- A
Promote the read replica to become the primary if us-central1 fails
Promoting the replica makes it the new primary; this is the failover step.
- B
Use a load balancer to automatically route traffic to the replica during failover
Why wrong: Cloud SQL does not support automatic cross-region failover via load balancers; promotion is manual.
- C
Enable cross-region HA in the Cloud SQL instance settings
Why wrong: Cloud SQL HA is within a region only; cross-region HA is not a built-in feature.
- D
Configure synchronous replication between the two regions
Why wrong: Cloud SQL cross-region replicas use asynchronous replication only.
- E
Create a cross-region read replica in us-west1
A cross-region read replica serves as a standby for disaster recovery.
Question 628 of 999
PCD Practice Question: Design Scalable and Highly Available Cloud Database Solutions
This PCD practice question tests your understanding of design scalable and highly available cloud database solutions. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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.
You need to set up disaster recovery for a Cloud SQL for PostgreSQL instance that is currently configured with a HA instance in us-central1. You want a standby in a different region (us-west1) with automated failover. Which two steps should you take? (Choose TWO.)
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
✓
Promote the read replica to become the primary if us-central1 fails
Option A is correct because promoting a cross-region read replica to primary is the standard method for manual or automated failover in Cloud SQL for PostgreSQL when the primary region fails. Cloud SQL does not support automatic cross-region failover; you must use a read replica and promote it to take over as the new primary instance.
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.
- ✓
Promote the read replica to become the primary if us-central1 fails
Why this is correct
Promoting the replica makes it the new primary; this is the failover step.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Use a load balancer to automatically route traffic to the replica during failover
Why it's wrong here
Cloud SQL does not support automatic cross-region failover via load balancers; promotion is manual.
- ✗
Enable cross-region HA in the Cloud SQL instance settings
Why it's wrong here
Cloud SQL HA is within a region only; cross-region HA is not a built-in feature.
- ✗
Configure synchronous replication between the two regions
Why it's wrong here
Cloud SQL cross-region replicas use asynchronous replication only.
- ✓
Create a cross-region read replica in us-west1
Why this is correct
A cross-region read replica serves as a standby for disaster recovery.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
A common misconception is that Cloud SQL supports cross-region HA or synchronous replication, but the only viable cross-region DR strategy is promoting a read replica, which requires manual or automated intervention.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Cloud SQL cross-region read replicas use PostgreSQL's streaming replication protocol asynchronously, meaning there is a replication lag that can be minutes behind in worst-case scenarios. When you promote a read replica, it breaks the replication link and becomes a standalone primary instance, which requires updating application connection strings or DNS to point to the new primary. In a real-world scenario, you would automate this promotion using Cloud Functions or a third-party tool like HashiCorp Consul to detect primary failure and trigger the promotion.
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 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 exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this PCD question test?
Design Scalable and Highly Available Cloud Database Solutions — This question tests Design Scalable and Highly Available Cloud Database Solutions — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Promote the read replica to become the primary if us-central1 fails — Option A is correct because promoting a cross-region read replica to primary is the standard method for manual or automated failover in Cloud SQL for PostgreSQL when the primary region fails. Cloud SQL does not support automatic cross-region failover; you must use a read replica and promote it to take over as the new primary instance.
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.
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
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