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Configure supported metrics, diagnostic settings and alerts for Azure SQL resources to detect real performance or availability regressions with correct thresholds and missing-data treatment. This addresses Azure Monitor alerts diagnostics and resource metrics, not the controlling requirement here. A low CPU value does not mean an app is healthy; incorrect aggregation or missing telemetry can hide blocked sessions and failures. Prefer: Create a workload baseline and enable appropriate Azure SQL monitoring, including database watcher where supported, to correlate query behavior with resource saturation over time.

Review actual execution plans, predicate sargability, cardinality estimates and suitable index designs before adding indexes or scaling hardware. This addresses Execution plans cardinality and indexing improvements, not the controlling requirement here. A missing-index suggestion is a starting hypothesis, not a license to create every suggested index; SARGable predicates and accurate estimates matter. Prefer: Create a workload baseline and enable appropriate Azure SQL monitoring, including database watcher where supported, to correlate query behavior with resource saturation over time.

Use Resource Governor on supported SQL Server platforms for workload classification and resource controls, while choosing Azure SQL compute tier and database-scoped settings appropriately for PaaS. This addresses Resource Governor and scoped compute configuration, not the controlling requirement here. Resource Governor is not uniformly offered on every Azure SQL service, and workload isolation cannot be achieved simply by setting an unrelated database-scoped knob. Prefer: Create a workload baseline and enable appropriate Azure SQL monitoring, including database watcher where supported, to correlate query behavior with resource saturation over time.

Choose Azure SQL failover groups or active geo-replication according to group-level endpoint continuity, supported replication topology, read scale and application reconnect requirements. This choice pertains to Azure SQL failover groups versus active geo replication decisions, not the needed response/evidence pair. Use: Select a supported HA and disaster recovery architecture from business-defined RPO, RTO, region failure assumptions, planned failover steps and service-specific capabilities. Check: Inspect recovery objectives, replication modes, failure domains, backup frequencies, availability SLA, network and DNS cutover plus application dependency map.

Inspect monitor-server history, last backup/copied/restored times, log chain continuity, share access, standby mode and restore delay. This choice pertains to Log shipping health and recovery orchestration, not the needed response/evidence pair. Use: Select a supported HA and disaster recovery architecture from business-defined RPO, RTO, region failure assumptions, planned failover steps and service-specific capabilities. Check: Inspect recovery objectives, replication modes, failure domains, backup frequencies, availability SLA, network and DNS cutover plus application dependency map.

The SQL Server instance restarts on an eligible node using accessible shared data and log storage while the application resolves the cluster virtual network name. This choice pertains to SQL Server failover cluster instances shared storage constraints, not the needed response/evidence pair. Use: Select a supported HA and disaster recovery architecture from business-defined RPO, RTO, region failure assumptions, planned failover steps and service-specific capabilities. Check: Inspect recovery objectives, replication modes, failure domains, backup frequencies, availability SLA, network and DNS cutover plus application dependency map.

Inspect SESSION_CONTEXT usage, predicate function logic, policy state, object permissions, execution plans and cross-tenant test accounts. These checks primarily test Row-level security and ownership predicates instead of the critical system behavior in this case. Examine: Inspect server-level and database-level firewall rules, private endpoint approval and DNS, VNet/subnet routing, public network access status and certificate validation.

Examine audit destinations, retention and access, captured event classes, Change Tracking version retention, CDC capture jobs, ledger digest verification and application expectations. These checks primarily test Azure SQL auditing ledger and change tracking distinctions instead of the critical system behavior in this case. Examine: Inspect server-level and database-level firewall rules, private endpoint approval and DNS, VNet/subnet routing, public network access status and certificate validation.

Review key hierarchy, certificate availability, encrypted payload format, authorized decryption path, T-SQL function usage, rotation and backup procedures. These checks primarily test Object-level encryption and database cryptographic controls instead of the critical system behavior in this case. Examine: Inspect server-level and database-level firewall rules, private endpoint approval and DNS, VNet/subnet routing, public network access status and certificate validation.

Compare database offering capabilities, deployment parameters, identity, networking, Fabric integration support, source control and tenant governance before provisioning. This choice pertains to Azure SQL deployment automation and Fabric SQL integration boundary, not the needed response/evidence pair. Use: Use a current migration assessment to inventory database dependencies, unsupported features, downtime constraints and target platform compatibility before moving data. Check: Collect source version, compatibility level, blockers, logins, SQL Agent jobs, linked servers, TDE key dependencies, storage size and application integration map.

The deployed database meets compatibility and service-management requirements without unnecessary virtual-machine maintenance or unsupported instance features. This choice pertains to Choosing Azure SQL Database versus Managed Instance versus SQL VM, not the needed response/evidence pair. Use: Use a current migration assessment to inventory database dependencies, unsupported features, downtime constraints and target platform compatibility before moving data. Check: Collect source version, compatibility level, blockers, logins, SQL Agent jobs, linked servers, TDE key dependencies, storage size and application integration map.

Choose a supported online migration path with ongoing data synchronization when a tight outage window requires it, and plan explicit final cutover, validation and rollback checkpoints. This choice pertains to Online migration with controlled cutover and validation, not the needed response/evidence pair. Use: Use a current migration assessment to inventory database dependencies, unsupported features, downtime constraints and target platform compatibility before moving data. Check: Collect source version, compatibility level, blockers, logins, SQL Agent jobs, linked servers, TDE key dependencies, storage size and application integration map.

Inspect shared disk or supported file-share topology, Windows cluster validation, storage permissions, listener name, resource ownership and node failover tests. These checks primarily test SQL Server failover cluster instances shared storage constraints instead of the critical system behavior in this case. Examine: Examine failover runbook owner, replica health, DNS and application retry time, last confirmed transaction, validation queries and restore evidence.

Inspect recovery objectives, replication modes, failure domains, backup frequencies, availability SLA, network and DNS cutover plus application dependency map. These checks primarily test RPO RTO strategy and availability versus recovery instead of the critical system behavior in this case. Examine: Examine failover runbook owner, replica health, DNS and application retry time, last confirmed transaction, validation queries and restore evidence.

Check Managed Instance region pairing, VNet/DNS dependencies, SQL MI link prerequisites where used, migration and failover sequence, replication health and authentication continuity. These checks primarily test Managed Instance hybrid recovery and operational readiness instead of the critical system behavior in this case. Examine: Examine failover runbook owner, replica health, DNS and application retry time, last confirmed transaction, validation queries and restore evidence.

Test availability and recovery plans with realistic but controlled primary outages, application write workload, backups and rollback exercises before claiming a recovery objective. This choice pertains to HA DR tabletop and destructive failure testing, not the needed response/evidence pair. Use: Assess Managed Instance service tiers, built-in availability, failover groups and supported SQL Managed Instance link scenarios for hybrid resilience without inventing unsupported topologies. Check: Check Managed Instance region pairing, VNet/DNS dependencies, SQL MI link prerequisites where used, migration and failover sequence, replication health and authentication continuity.

The intended database replicas transition primary role as designed and application connections reach the listener without unsupported database or instance assumptions. This choice pertains to Always On availability groups on SQL Server VMs and SQL MI links, not the needed response/evidence pair. Use: Assess Managed Instance service tiers, built-in availability, failover groups and supported SQL Managed Instance link scenarios for hybrid resilience without inventing unsupported topologies. Check: Check Managed Instance region pairing, VNet/DNS dependencies, SQL MI link prerequisites where used, migration and failover sequence, replication health and authentication continuity.

Inspect shared disk or supported file-share topology, Windows cluster validation, storage permissions, listener name, resource ownership and node failover tests. This choice pertains to SQL Server failover cluster instances shared storage constraints, not the needed response/evidence pair. Use: Assess Managed Instance service tiers, built-in availability, failover groups and supported SQL Managed Instance link scenarios for hybrid resilience without inventing unsupported topologies. Check: Check Managed Instance region pairing, VNet/DNS dependencies, SQL MI link prerequisites where used, migration and failover sequence, replication health and authentication continuity.

Collect source version, compatibility level, blockers, logins, SQL Agent jobs, linked servers, TDE key dependencies, storage size and application integration map. These checks primarily test Azure SQL migration assessment and feature compatibility instead of the critical system behavior in this case. Examine: Inspect migration replication health, source change rate, lag, database compatibility, authentication, connection-string cutover and residual transaction state.

Inventory SQL Agent, cross-database dependencies, instance features, latency, licensing, OS access and application connection requirements before choosing a target. These checks primarily test Choosing Azure SQL Database versus Managed Instance versus SQL VM instead of the critical system behavior in this case. Examine: Inspect migration replication health, source change rate, lag, database compatibility, authentication, connection-string cutover and residual transaction state.

Measure vCore pressure, memory grants, data and log latency, tempdb contention, IOPS ceilings, disk caching, VM SKU caps and scaling windows. These checks primarily test Managed Instance and SQL VM compute storage scaling instead of the critical system behavior in this case. Examine: Inspect migration replication health, source change rate, lag, database compatibility, authentication, connection-string cutover and residual transaction state.

A documented exercise demonstrates recovery within measured time and data-loss objectives and reveals unmet application dependencies before production emergencies. This choice pertains to HA DR tabletop and destructive failure testing, not the needed response/evidence pair. Use: Plan full, differential and transaction-log backups using appropriate SQL Server recovery model and restore order for the intended point-in-time objective. Check: Inspect database recovery model, complete backup-chain LSNs, log backup cadence, backup checksums, database state and recovery target.

Check service tier, available restore points, retention setting, logical server and database permissions, LTR vault policy and restore destination. This choice pertains to Azure SQL automatic PITR and long-term retention, not the needed response/evidence pair. Use: Plan full, differential and transaction-log backups using appropriate SQL Server recovery model and restore order for the intended point-in-time objective. Check: Inspect database recovery model, complete backup-chain LSNs, log backup cadence, backup checksums, database state and recovery target.

Back up supported SQL Server databases to Azure Blob storage through approved credential or managed identity patterns, then validate access, checksums and test restores from cloud targets. This choice pertains to Backup to Azure Blob URL and tested cloud restore, not the needed response/evidence pair. Use: Plan full, differential and transaction-log backups using appropriate SQL Server recovery model and restore order for the intended point-in-time objective. Check: Inspect database recovery model, complete backup-chain LSNs, log backup cadence, backup checksums, database state and recovery target.

Only approved SQL principals or application clients decrypt the intended data and key rotation retains tested recovery capability. This would validate Object-level encryption and database cryptographic controls, but it does not establish the required outcome here. Verify instead: Approved applications can query protected columns with authorized client drivers while other SQL readers cannot obtain original plaintext directly.

Clients establish the intended authentication method without insecure credential sharing, and failed sign-ins can be tied to the correct principal and database. This would validate SQL authentication versus Entra and managed-instance principals, but it does not establish the required outcome here. Verify instead: Approved applications can query protected columns with authorized client drivers while other SQL readers cannot obtain original plaintext directly.

A previously failing user connects with the correct principal and performs only approved operations after a narrowly scoped corrective change. This would validate Diagnosing login failure and group-based access, but it does not establish the required outcome here. Verify instead: Approved applications can query protected columns with authorized client drivers while other SQL readers cannot obtain original plaintext directly.

Configure supported active geo-replication or Azure SQL failover groups with clear primary-secondary roles, read-only routing, connection listeners and manual/automatic recovery procedures. This addresses Azure SQL Database active geo replication and failover groups, not the controlling requirement here. Geo-replication is normally asynchronous and does not guarantee all uncommitted or recently committed data survives a forced regional failover. Prefer: Assess Managed Instance service tiers, built-in availability, failover groups and supported SQL Managed Instance link scenarios for hybrid resilience without inventing unsupported topologies.

Build and monitor supported SQL Server Always On availability groups on Azure VMs and understand SQL MI link behavior, verifying cluster quorum, replica health, endpoint access and synchronization mode. This addresses Always On availability groups on SQL Server VMs and SQL MI links, not the controlling requirement here. An AG protects replicated user databases and requires cluster/listener configuration; it does not automatically synchronize every SQL Agent job or server-level login. Prefer: Assess Managed Instance service tiers, built-in availability, failover groups and supported SQL Managed Instance link scenarios for hybrid resilience without inventing unsupported topologies.

Select a supported HA and disaster recovery architecture from business-defined RPO, RTO, region failure assumptions, planned failover steps and service-specific capabilities. This addresses RPO RTO strategy and availability versus recovery, not the controlling requirement here. High availability reduces some outages but cannot substitute for recoverable backups after corruption or human deletion; RPO and RTO are separate targets. Prefer: Assess Managed Instance service tiers, built-in availability, failover groups and supported SQL Managed Instance link scenarios for hybrid resilience without inventing unsupported topologies.

Build and monitor supported SQL Server Always On availability groups on Azure VMs and understand SQL MI link behavior, verifying cluster quorum, replica health, endpoint access and synchronization mode. This addresses Always On availability groups on SQL Server VMs and SQL MI links, not the controlling requirement here. An AG protects replicated user databases and requires cluster/listener configuration; it does not automatically synchronize every SQL Agent job or server-level login. Prefer: Configure SQL Server log shipping across supported instances with reliable log backup, copy and restore schedules, delay and standby policies, then test manual recovery and ownership of jobs.

Plan full, differential and transaction-log backups using appropriate SQL Server recovery model and restore order for the intended point-in-time objective. This addresses SQL Server native backup chain and recovery model, not the controlling requirement here. A full backup without subsequent transaction-log backups cannot recover every later transaction; SIMPLE recovery changes log backup support. Prefer: Configure SQL Server log shipping across supported instances with reliable log backup, copy and restore schedules, delay and standby policies, then test manual recovery and ownership of jobs.

Test availability and recovery plans with realistic but controlled primary outages, application write workload, backups and rollback exercises before claiming a recovery objective. This addresses HA DR tabletop and destructive failure testing, not the controlling requirement here. A failover button clicking successfully is not proof the application, authentication, jobs and downstream services all recovered end to end. Prefer: Configure SQL Server log shipping across supported instances with reliable log backup, copy and restore schedules, delay and standby policies, then test manual recovery and ownership of jobs.