Google ACE Practice Question: Migrate an on-premises MySQL database to Cloud…

Answer analysis

Option-by-option breakdown

For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.

• ✗

  Cloud SQL for MySQL

  Why it's wrong here

  Cloud SQL for MySQL is the fully managed database service you would normally use as the destination for this migration, but it is not itself a migration tool. Selecting this option would leave you without a migration path: you would need to manually export your existing database using mysqldump or import the data, which risks downtime and manual coordination. The correct approach is to use Database Migration Service to automate the connection and data transfer into Cloud SQL, so Cloud SQL is the target, not the mechanism.

• ✗

  Cloud SQL with external replicas

  Why it's wrong here

  There is no Google Cloud product called 'Cloud SQL with external replicas'; replicas are an optional feature of Cloud SQL, not a migration tool. Cloud SQL does support a topology where an external MySQL instance can be configured as a replica of a Cloud SQL primary, but that replicates data outbound from Cloud SQL to a server you control rather than bringing your existing on-prem data into Cloud SQL. Replicas are useful for read scaling or disaster recovery, but they do not handle the initial load, ongoing binlog sync, or cutover required to migrate an existing MySQL database into Cloud SQL.

• ✓

  Database Migration Service

  Why this is correct

  Database Migration Service is the correct answer because it is a fully managed service that migrates MySQL (and other databases) from an on-premises source to Cloud SQL with minimal downtime. It works by taking an initial consistent snapshot of your source database, then continuously applying ongoing changes via the source's binary logging (binlog) until you're ready for a one-time cutover. This eliminates the need to manually coordinate export and import jobs, and it keeps your application online for the vast majority of the migration window.

• ✗

  Compute Engine with MySQL installed

  Why it's wrong here

  Installing MySQL on a Compute Engine VM is not a migration tool; it is a self-managed infrastructure choice that would require you to build the database from scratch and then manually move your data. You would have to export your on-premises data to a dump file, transfer that dump to the VM, and import it, all while stopping writes to avoid data inconsistency, which leads to significant downtime. Even after the move, you would be responsible for patching, backups, and high availability, whereas Google's managed services like Cloud SQL with Database Migration Service handle those operational burdens.

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