- A
Configure the application to automatically promote the Cloud SQL cross-region replica to a primary instance when the primary region is unavailable.
Correct. Promoting a Cloud SQL cross-region replica to a primary instance is the standard DR procedure. Automation via Cloud Functions or Cloud Run reduces RTO. However, cross-region replication is asynchronous, so some data loss is possible.
- B
Configure Cloud SQL cross-region replication to be synchronous to ensure zero data loss during failover.
Why wrong: Incorrect. Cross-region replication is always asynchronous due to latency, so synchronous replication is not possible. Zero data loss cannot be guaranteed.
- C
Configure an external HTTP(S) load balancer with a backend service pointing to both the primary and secondary GKE clusters, and use a DNS failover policy to route traffic to the secondary region if the primary region becomes unhealthy.
Correct. An external HTTP(S) load balancer with a backend service pointing to both primary and secondary GKE clusters, combined with a DNS failover policy, allows traffic to be routed away from an unhealthy region.
- D
Deploy a secondary GKE cluster in the same region as the primary to provide a hot standby that can take over immediately.
Why wrong: Incorrect. A secondary cluster in the same region does not help during a regional outage; it must be in a different region.
- E
Use a TCP/UDP load balancer to route traffic to both regions based on latency.
Why wrong: Incorrect. A TCP/UDP load balancer with latency-based routing does not perform health-based failover; it may still route to an unhealthy region if latency is low.
How to Ensure Application Survival During a Regional Outage with GKE and Cloud SQL
This PCA practice question tests your understanding of ensure solution and operations reliability. 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 has deployed a critical application on Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE) with a Regional cluster (us-central1). The application uses a Cloud SQL for PostgreSQL database with a cross-region replica for disaster recovery. The SRE team needs to ensure that the application can survive a regional outage with minimal data loss. Which TWO actions should the team take to improve the reliability of the solution?
Quick Answer
The answer is to configure an external HTTP(S) load balancer with a backend service pointing to both primary and secondary GKE clusters, and use a DNS failover policy to route traffic to the secondary region if the primary becomes unhealthy, while also automating the promotion of the Cloud SQL cross-region replica to a primary instance. This combination works because the load balancer and DNS failover handle traffic redirection at the network edge, while promoting the cross-region replica ensures the database remains available with minimal data loss, limited only by replication lag. On the Google Professional Cloud Architect exam, this scenario tests your understanding of multi-region resilience patterns, specifically how to pair stateless GKE failover with stateful Cloud SQL disaster recovery using cross-region replicas. A common trap is assuming a single global load balancer alone handles database failover, but the database promotion is a separate, critical action. Memory tip: “Traffic first, data second” — route users to the healthy region, then promote the database replica.
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
Configure the application to automatically promote the Cloud SQL cross-region replica to a primary instance when the primary region is unavailable.
To survive a regional outage with minimal data loss, two key actions are needed: (1) Automate promotion of the Cloud SQL cross-region replica to primary when the primary region fails (Option A) – this is the standard Cloud SQL DR procedure; automation via Cloud Functions/Cloud Run reduces RTO. Note that cross-region replication is asynchronous, so some data loss (replication lag) is possible. (2) Deploy a multi-region GKE cluster pair (primary and secondary) and use an external HTTP(S) load balancer with a backend service pointing to both clusters, combined with a DNS failover policy (Option C) – this allows the load balancer to detect primary region health and route traffic to the secondary region if needed. Options B is wrong because cross-region replication cannot be synchronous. Option D is wrong because a secondary cluster in the same region does not help during a regional outage. Option E is wrong because a TCP/UDP load balancer with latency-based routing does not provide failover based on region health.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Configure the application to automatically promote the Cloud SQL cross-region replica to a primary instance when the primary region is unavailable.
Why this is correct
Correct. Promoting a Cloud SQL cross-region replica to a primary instance is the standard DR procedure. Automation via Cloud Functions or Cloud Run reduces RTO. However, cross-region replication is asynchronous, so some data loss is possible.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Configure Cloud SQL cross-region replication to be synchronous to ensure zero data loss during failover.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. Cross-region replication is always asynchronous due to latency, so synchronous replication is not possible. Zero data loss cannot be guaranteed.
- ✓
Configure an external HTTP(S) load balancer with a backend service pointing to both the primary and secondary GKE clusters, and use a DNS failover policy to route traffic to the secondary region if the primary region becomes unhealthy.
Why this is correct
Correct. An external HTTP(S) load balancer with a backend service pointing to both primary and secondary GKE clusters, combined with a DNS failover policy, allows traffic to be routed away from an unhealthy region.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Deploy a secondary GKE cluster in the same region as the primary to provide a hot standby that can take over immediately.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. A secondary cluster in the same region does not help during a regional outage; it must be in a different region.
- ✗
Use a TCP/UDP load balancer to route traffic to both regions based on latency.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. A TCP/UDP load balancer with latency-based routing does not perform health-based failover; it may still route to an unhealthy region if latency is low.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often assume synchronous replication is possible across regions for zero data loss, but in practice, cross-region replication is always asynchronous due to the speed of light and network latency constraints.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Cloud SQL cross-region replication uses asynchronous replication with a configurable replication lag threshold (default 100 seconds) to balance performance and data loss. When promoting a replica, the operation stops replication and makes the replica a writable primary; any unreplicated transactions are lost, so the RPO is determined by the lag at the time of failure. Automating this promotion via a health-check-driven Cloud Function can reduce RTO to minutes, but the team must also update application connection strings or use a proxy that handles failover transparently.
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.
TExam Day Tips
- 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.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A cloud solutions architect for a retail company is evaluating services for a new workload. The correct answer here reflects best practice for the specific scenario described — not a general cloud recommendation. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Cloud exam questions reward reading the constraint carefully: the same technology can be right or wrong depending on the use case.
Visual reference
Quick reference
Cloud Service Model Comparison
| Model | You Manage | Provider Manages | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| IaaS | OS, runtime, apps, data | Hardware, hypervisor, networking | EC2, Azure VMs, GCP Compute Engine |
| PaaS | Apps and data | OS, runtime, middleware, hardware | Elastic Beanstalk, Azure App Service |
| SaaS | Data and settings only | Everything else | Microsoft 365, Salesforce, Workday |
| FaaS / Serverless | Function code only | Infra, scaling, runtime | Lambda, Azure Functions, Cloud Run |
| CaaS | Containers and apps | Kubernetes, OS, hardware | EKS, AKS, GKE |
What to study next
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this PCA question test?
Ensure solution and operations reliability — This question tests Ensure solution and operations reliability — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Configure the application to automatically promote the Cloud SQL cross-region replica to a primary instance when the primary region is unavailable. — To survive a regional outage with minimal data loss, two key actions are needed: (1) Automate promotion of the Cloud SQL cross-region replica to primary when the primary region fails (Option A) – this is the standard Cloud SQL DR procedure; automation via Cloud Functions/Cloud Run reduces RTO. Note that cross-region replication is asynchronous, so some data loss (replication lag) is possible. (2) Deploy a multi-region GKE cluster pair (primary and secondary) and use an external HTTP(S) load balancer with a backend service pointing to both clusters, combined with a DNS failover policy (Option C) – this allows the load balancer to detect primary region health and route traffic to the secondary region if needed. Options B is wrong because cross-region replication cannot be synchronous. Option D is wrong because a secondary cluster in the same region does not help during a regional outage. Option E is wrong because a TCP/UDP load balancer with latency-based routing does not provide failover based on region health.
What should I do if I get this PCA question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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