- A
Cloud Monitoring (Stackdriver) dashboards for Spanner.
Why wrong: Monitoring provides aggregate metrics, not per-query breakdown.
- B
Key Visualizer for Bigtable.
Why wrong: Key Visualizer is for Bigtable, not Spanner.
- C
Cloud Logging with query logs.
Why wrong: Logs include query text but not structured CPU consumption per query. Query Insights is purpose-built.
- D
Query Insights for Spanner.
Query Insights provides detailed per-query metrics including CPU and latency.
PCD Practice Question: Deploy Scalable and Highly Available Databases in Google Cloud
This PCD practice question tests your understanding of deploy scalable and highly available databases in google cloud. Examine the command output carefully: the correct answer depends on what the output actually shows, not on general recall alone. 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 engineer notices high CPU utilization on a Cloud Spanner instance and wants to identify the queries consuming the most resources. Which tool should they use?
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
Query Insights for Spanner.
Cloud Spanner's Query Insights provides query performance statistics, including CPU usage, latency, and execution counts. It helps identify problematic queries. Stackdriver (Cloud Monitoring) shows overall metrics but not per-query details. Key Visualizer is for Bigtable. Cloud Logging can show logs but not specific query resource consumption.
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.
- ✗
Cloud Monitoring (Stackdriver) dashboards for Spanner.
Why it's wrong here
Monitoring provides aggregate metrics, not per-query breakdown.
- ✗
Key Visualizer for Bigtable.
Why it's wrong here
Key Visualizer is for Bigtable, not Spanner.
- ✗
Cloud Logging with query logs.
Why it's wrong here
Logs include query text but not structured CPU consumption per query. Query Insights is purpose-built.
- ✓
Query Insights for Spanner.
Why this is correct
Query Insights provides detailed per-query metrics including CPU and latency.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
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.
- Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
- Underline the problem statement mentally.
- 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.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which PCD exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this PCD question test?
Deploy Scalable and Highly Available Databases in Google Cloud — This question tests Deploy Scalable and Highly Available Databases in Google Cloud — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Query Insights for Spanner. — Cloud Spanner's Query Insights provides query performance statistics, including CPU usage, latency, and execution counts. It helps identify problematic queries. Stackdriver (Cloud Monitoring) shows overall metrics but not per-query details. Key Visualizer is for Bigtable. Cloud Logging can show logs but not specific query resource consumption.
What should I do if I get this PCD question wrong?
Identify which PCD exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
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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