. This means that there would be a 5-minute delay in recovering your database after a disaster.
• Option D: Use third-party backup software to capture backups every night. Store a secondary set of backups in Amazon S3. This solution would not meet the RPO requirement of 30 seconds or fewer. This is because backups are typically taken on a nightly basis, which means that there could be a significant amount of data loss in the event of a disaster.

Explanation 7

The correct answer is B. Configure a warm standby Amazon RDS for SQL Server database on AWS. Configure AWS Database Migration Service (AWS DMS) to use change data capture (CDC).

The explanation is as follows:

• Option A is incorrect because configuring a multi-site active/active setup between the on-premises server and AWS by using Microsoft SQL Server Enterprise with Always On availability groups would not minimize costs wherever possible. This option would require upgrading the SQL Server license from Standard to Enterprise, which is more expensive. It would also incur higher costs for running and maintaining two active SQL Server instances on AWS and on-premises.
• Option B is correct because configuring a warm standby Amazon RDS for SQL Server database on AWS and using AWS Database Migration Service (AWS DMS) to use change data capture (CDC) would meet the requirements of improving the on-premises disaster recovery configuration, achieving the RPO and RTO objectives, and minimizing costs wherever possible. This option would allow the company to use its existing SQL Server Standard license on Amazon RDS, which is a managed service that reduces the operational overhead and complexity of running a database. It would also enable the company to use AWS DMS, which is a service that continuously replicates data from the source database to the target database using CDC, which captures only the changes that occur in the source database. This way, the company can achieve an RPO of 30 seconds or fewer, as the data in the target database would be almost up to date with the source database. In the event of a disaster, the company can quickly promote the warm standby Amazon RDS database to be the primary database and redirect the application traffic to it, achieving an RTO of 60 minutes. This option would also minimize costs wherever possible, as the company would only pay for the storage and compute resources used by the warm standby Amazon RDS database, and for the AWS DMS replication tasks.
• Option C is incorrect because using AWS Elastic Disaster Recovery configured to replicate disk changes to AWS as a pilot light would not achieve the RPO and RTO objectives. A pilot light is a DR strategy that involves keeping a minimal version of an environment running on AWS, such as only replicating the data without running any servers or applications. In the event of a disaster, the company would need to provision additional resources and configure them to restore full functionality, which can take a long time and cause data loss.
• Option D is incorrect because using third-party backup software to capture backups every night and store a secondary set of backups in Amazon S3 would not achieve the RPO and RTO objectives. Backups are point-in-time snapshots of data that are stored offline or in another location for recovery purposes. However, backups are not continuous, and they can become outdated or corrupted. If the company relies on nightly backups, it can lose up to 24 hours of data in case of a disaster, which violates the RPO of 30 seconds or fewer. Moreover, restoring a backup can take a long time and require manual intervention, which violates the RTO of 60 minutes.

Explanation 8

The correct answer is B. Configure a warm standby Amazon RDS for SQL Server database on AWS. Configure AWS Database Migration Service (AWS DMS) to use change data capture (CDC).

A brief explanation is as follows:

• Option A is incorrect because it requires using Microsoft SQL Server Enterprise, which is more expensive than SQL Server Standard. Also, an active/active setup is not necessary for DR purposes and would incur additional costs for maintaining two identical environments.
• Option B is correct because it meets the RPO and RTO requirements by using AWS DMS with CDC to continuously replicate data changes from the on-premises SQL Server to the Amazon RDS for SQL Server database. This solution minimizes costs by using a warm standby database that can be quickly scaled up and made available in case of a disaster.
• Option C is incorrect because AWS Elastic Disaster Recovery does not support Microsoft SQL Server as a source server. Also, using a pilot light approach would require additional steps to restore the database and application in case of a disaster, which might not meet the RTO requirement.
• Option D is incorrect because it does not meet the RPO requirement of 30 seconds or fewer. Using nightly backups would result in data loss of up to 24 hours in case of a disaster. Also, restoring the backups from Amazon S3 might not meet the RTO requirement of 60 minutes.

Explanation 9

The correct answer is B. Configure a warm standby Amazon RDS for SQL Server database on AWS. Configure AWS Database Migration Service (AWS DMS) to use change data capture (CDC). This solution will meet the requirements by creating a replica of the on-premises SQL Server database on AWS that can be quickly activated in case of a disaster. AWS DMS with CDC will enable continuous replication of data changes from the source to the target database, ensuring a low RPO. The warm standby database will incur lower costs than an active/active setup, and will provide a faster recovery than a backup or pilot light solution. The other options are not suitable because:

• A. Configure a multi-site active/active setup between the on-premises server and AWS by using Microsoft SQL Server Enterprise with Always On availability groups. This solution will provide high availability and low RPO, but it will also incur higher costs due to the licensing fees for SQL Server Enterprise and the need to run two active instances.
• C. Use AWS Elastic Disaster Recovery configured to replicate disk changes to AWS as a pilot light. This solution will reduce costs by replicating only the essential components of the application to AWS, but it will also increase the RTO because it will require additional steps to launch and configure the recovery instance.
• D. Use third-party backup software to capture backups every night. Store a secondary set of backups in Amazon S3. This solution will minimize costs by storing backups in low-cost storage, but it will also increase the RPO and RTO because it will not capture data changes throughout the day and it will take longer to restore the backups.

Explanation 10

The correct answer is option B. Configure a warm standby Amazon RDS for SQL Server database on AWS. Configure AWS Database Migration Service (AWS DMS) to use change data capture (CDC).

A warm standby database is a secondary database that is kept up to date with the primary database by applying changes as they occur. A warm standby database can be used for disaster recovery, as it can be quickly activated in case of a failure of the primary database. A warm standby database can also be used for read-only queries, such as reporting or analytics, to offload some of the workload from the primary database.

Amazon RDS for SQL Server is a managed service that provides a fully compatible SQL Server database engine on AWS. Amazon RDS for SQL Server handles common database administration tasks such as backups, patching, scaling, and high availability. Amazon RDS for SQL Server supports multiple editions of SQL Server, including Standard, Enterprise, and Express.

AWS Database Migration Service (AWS DMS) is a service that helps migrate databases to AWS quickly and securely. AWS DMS supports heterogeneous migrations between different database platforms, such as Oracle to Amazon Aurora, or homogeneous migrations between the same database platform, such as SQL Server to SQL Server. AWS DMS also supports continuous data replication with minimal downtime, using change data capture (CDC) technology. CDC captures changes made to the source database and applies them to the target database in near real time.

By using Amazon RDS for SQL Server and AWS DMS with CDC, the company can achieve its disaster recovery requirements for its core production business application. The company can configure a warm standby Amazon RDS for SQL Server database on AWS as the target for AWS DMS. AWS DMS will use CDC to replicate changes from the on-premises SQL Server Standard VM to the Amazon RDS for SQL Server database. This will ensure that the RPO is 30 seconds or fewer, as any changes made to the source database will be captured and applied to the target database within that time frame. The company can also configure a failover mechanism to switch over to the Amazon RDS for SQL Server database in case of a disaster. This will ensure that the RTO is 60 minutes or less, as the company can quickly activate the warm standby database and resume its operations. The company can also use the Amazon RDS for SQL Server database for read-only queries, such as reporting or analytics, to reduce the load on the on-premises SQL Server Standard VM.

The other options are not suitable for the company’s disaster recovery requirements:

• Option A: Configure a multi-site active/active setup between the on-premises server and AWS by using Microsoft SQL Server Enterprise with Always On availability groups. This option would provide high availability and disaster recovery for the company’s core production business application, but it would not minimize costs wherever possible. Microsoft SQL Server Enterprise is more expensive than Microsoft SQL Server Standard, and it would require additional licensing fees to run on both on-premises and AWS. Also, Always On availability groups require a Windows Server Failover Cluster (WSFC), which adds more complexity and overhead to the setup.
• Option C: Use AWS Elastic Disaster Recovery configured to replicate disk changes to AWS as a pilot light. This option would use AWS Elastic Disaster Recovery (AWS EDR) to replicate disk changes from the on-premises SQL Server Standard VM to an Amazon EC2 instance running SQL Server Standard on AWS. AWS EDR is a service that helps automate disaster recovery by replicating disk changes from on-premises servers to AWS using block-level replication. A pilot light is a minimal version of an application that runs on AWS and can be quickly scaled up in case of a disaster. However, this option would not meet the RPO of 30 seconds or fewer, as AWS EDR replicates disk changes asynchronously and does not guarantee consistency between the source and target servers. Also, this option would not meet the RTO of 60 minutes or less, as it would require additional steps to scale up the pilot light and restore the application state on AWS.
• Option D: Use third-party backup software to capture backups every night. Store a secondary set of backups in Amazon S3. This option would use third-party backup software to capture backups of the on-premises SQL Server Standard VM every night and store them in Amazon S3. Amazon S3 is a highly durable and scalable object storage service that can store any amount of data in any format. However, this option would not meet the RPO of 30 seconds or fewer, as it would only capture backups once a day and miss any changes made during the day. Also, this option would not meet the RTO of 60 minutes or less, as it would require additional time to restore the backups from Amazon S3 and recover the application on AWS.

Explanation 11

The correct answer is B. Configure a warm standby Amazon RDS for SQL Server database on AWS. Configure AWS Database Migration Service (AWS DMS) to use change data capture (CDC).

This solution meets the RPO requirement of 30 seconds or fewer by using CDC to continuously replicate changes from the on-premises database to the Amazon RDS database. The RTO requirement of 60 minutes is met by configuring the Amazon RDS database as a warm standby, which means that it is always running but is not actively being used. This allows the database to be brought online quickly in the event of a disaster.

The other options are not as good solutions for this requirement.

• Option A: Configure a multi-site active/active setup between the on-premises server and AWS by using Microsoft SQL Server Enterprise with Always On availability groups. This is a more expensive solution than the warm standby option. It also requires the company to have Microsoft SQL Server Enterprise, which is a more expensive edition of SQL Server.
• Option C: Use AWS Elastic Disaster Recovery configured to replicate disk changes to AWS as a pilot light. This is a good solution for disaster recovery, but it does not meet the RPO requirement of 30 seconds or fewer.
• Option D: Use third-party backup software to capture backups every night. Store a secondary set of backups in Amazon S3. This is a good solution for backup, but it does not meet the RTO requirement of 60 minutes.

Explanation 12

Based on the provided information, the best solution to meet the company’s disaster recovery requirements would be option B: Configure a warm standby Amazon RDS for SQL Server database on AWS. Configure AWS Database Migration Service (AWS DMS) to use change data capture (CDC).

Here’s why:

• RPO of 30 seconds or fewer: AWS DMS with CDC can replicate changes in near real-time, ensuring that the RPO is met.
• RTO of 60 minutes: With a warm standby RDS instance in AWS, the application can be up and running within 60 minutes in case of a disaster.
• Minimize costs: Using a warm standby RDS instance and AWS DMS with CDC is a cost-effective solution compared to options A and C, which require more resources and infrastructure.
• Simplified configuration and management: AWS DMS and AWS RDS provide a simplified and automated way to set up and manage the disaster recovery configuration, reducing the administrative burden on the company’s IT team.

Option A, configuring a multi-site active/active setup between the on-premises server and AWS using Microsoft SQL Server Enterprise with Always On availability groups, is not the best choice for several reasons:

• Increased cost: Using Always On availability groups requires more advanced and expensive SQL Server licenses.
• Increased complexity: Setting up and managing an active/active setup between on-premises and AWS can be more complex and require more resources.
• Limited flexibility: This option does not provide the same level of flexibility as option B, as it requires maintaining a synchronized setup between the on-premises and AWS environments.

Option C, using AWS Elastic Disaster Recovery to replicate disk changes to AWS as a pilot light, is not the best choice for the following reasons:

• Increased cost: This option requires a separate AWS service, which can add to the overall cost.
• Limited flexibility: This option does not provide the same level of flexibility as option B, as it requires maintaining a separate replication setup for the disk changes.

Option D, using third-party backup software to capture backups every night and store a secondary set of backups in Amazon S3, is not the best choice for the following reasons:

• Increased complexity: This option requires additional software and infrastructure, which can increase the complexity of the disaster recovery setup.
• Limited RPO and RTO: This option does not provide the same level of quick recovery times as options B and C, as it relies on nightly backups.

In conclusion, configuring a warm standby Amazon RDS for SQL Server database on AWS, and using AWS DMS with CDC is the best solution to meet the company’s disaster recovery requirements, as it provides a cost-effective, simplified, and flexible solution that meets the RPO and RTO objectives.

Explanation 13

I would recommend option B: Configure a warm standby Amazon RDS for SQL Server database on AWS. Configure AWS Database Migration Service (AWS DMS) to use change data capture (CDC).

Here’s why:

Option A: Configure a multi-site active/active setup between the on-premises server and AWS by using Microsoft SQL Server Enterprise with Always On availability groups. While this option provides a highly available and scalable DR solution, it may not be the most cost-effective option for the company’s needs. Implementing an always-on active/active setup between on-premises and AWS requires a more complex infrastructure, which can increase costs.

Option C: Use AWS Elastic Disaster Recovery configured to replicate disk changes to AWS as a pilot light. While this option provides a cost-effective DR solution, it may not meet the company’s RPO and RTO requirements. Elastic Disaster Recovery (EDR) is designed to replicate only changed data, which can lead to a higher RPO and RTO compared to other solutions.

Option D: Use third-party backup software to capture backups every night. Store a secondary set of backups in Amazon S3. While this option provides a secondary backup of the data, it may not be a complete DR solution. Backups are only as good as the data they contain, and if the backup data is not properly validated, it may not be usable in the event of a disaster.

Option B, on the other hand, provides a cost-effective and scalable DR solution that meets the company’s RPO and RTO requirements. By using a warm standby Amazon RDS for SQL Server database on AWS, the company can minimize costs while ensuring a highly available and scalable DR solution. Additionally, using AWS DMS to capture CDC enables the company to replicate data in near real-time, which can help meet the company’s RPO and RTO requirements.

In summary, the most cost-effective and scalable DR solution that meets the company’s RPO and RTO requirements is to configure a warm standby Amazon RDS for SQL Server database on AWS, and use AWS DMS to capture CDC.

Explanation 14

The correct answer is B: Configure a warm standby Amazon RDS for SQL Server database on AWS. Configure AWS Database Migration Service (AWS DMS) to use change data capture (CDC).

This solution meets the RPO of 30 seconds or fewer and the RTO of 60 minutes. It also minimizes costs by using a warm standby database, which is less expensive than a hot standby database.

Option A is incorrect because it uses Microsoft SQL Server Enterprise with Always On availability groups, which is more expensive than Amazon RDS for SQL Server.

Option C is incorrect because AWS Elastic Disaster Recovery is not designed for applications with a low RPO and RTO.

Option D is incorrect because it does not meet the RPO of 30 seconds or fewer.

Explanation 15

The correct answer is option B: Configure a warm standby Amazon RDS for SQL Server database on AWS. Configure AWS Database Migration Service (AWS DMS) to use change data capture (CDC).

Explanation: To meet the company’s requirements of improving on-premises disaster recovery (DR) configuration with an RPO of 30 seconds or fewer and an RTO of 60 minutes while minimizing costs, configuring a warm standby Amazon RDS for SQL Server database on AWS and using AWS Database Migration Service (AWS DMS) with change data capture (CDC) is the recommended solution. Let’s discuss each option to understand why option B is the correct choice:

A. Configure a multi-site active/active setup between the on-premises server and AWS by using Microsoft SQL Server Enterprise with Always On availability groups: While a multi-site active/active setup with SQL Server Enterprise and Always On availability groups is a robust solution for high availability and disaster recovery, it may not be the most cost-effective option. SQL Server Enterprise licenses can be expensive, and maintaining an active/active setup across on-premises and AWS can incur additional costs for networking and infrastructure.

B. Configure a warm standby Amazon RDS for SQL Server database on AWS. Configure AWS Database Migration Service (AWS DMS) to use change data capture (CDC): Configuring a warm standby Amazon RDS for SQL Server database on AWS is a cost-effective solution for disaster recovery. With a warm standby, the standby database is kept synchronized with the primary database, reducing the RPO. AWS DMS with CDC can continuously capture and replicate changes from the on-premises SQL Server to the AWS RDS database, ensuring near real-time synchronization. This solution provides a low-cost, minimal downtime option for disaster recovery, meeting the company’s requirements.

C. Use AWS Elastic Disaster Recovery configured to replicate disk changes to AWS as a pilot light: AWS Elastic Disaster Recovery (EDR) is a solution that replicates disk changes to AWS, allowing for quick recovery during a disaster. However, it may not be the most suitable option for a Microsoft SQL Server Standard running on a virtual machine (VM) with specific RPO and RTO requirements. EDR is more commonly used for full infrastructure recovery rather than individual VMs or applications.

D. Use third-party backup software to capture backups every night. Store a secondary set of backups in Amazon S3: Using third-party backup software to capture nightly backups and storing a secondary set in Amazon S3 is a valid backup strategy, but it may not meet the company’s requirement of an RPO of 30 seconds or fewer. Recovering from backups can also take longer than the desired RTO of 60 minutes.

In conclusion, to meet the company’s requirements of improving on-premises disaster recovery with an RPO of 30 seconds or fewer and an RTO of 60 minutes while minimizing costs, the best solution is to configure a warm standby Amazon RDS for SQL Server database on AWS and use AWS Database Migration Service (AWS DMS) with change data capture (CDC) (option B). This solution provides near real-time synchronization, cost-effectiveness, and minimal downtime for disaster recovery.

Explanation 16

The option that will meet the company’s requirements of improving on-premises disaster recovery (DR) configuration with minimal costs, while considering the recovery point objective (RPO) and recovery time objective (RTO), is option B: Configure a warm standby Amazon RDS for SQL Server database on AWS and use AWS Database Migration Service (AWS DMS) with change data capture (CDC).

Here’s a detailed explanation of why this option is the most suitable:

Option A suggests configuring a multi-site active/active setup between the on-premises server and AWS using Microsoft SQL Server Enterprise with Always On availability groups. While this solution provides high availability and fault tolerance, it may not be cost-effective. Microsoft SQL Server Enterprise is an expensive licensing option, and maintaining an active/active setup can result in higher operational costs. Additionally, the RPO and RTO requirements can be met by more cost-efficient alternatives.

Option C suggests using AWS Elastic Disaster Recovery configured to replicate disk changes to AWS as a pilot light. While this option provides a DR solution, it may not be the most suitable choice for the given requirements. AWS Elastic Disaster Recovery is designed for pilot light scenarios where minimal infrastructure is provisioned in the cloud and scaled up during a disaster. However, the RPO requirement of 30 seconds or fewer may not be achievable with this solution.

Option D suggests using third-party backup software to capture backups every night and storing a secondary set of backups in Amazon S3. While this approach provides a form of backup and offsite storage, it does not directly address the RPO and RTO requirements. Recovering from backups can take significant time, resulting in a longer RTO. Additionally, capturing backups every night may not meet the RPO of 30 seconds or fewer.

Option B, on the other hand, suggests configuring a warm standby Amazon RDS for SQL Server database on AWS and utilizing AWS Database Migration Service (AWS DMS) with change data capture (CDC). This solution offers several advantages. By leveraging Amazon RDS for SQL Server, the company can benefit from managed database services, reducing administrative overhead and costs. The warm standby configuration ensures that a synchronized replica of the production database is readily available in AWS, minimizing the RTO. AWS DMS with CDC enables continuous replication of changes from the on-premises database to Amazon RDS, ensuring a low RPO. This solution meets the company’s requirements effectively while considering cost optimization.

In summary, option B provides a cost-effective and efficient solution for the company’s on-premises disaster recovery needs, meeting the RPO and RTO requirements. It leverages Amazon RDS for SQL Server with a warm standby configuration and utilizes AWS DMS with CDC for continuous replication of changes.

Explanation 17

The best solution that will meet the RPO and RTO requirements while also minimizing costs is option B – Configure a warm standby Amazon RDS for SQL Server database on AWS. Configure AWS Database Migration Service (AWS DMS) to use change data capture (CDC).

Here is a detailed explanation:

• Option A requires SQL Server Enterprise, which is more expensive than Standard. It also requires managing VMs in AWS which increases complexity and costs.
• Option B uses Amazon RDS for SQL Server, which is a managed database that handles backups, patch management, hardware provisioning and configuration automatically. This minimizes administrative costs and efforts.
• AWS DMS with CDC provides continuous replication of changes from on-premises to RDS. This ensures an RPO of seconds or less.
• A warm standby RDS instance is ready to failover in minutes, meeting the 60 minute RTO requirement.
• Options C and D do not meet the low RPO requirement. Option D only captures backups nightly so the RPO would be greater than 30 seconds.
• Option B provides the most cost effective HA and DR capabilities that fit the business needs by leveraging managed AWS services like RDS and DMS. This minimizes administrative costs and complexities while meeting the recovery objectives.

Therefore, option B is the most suitable solution as it satisfies all requirements around RPO, RTO and cost optimization for this company’s disaster recovery use case on AWS.

Explanation 18

The best solution that will meet the requirements given is option B – Configure a warm standby Amazon RDS for SQL Server database on AWS. Configure AWS Database Migration Service (AWS DMS) to use change data capture (CDC).

Here is why:

• Using Amazon RDS for SQL Server provides a managed database service hosted on AWS. This minimizes costs and maintenance compared to bringing and managing your own SQL Server VM.
• Configuring the RDS instance as a “warm standby” ensures the database is ready to failover in under an hour to meet the 60 minute RTO. A warm standby is running but not processing transactions for low latency failover.
• AWS DMS with CDC captures transaction logs and changes in near real-time from the on-premises database. This allows the failover database to stay in sync with sub-30 second updates to meet the RPO requirement.
• Options A and C would not meet the stringent RPO and are more complex/costly solutions than needed for this use case. A uses AlwaysOn availability groups which is an Enterprise-only feature. C uses Elastic DR which is best for file/volume replication, not databases.
• Option D fails to meet the 30-second RPO as backups would only occur nightly. It also does not provide a “warm” standby configuration for fast failover times.

Therefore, option B using RDS, DMS, and CDC best meets all requirements of minimizing cost while providing sub-30 second RPO and less than 60 minute RTO for database disaster recovery to AWS. The warm standby ensures rapid failover capability within budget.

Explanation 19

Option B. Configure a warm standby Amazon RDS for SQL Server database on AWS. Configure AWS Database Migration Service (AWS DMS) to use change data capture (CDC).

Explanation:
To meet the company’s requirements of improving its on-premises disaster recovery (DR) configuration with a minimum RPO and RTO, while minimizing costs, Option B is the most suitable solution.

Option A suggests configuring a multi-site active/active setup between the on-premises server and AWS using Microsoft SQL Server Enterprise with Always On availability groups. This option involves using a more expensive edition of SQL Server and may not be cost-effective for the company’s needs.

Option C involves using AWS Elastic Disaster Recovery with a pilot light configuration, where only a minimal set of resources is provisioned in AWS. While it can provide a cost-efficient solution, it may not meet the RPO and RTO requirements as effectively as Option B.

Option D suggests using third-party backup software to capture backups every night and store a secondary set of backups in Amazon S3. While this option provides backup and storage capabilities, it may not offer the desired level of real-time replication and recovery time required by the company.

Option B, on the other hand, involves configuring a warm standby Amazon RDS for SQL Server database on AWS. This setup allows for real-time replication of changes using AWS Database Migration Service (AWS DMS) with change data capture (CDC). CDC captures and replicates only the changes made to the database, reducing the amount of data transferred and improving RPO. With a warm standby configuration, the database is ready for failover within minutes, meeting the desired RTO. This option leverages AWS managed services like RDS and DMS, which can provide a cost-effective and efficient solution for the company’s DR needs.

Therefore, Option B is the most appropriate solution that meets the company’s requirements while minimizing costs.

Reference

• Disaster Recovery Service – AWS Elastic Disaster Recovery – AWS (amazon.com)
• What is Elastic Disaster Recovery? – AWS Elastic Disaster Recovery (amazon.com)
• Disaster recovery overview – AWS Elastic Disaster Recovery (amazon.com)

Amazon AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner certification exam practice question and answer (Q&A) dump with detail explanation and reference available free, helpful to pass the Amazon AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner exam and earn Amazon AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner certification.

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