- A
Use BigQuery federated queries to query Cloud SQL directly
Federated queries allow analytics without data movement.
- B
Use Cloud Spanner for OLTP instead
Why wrong: This changes the architecture, not a direct solution.
- C
Create a Cloud SQL read replica and run analytics on it
Read replicas handle read queries without affecting primary.
- D
Use BigQuery Omni
Why wrong: Omni is for cross-cloud queries, not Cloud SQL.
- E
Enable Cloud SQL automatic storage increase
Why wrong: Storage increase does not offload queries.
Question 517 of 999
PCD Practice Question: Manage a Solution that Can Span Multiple Database Systems
This PCD practice question tests your understanding of manage a solution that can span multiple database systems. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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.
An application uses Cloud SQL MySQL for OLTP and wants to run analytics queries without impacting performance. Which TWO approaches can achieve this? (Select 2)
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 BigQuery federated queries to query Cloud SQL directly
Option A is correct because BigQuery federated queries allow you to query Cloud SQL MySQL in real time using BigQuery's SQL engine, without moving data. This enables analytics on live OLTP data while offloading the query processing to BigQuery, thus avoiding performance impact on the Cloud SQL instance. Option C is correct because a Cloud SQL read replica is a separate read-only copy of the primary instance; running analytics queries on the replica prevents resource contention with OLTP write operations.
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.
- ✓
Use BigQuery federated queries to query Cloud SQL directly
Why this is correct
Federated queries allow analytics without data movement.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Use Cloud Spanner for OLTP instead
Why it's wrong here
This changes the architecture, not a direct solution.
- ✓
Create a Cloud SQL read replica and run analytics on it
Why this is correct
Read replicas handle read queries without affecting primary.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Use BigQuery Omni
Why it's wrong here
Omni is for cross-cloud queries, not Cloud SQL.
- ✗
Enable Cloud SQL automatic storage increase
Why it's wrong here
Storage increase does not offload queries.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Candidates often mistakenly think that any BigQuery feature (like Omni) can query Cloud SQL, or that Cloud Spanner is a suitable analytics target, when the correct approaches are limited to read replicas and federated queries for direct, non-disruptive analytics.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
BigQuery federated queries use the BigQuery Storage API to push down filtering and aggregation to Cloud SQL via a JDBC connection, but they still consume some CPU and IO on the source database for each query. Cloud SQL read replicas use MySQL native replication (asynchronous or semi-synchronous) to maintain a near-real-time copy; analytics queries on the replica can be throttled using MySQL resource groups or query limits to avoid replica lag. In practice, for heavy analytics, exporting data to BigQuery via a Dataflow pipeline is often preferred over federated queries to fully isolate workloads.
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 media company stores terabytes of video archives that are accessed once a year for audit purposes. Moving these objects to a cold storage tier (Azure Archive, S3 Glacier, or Google Nearline) costs a fraction of hot storage. Questions like this test whether you understand storage tiers, access frequency tradeoffs, and retrieval latency requirements.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this PCD question test?
Manage a Solution that Can Span Multiple Database Systems — This question tests Manage a Solution that Can Span Multiple Database Systems — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Use BigQuery federated queries to query Cloud SQL directly — Option A is correct because BigQuery federated queries allow you to query Cloud SQL MySQL in real time using BigQuery's SQL engine, without moving data. This enables analytics on live OLTP data while offloading the query processing to BigQuery, thus avoiding performance impact on the Cloud SQL instance. Option C is correct because a Cloud SQL read replica is a separate read-only copy of the primary instance; running analytics queries on the replica prevents resource contention with OLTP write operations.
What should I do if I get this PCD 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.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
This PCD 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 PCD exam.
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