easyMultiple SelectObjective-mapped
Google ACE Practice Question: Migrating an on-premises MySQL database to Cloud…
A company is migrating an on-premises MySQL database to Cloud SQL. Which TWO steps are necessary for setting up ongoing replication from on-premises to Cloud SQL? (Choose 2)
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often confuse 'ongoing replication' with 'one-time migration' and select a dump tool (Option B) or a generic streaming service (Option A), missing that MySQL replication specifically requires binary logs and a Cloud SQL replica instance.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Enable binary logging on the on-premises MySQL server.
MySQL's native replication relies on binary logs (binlogs) to capture all changes on the primary server. Enabling binary logging on the on-premises MySQL server is essential to generate the change stream that Cloud SQL will read and apply for ongoing replication.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Set up a Dataflow pipeline to stream changes.
Why it's wrong here
Dataflow is a unified stream and batch data processing service, not a database replication tool. While Dataflow can analyze or move data between systems, Cloud SQL external replica relies on MySQL native binary log replication over the network, where the Cloud SQL instance acts as a replica I/O and SQL thread. Building a Dataflow pipeline to stream changes would require a separate CDC connector and does not integrate with Cloud SQL's managed replica mechanism.
- ✗
Use pg_dump to export the database.
Why it's wrong here
pg_dump is the logical backup utility for PostgreSQL databases, not MySQL. The correct tool for exporting a MySQL database is mysqldump, and even a dump is insufficient for continuous replication: it captures a point-in-time snapshot, whereas replica setup requires capturing and replaying ongoing binary log events. Using pg_dump would fail because its SQL dialect and metadata format are incompatible with MySQL.
- ✓
Enable binary logging on the on-premises MySQL server.
Why this is correct
Enabling binary logging is the foundational prerequisite for any MySQL replication topology, including Cloud SQL as an external replica. With binary logging enabled, the on-premises MySQL server records all changes in binary log files, and a replica reads those logs to replay transactions; additionally, the server must set a unique server-id and use row-based binary logging (binlog_format=ROW) for consistency. Without it, the Cloud SQL instance cannot receive the change stream needed to stay synchronized.
- ✓
Create a Cloud SQL instance to be the replica.
Why this is correct
Creating a Cloud SQL instance is a required step, but it must be configured as an external replica by pointing it to the on-premises primary server and supplying the replication credentials. This instance is the destination replica that connects to the source's binary log stream, and its version must be compatible with the source MySQL version. Simply creating an instance without enabling binary logging on the source leaves the replica unable to begin the initial synchronization.
- ✗
Establish a Cloud VPN connection between on-premises and Google Cloud.
Why it's wrong here
A Cloud VPN connection can provide private, encrypted connectivity between on-premises and Google Cloud, but it is not a step specific to the MySQL replication setup. Cloud SQL external replication can work over the public internet if the source allows access to the replica's IP, or over private networking using VPC peering; VPN is only one possible transport choice. Moreover, VPN alone does not enable replication unless binary logging and the Cloud SQL replica instance are already configured.
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
This ACE question is part of Courseiva's 769-question bank — original exam-style content with full explanations and wrong-answer analysis, never real exam questions or exam dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This ACE practice question is part of Courseiva's free Google Cloud certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the ACE exam.