Google PCA Practice Question: Analysing and Optimising Technical and Business Processes
A company wants to optimise costs for their BigQuery workloads. They have a predictable set of queries that run every hour, with occasional ad-hoc queries from analysts. They want to reduce the cost of the scheduled queries while keeping the ad-hoc queries cost-effective. Which pricing model should they choose?
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
✓
Use Editions with a baseline of reserved slots for scheduled queries and allow autoscaling for ad-hoc
BigQuery slot reservations (editions) allow allocating dedicated slots for predictable workloads, with separate pricing for ad-hoc queries (on-demand). Flat-rate pricing is cheaper for large steady-state usage but may waste slots during idle time. On-demand is pay-per-query; for predictable queries, it may be expensive. The best approach is to use a hybrid: reserved slots for scheduled queries and on-demand for ad-hoc.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Use Editions with a baseline of reserved slots for scheduled queries and allow autoscaling for ad-hoc
Why this is correct
Editions allow reserving slots for predictable workloads and autoscaling for spikes, optimising cost and performance.
- ✗
On-demand pricing
Why it's wrong here
On-demand pricing charges per query. For predictable queries, costs can be high compared to flat-rate for steady usage.
- ✗
Use committed use discounts on slots
Why it's wrong here
Committed use discounts apply to slot reservations but don't differentiate between scheduled and ad-hoc. They are an add-on to pricing models, not a pricing model themselves.
- ✗
Flat-rate pricing (slot reservations) for all queries
Why it's wrong here
Flat-rate pricing is cost-effective for large steady usage, but if ad-hoc queries are infrequent, unused slots are wasted.
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