Database Replication Techniques for BC/DR

1. In snapshot replication, when is the replica database brought into sync with the primary?

At scheduled intervals by copying the entire database snapshot

Continuously as each transaction commits

Only when the primary fails

During the initial setup only

2. What is the key difference between a backup and a replication strategy in disaster recovery?

Replication provides real-time copies; backups are point-in-time snapshots

Backups are faster to implement than replication

Replication only works within the same data center

Backups eliminate the need for transaction logs

3. Which consistency guarantee ensures that once a write is acknowledged, all subsequent reads see that write?

Strong consistency

Weak consistency

Eventual consistency

Causal consistency

4. In a cascade replication topology, replica A replicates to replica B. What is a potential risk?

Increased replication lag and potential data inconsistency

Automatic failover to replica A

Reduced storage capacity on replica B

Faster replication than master-slave topology

5. What is the purpose of write-ahead logging (WAL) in database replication?

Ensuring durability and allowing recovery by replaying logs

Increasing replication throughput

Reducing primary database CPU usage

Compressing database files

6. Which disaster recovery strategy involves maintaining a fully operational standby database ready for immediate failover?

Hot standby or warm standby

Cold backup strategy

Snapshot-only recovery

Manual restoration approach

7. What mechanism ensures that a replica catches up with the primary after temporary disconnection?

Log replay or resynchronization

Complete database restore

Network bandwidth allocation

Application-level caching

8. In geographic replication, what is the primary concern affecting synchronous replication across distant data centers?

Network latency causing performance degradation

Increased disk space requirements

Higher application licensing fees

Reduced database security

9. What role does a heartbeat mechanism play in replication monitoring?

Detecting primary failure by monitoring periodic signals from primary to replica

Compressing replication data during transmission

Encrypting sensitive data in transit

Balancing read requests across replicas

10. Which of the following is a benefit of using read replicas in a replication strategy?

Distributing read load and reducing primary database strain

Eliminating the need for backups

Automatically preventing data corruption

Removing the requirement for transaction logs

11. What is the primary difference between synchronous and asynchronous database replication?

Synchronous waits for replica acknowledgment before committing; asynchronous commits immediately

Asynchronous is faster but synchronous guarantees zero data loss

Synchronous replicates only schema; asynchronous replicates data

Asynchronous requires more network bandwidth than synchronous

12. What is a split-brain condition in database replication?

Two nodes both acting as primary, causing conflicting writes

Replication lag exceeding network latency

Backup files stored in different locations

Replica unable to connect to primary

13. Which replication lag metric is critical for applications requiring near-real-time data?

Replication latency

Network bandwidth

Disk I/O throughput

CPU utilization percentage

14. In a failover scenario, what must occur before a standby replica becomes the new primary?

Promotion and ensuring no split-brain situation

Complete reindex of all tables

Deletion of transaction logs

Restart of all application servers

15. What is the main advantage of log-based replication over statement-based replication?

Smaller replication traffic and fewer conflicts

Faster initial synchronization

Support for non-deterministic functions

Lower CPU usage on the primary

16. Which consistency model allows reads to see uncommitted writes from concurrent transactions?

Strong consistency

Eventual consistency

Read-your-writes consistency

Causal consistency

17. In multi-master replication, what is the primary challenge that must be addressed?

Write conflicts and data consistency

Increased storage requirements

Slower read performance

Higher licensing costs

18. What does RPO measure in business continuity planning?

The maximum acceptable data loss measured in time

The time required to restore all database replicas

The number of replication failures per month

The bandwidth allocated to replication traffic

19. Which replication topology allows multiple replicas to receive writes from a single primary?

Master-slave replication

Peer-to-peer replication

Cascade replication

Ring replication

20. In a disaster recovery scenario, what does RTO stand for?

Recovery Time Objective

Replication Throughput Optimization

Remote Transaction Operations

Replica Transfer Output

DataSys+ Database Replication Techniques Quiz