Google PCA Manage implementation of cloud architecture Practice Question
A company runs a critical application on Compute Engine with a stateful workload. They want to achieve 99.99% availability within a single region. Which architecture should they recommend?
⚠ Common exam trap
Google Cloud often tests the misconception that more instances or zones automatically increase availability, but the key is the data replication mechanism—regional persistent disks provide synchronous replication, while zonal disks with custom scripts or snapshots introduce data loss or latency that fails the 99.99% SLA.
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
✓
Two instances in different zones with a regional persistent disk attached to the active instance and failover using a load balancer
It uses a regional persistent disk, which synchronously replicates data across two zones within the same region, ensuring data durability and availability. The active instance in one zone attaches the disk, and a load balancer with health checks detects failures and redirects traffic to the standby instance in the other zone, enabling automatic failover to meet the 99.99% availability target.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Two instances in different zones with a zonal persistent disk each and data replication using a custom script
Why it's wrong here
Custom replication is complex and may cause data inconsistencies.
- ✗
One instance in a single zone with a persistent disk snapshot every hour
Why it's wrong here
Single zone failure can cause downtime; snapshots are not live replicas.
- ✓
Two instances in different zones with a regional persistent disk attached to the active instance and failover using a load balancer
Why this is correct
Regional disk replicates data synchronously across zones; load balancer provides automated failover.
- ✗
Four instances across two zones with a regional persistent disk and active-passive failover using a health check
Why it's wrong here
More instances than needed; regional disk is sufficient for two instances.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Google Cloud Compute Options Overview
Key term
Regional
Regional refers to a deployment strategy where cloud resources are distributed across multiple geographic areas to improve availability, reduce latency, and meet compliance requirements.
Key term
Compute Engine
Compute Engine is Google Cloud's Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) offering that lets you create and run virtual machines on Google's infrastructure.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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