AZ-800 Administering Windows Server Hybrid Core Infrastructure Exam

Replication Topology and Failover Configuration

Replication topology is the blueprint that connects your on-premises servers and Azure virtual machines using Storage Replica. It defines how data moves between primary and secondary sites to ensure business continuity. By designing a clear topology, you can plan for both normal operations and unexpected disruptions. This setup helps maintain constant access to critical files and applications.

When you configure replication partnerships, you choose between synchronous replication and asynchronous replication. Synchronous replication writes data to both locations at the same time, ensuring zero data loss. Asynchronous replication writes to the primary site first, then replicates data to the secondary site, which can improve performance. You align your choice with your Recovery Point Objective (RPO) and network capacity. Proper volume selection and alignment help meet your business needs.

Defining replication policies and schedules lets you control how often data is copied to the secondary site. You start by creating a Recovery Services vault in Azure to hold replicated data. Then, you configure replication policies that specify:

• Replication frequency to meet your RPO
• Retention settings to keep recovery points for a set duration
• Bandwidth limits to balance performance and cost

Setting realistic schedules helps ensure data is available when needed without overloading your network.

Preparing for downtime involves planning failover and failback. A planned failover is used during maintenance or migrations and ensures all data is fully synced before switching. An unplanned failback happens after a disaster and may involve some data loss depending on the last sync. In both cases, you validate each step to confirm data integrity. Testing these operations regularly ensures you can restore services with minimal disruption.

Finally, monitoring your replication health and reviewing logs help you detect issues early. Use built-in Azure tools and alerts to track replication status and performance trends. Regular testing of both planned and unplanned scenarios builds confidence in your recovery plan. By following these steps, you ensure that your Storage Replica deployment supports continuous availability and meets your business continuity goals.

Conclusion

In this section, you learned how to design a robust replication topology with Storage Replica, choose between synchronous and asynchronous replication, and configure storage volumes to meet your RPO. You saw how to create replication policies, set schedules, and monitor data movement using a Recovery Services vault. You also explored planned failover and unplanned failback procedures to validate data integrity and maintain business continuity. Regular testing and monitoring complete the strategy, ensuring that your hybrid environment stays resilient and reliable.