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GCDL Practice Question: A company runs a mission-critical PostgreSQL…
This GCDL practice question tests your understanding of a company runs a mission-critical postgresql…. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A company runs a mission-critical PostgreSQL database on Google Cloud that must support automatic failover to a standby instance within 60 seconds if the primary instance fails, with minimal data loss. Which Cloud SQL configuration satisfies this high availability requirement?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Good practice is not just finding the correct option. The wrong answers often show the exact trap the exam wants you to fall into.
A
Best answer
Cloud SQL High Availability configuration with a synchronously replicated standby instance that automatically promotes to primary within approximately 60 seconds of primary failure
Cloud SQL HA is precisely the right answer. It maintains a standby instance in the same region with synchronous replication, automatically detects primary failure, and promotes the standby without manual intervention. Failover typically completes within 60 seconds, meeting the stated RTO with minimal data loss (synchronous replication means near-zero RPO).
B
Distractor review
Cloud SQL read replicas in another region, manually promoted if the primary fails
Read replicas use asynchronous replication (potential data loss) and require manual promotion (doesn't meet automatic failover requirement). Cross-region replicas are for disaster recovery, not fast automatic HA failover within a region.
C
Distractor review
Running a self-managed PostgreSQL cluster on Compute Engine VMs with a custom pacemaker/corosync HA setup
Custom HA setups on VMs are technically possible but require significant engineering effort and operational expertise to maintain. Cloud SQL HA provides the same capability as a fully managed service without custom HA infrastructure management.
D
Distractor review
Cloud SQL with automated daily backups, restoring from backup if the primary fails
Automated backups enable point-in-time recovery but restoration takes significant time (minutes to hours depending on database size) — far exceeding the 60-second RTO requirement. Backups address data loss (RPO), not rapid automatic failover (RTO).
Common exam trap
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Technical deep dive
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
- Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
- Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
- Underline the problem statement mentally.
- Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
- Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Related practice questions
Related GCDL practice-question pages
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More questions from this exam
Keep practising from the same exam bank, or move into a focused topic page if this question exposed a weak area.
Question 1
A traditional retailer currently maintains its own data centers, purchasing servers every 3–5 years and paying for facilities, power, and staff regardless of demand. When it migrates its workloads to the public cloud, which change in cost model does it experience?
Question 2
An e-commerce company plans its infrastructure for peak shopping events (e.g., Black Friday) which drive 50× normal traffic. On-premises, they must maintain 50× capacity year-round. In the cloud, they provision 50× capacity only during peak periods. Which cloud characteristic enables this cost optimization?
Question 3
Which term describes the process by which organizations integrate digital technology into all areas of their business, fundamentally changing how they operate and deliver value to customers?
Question 4
When a company moves from maintaining its own data center to using Google Cloud, which operational responsibility does Google assume that the company previously managed?
Question 5
A hospital runs a patient records system that must remain on-premises due to strict regulatory data residency requirements. However, they also want to use cloud-based AI for diagnostic imaging analysis. Which cloud deployment model best describes their architecture?
Question 6
What is virtualization in the context of cloud computing, and why is it fundamental to how cloud providers deliver services?
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this GCDL question test?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Cloud SQL High Availability configuration with a synchronously replicated standby instance that automatically promotes to primary within approximately 60 seconds of primary failure — Cloud SQL High Availability (HA) with a failover replica in the same region provides automatic failover. When the primary fails, Cloud SQL automatically promotes the standby to primary, typically within 60 seconds. The HA configuration uses synchronous replication to minimize data loss (RPO near-zero). This is Cloud SQL's built-in HA mechanism for production PostgreSQL workloads.
What should I do if I get this GCDL question wrong?
Identify which GCDL exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
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This GCDL 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 GCDL exam.