Google PCA Manage implementation of cloud architecture Practice Question
An organization has deployed a multi-region Cloud Spanner instance for a global application. The application is experiencing high latency for read requests from a specific region. The team has verified that the application is using stale reads and the data distribution is even. What is the most likely cause of the high latency?
⚠ Common exam trap
Google Cloud often tests the misconception that adding more nodes or read replicas solves regional latency, when the real issue is the absence of a local replica in the specific region.
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
✓
The Spanner instance does not have a read replica in a location close to the clients.
Cloud Spanner uses a single global configuration with regional read replicas. If the instance does not have a read replica in the region where the clients are located, read requests must traverse the network to a replica in another region, causing higher latency. Even with stale reads, the physical distance to the nearest replica directly impacts read latency.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
The number of read replicas in the region is insufficient to handle the read volume.
Why it's wrong here
While more replicas can help, the primary cause is likely the distance to the nearest replica.
- ✗
The Spanner instance has too few nodes, causing contention.
Why it's wrong here
Contention typically affects write latency, not stale reads.
- ✗
The application is using read-write transactions instead of read-only transactions.
Why it's wrong here
Read-write transactions involve strong reads and may increase latency, but the question states the application is using stale reads.
- ✓
The Spanner instance does not have a read replica in a location close to the clients.
Why this is correct
Adding a read replica in the region reduces network round-trip time, lowering read latency.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Introduction to Google Cloud Platform
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
Spanner
Google Cloud's globally distributed, strongly consistent, and horizontally scalable database service designed for mission-critical, transactional workloads.
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