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Choose database vCore or DTU purchasing models, compute tier and elastic-pool membership from measured resource patterns, isolation needs and predictable workload peaks. This addresses Azure SQL Database service tiers and elastic pools, not the controlling requirement here. Elastic pools share resources across eligible Azure SQL databases; adding a pool cannot eliminate an individual database's workload or resource configuration limits. Prefer: Use supported backup/restore, BACPAC or database-copy methods based on source/target compatibility and offline downtime budget, then validate security, consistency and performance after migration.

Use a current migration assessment to inventory database dependencies, unsupported features, downtime constraints and target platform compatibility before moving data. This addresses Azure SQL migration assessment and feature compatibility, not the controlling requirement here. Successful schema import does not prove that instance-level jobs, security identities and linked dependencies survive a migration. Prefer: Use supported backup/restore, BACPAC or database-copy methods based on source/target compatibility and offline downtime budget, then validate security, consistency and performance after migration.

Size Managed Instance and SQL Server VM compute, storage latency and throughput using performance evidence, including correct storage-layout and platform support limits. This addresses Managed Instance and SQL VM compute storage scaling, not the controlling requirement here. Increasing CPU cannot fix a saturated log throughput budget or a storage path with high sustained write latency. Prefer: Use supported backup/restore, BACPAC or database-copy methods based on source/target compatibility and offline downtime budget, then validate security, consistency and performance after migration.

The job runs on intended databases with controlled concurrency and job history that identifies any failed or skipped target for remediation. This would validate Azure SQL Database elastic jobs for fleet maintenance, but it does not establish the required outcome here. Verify instead: Scheduled maintenance produces validated database results and on-call teams receive accurate failure notifications with safe recovery playbooks.

The maintenance job executes on the approved cadence with least-privilege identity and traceable execution logs without depending on a personal admin login. This would validate SQL Server Agent schedules and job ownership, but it does not establish the required outcome here. Verify instead: Scheduled maintenance produces validated database results and on-call teams receive accurate failure notifications with safe recovery playbooks.

The repaired scheduled job completes reliably and re-executing a partially completed workflow does not double-post or delete unintended data. This would validate SQL Agent job troubleshooting and idempotent maintenance, but it does not establish the required outcome here. Verify instead: Scheduled maintenance produces validated database results and on-call teams receive accurate failure notifications with safe recovery playbooks.

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. This addresses Log shipping health and recovery orchestration, not the controlling requirement here. Log shipping is backup-copy-restore orchestration, not synchronous automatic database failover or a substitute for manual application cutover. Prefer: 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.

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 supported active geo-replication or Azure SQL failover groups with clear primary-secondary roles, read-only routing, connection listeners and manual/automatic recovery procedures.

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 addresses Backup to Azure Blob URL and tested cloud restore, not the controlling requirement here. A backup file's existence or a VERIFYONLY success does not replace a tested full restoration and end-to-end workload check. Prefer: 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.

Inspect backup URL, SAS or managed identity support by SQL version, container permissions, encryption/certificate material, backup headers and RESTORE VERIFYONLY caveats. These checks primarily test Backup to Azure Blob URL and tested cloud restore instead of the critical system behavior in this case. Examine: Inspect shared disk or supported file-share topology, Windows cluster validation, storage permissions, listener name, resource ownership and node failover tests.

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: Inspect shared disk or supported file-share topology, Windows cluster validation, storage permissions, listener name, resource ownership and node failover tests.

Inspect replication state, endpoint listeners, failover policy, allowed data loss, application reconnect errors, secondary region capacity and DNS cache behavior. These checks primarily test Azure SQL Database active geo replication and failover groups instead of the critical system behavior in this case. Examine: Inspect shared disk or supported file-share topology, Windows cluster validation, storage permissions, listener name, resource ownership and node failover tests.

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: Check service tier, available restore points, retention setting, logical server and database permissions, LTR vault policy and restore destination.

Inspect backup URL, SAS or managed identity support by SQL version, container permissions, encryption/certificate material, backup headers and RESTORE VERIFYONLY caveats. These checks primarily test Backup to Azure Blob URL and tested cloud restore instead of the critical system behavior in this case. Examine: Check service tier, available restore points, retention setting, logical server and database permissions, LTR vault policy and restore destination.

Inspect monitor-server history, last backup/copied/restored times, log chain continuity, share access, standby mode and restore delay. These checks primarily test Log shipping health and recovery orchestration instead of the critical system behavior in this case. Examine: Check service tier, available restore points, retention setting, logical server and database permissions, LTR vault policy and restore destination.

Check service tier, available restore points, retention setting, logical server and database permissions, LTR vault policy and restore destination. These checks primarily test Azure SQL automatic PITR and long-term retention instead of the critical system behavior in this case. Examine: Inspect recovery objectives, replication modes, failure domains, backup frequencies, availability SLA, network and DNS cutover plus application dependency map.

Inspect database recovery model, complete backup-chain LSNs, log backup cadence, backup checksums, database state and recovery target. These checks primarily test SQL Server native backup chain and recovery model instead of the critical system behavior in this case. Examine: Inspect recovery objectives, replication modes, failure domains, backup frequencies, availability SLA, network and DNS cutover plus application dependency map.

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

Inspect job history return status, Database Mail profile, operator assignment, alert severity, retry steps, failure branching and delivery errors. These checks primarily test SQL Agent alerts operators and failure notifications instead of the critical system behavior in this case. Examine: Inspect automation account managed identity, runbook schedule, Azure Monitor action group, job output, retry policy, resource locks and target database state.

Inspect elastic job agent setup, target server groups, database-scoped credentials, schedule, job version, execution history and permissions. These checks primarily test Azure SQL Database elastic jobs for fleet maintenance instead of the critical system behavior in this case. Examine: Inspect automation account managed identity, runbook schedule, Azure Monitor action group, job output, retry policy, resource locks and target database state.

Inspect deployment operation results, resource provider error codes, policy denials, what-if diffs, resource locks, template validation and database post-deploy health. These checks primarily test Deployment monitoring rollback and drift reconciliation instead of the critical system behavior in this case. Examine: Inspect automation account managed identity, runbook schedule, Azure Monitor action group, job output, retry policy, resource locks and target database state.

Repeatable deployments create the intended SQL resources in each subscription without silently broadening public network access or replacing production data. This would validate ARM and Bicep declarative Azure SQL provisioning, but it does not establish the required outcome here. Verify instead: A failed deployment is diagnosed without deleting productive data, and the corrected infrastructure remains consistent with reviewed desired state.

The job runs on intended databases with controlled concurrency and job history that identifies any failed or skipped target for remediation. This would validate Azure SQL Database elastic jobs for fleet maintenance, but it does not establish the required outcome here. Verify instead: A failed deployment is diagnosed without deleting productive data, and the corrected infrastructure remains consistent with reviewed desired state.

The repaired scheduled job completes reliably and re-executing a partially completed workflow does not double-post or delete unintended data. This would validate SQL Agent job troubleshooting and idempotent maintenance, but it does not establish the required outcome here. Verify instead: A failed deployment is diagnosed without deleting productive data, and the corrected infrastructure remains consistent with reviewed desired state.

Inspect tenant and server Entra administrator settings, token audience, user mapping, group membership, service principal, role grants and sign-in failures. This choice pertains to Microsoft Entra authentication with contained service identity, not the needed response/evidence pair. Use: Configure database auditing for activity accountability, select Change Tracking or Change Data Capture for supported data-change synchronization, and use ledger only when tamper-evidence requirements justify it. Check: Examine audit destinations, retention and access, captured event classes, Change Tracking version retention, CDC capture jobs, ledger digest verification and application expectations.

Classify sensitive columns, apply supported Dynamic Data Masking only for presentation control, and use encryption or RLS when stronger confidentiality is required. This choice pertains to Dynamic data masking classification and permission differences, not the needed response/evidence pair. Use: Configure database auditing for activity accountability, select Change Tracking or Change Data Capture for supported data-change synchronization, and use ledger only when tamper-evidence requirements justify it. Check: Examine audit destinations, retention and access, captured event classes, Change Tracking version retention, CDC capture jobs, ledger digest verification and application expectations.

Approved applications can query protected columns with authorized client drivers while other SQL readers cannot obtain original plaintext directly. This choice pertains to Always Encrypted client-side protection and enclaves, not the needed response/evidence pair. Use: Configure database auditing for activity accountability, select Change Tracking or Change Data Capture for supported data-change synchronization, and use ledger only when tamper-evidence requirements justify it. Check: Examine audit destinations, retention and access, captured event classes, Change Tracking version retention, CDC capture jobs, ledger digest verification and application expectations.

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: Test availability and recovery plans with realistic but controlled primary outages, application write workload, backups and rollback exercises before claiming a recovery objective. Check: 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. This choice pertains to RPO RTO strategy and availability versus recovery, not the needed response/evidence pair. Use: Test availability and recovery plans with realistic but controlled primary outages, application write workload, backups and rollback exercises before claiming a recovery objective. Check: Examine failover runbook owner, replica health, DNS and application retry time, last confirmed transaction, validation queries and restore evidence.

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: Test availability and recovery plans with realistic but controlled primary outages, application write workload, backups and rollback exercises before claiming a recovery objective. Check: Examine failover runbook owner, replica health, DNS and application retry time, last confirmed transaction, validation queries and restore evidence.

Inspect tenant and server Entra administrator settings, token audience, user mapping, group membership, service principal, role grants and sign-in failures. This choice pertains to Microsoft Entra authentication with contained service identity, not the needed response/evidence pair. Use: Protect targeted sensitive objects through supported SQL encryption functions, key hierarchy and application threat model while distinguishing column encryption from network and storage encryption. Check: Review key hierarchy, certificate availability, encrypted payload format, authorized decryption path, T-SQL function usage, rotation and backup procedures.

Enable supported Transparent Data Encryption and choose managed or customer-managed protectors based on compliance, rotating keys without losing the ability to decrypt database backups. This choice pertains to Transparent data encryption keys and protector lifecycle, not the needed response/evidence pair. Use: Protect targeted sensitive objects through supported SQL encryption functions, key hierarchy and application threat model while distinguishing column encryption from network and storage encryption. Check: Review key hierarchy, certificate availability, encrypted payload format, authorized decryption path, T-SQL function usage, rotation and backup procedures.

Investigators obtain the intended activity or row-change evidence, while tampering or synchronization gaps are detected by the correct feature-specific controls. This choice pertains to Azure SQL auditing ledger and change tracking distinctions, not the needed response/evidence pair. Use: Protect targeted sensitive objects through supported SQL encryption functions, key hierarchy and application threat model while distinguishing column encryption from network and storage encryption. Check: Review key hierarchy, certificate availability, encrypted payload format, authorized decryption path, T-SQL function usage, rotation and backup procedures.