Question 1,030 of 1,446
Manage a solution that can span multiple database technologies →mediumMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped
PCDE Practice Question: Manage a solution that can span multiple database technologies
A Cloud SQL for PostgreSQL instance is experiencing high read traffic. You need to offload read queries and ensure the solution can survive a regional outage. What should you do?
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
✓
Create a cross-region read replica and direct read traffic to it.
Cross-region read replicas serve read traffic and provide disaster recovery if the primary fails. Creating a cross-region read replica reduces read load and can be promoted if the primary region fails. Option D is correct. Option A (Cloud Memorystore cache) reduces latency but does not survive a regional outage. Option B (increasing machine type) helps performance but not regional failover. Option C (same-region read replica) does not survive a regional outage.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Set up Cloud Memorystore as a cache in front of the database.
Why it's wrong here
Cloud Memorystore cache can reduce read latency but does not provide regional disaster recovery; it is not a replica of the database.
- ✗
Increase the machine type of the primary instance to handle the load.
Why it's wrong here
Increasing the machine type improves performance but does not offer any failover capability in a regional outage.
- ✗
Create a read replica in the same region and use it for read queries.
Why it's wrong here
A read replica in the same region can offload read queries but cannot survive a regional outage because it is in the same region.
- ✓
Create a cross-region read replica and direct read traffic to it.
Why this is correct
A cross-region read replica serves read traffic and can be promoted if the primary region fails, meeting both requirements.
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Same concept, more angles
6 more ways this is tested on PCDE
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. An application running on Cloud SQL experiences high read latency. The team wants to offload read traffic from the primary instance and improve performance. Which approach should they take?
medium- ✓ A.Create a single read replica and route read-only queries to it
- B.Add more memory to the primary instance
- C.Enable the query cache
- D.Use Cloud SQL Auth Proxy
Why A: Cloud SQL read replicas allow distributing read traffic, reducing load on the primary instance and improving read performance.
Variation 2. A manufacturing company uses Cloud SQL for PostgreSQL for its inventory system. The database has grown and now experiences high read latency. The team wants to improve read performance without changing application code. Which THREE actions should they consider? (Choose 3)
medium- ✓ A.Add read replicas
- ✓ B.Create appropriate indexes based on query patterns
- C.Migrate to Cloud Spanner
- D.Implement database sharding
- ✓ E.Increase the instance's memory allocation
Why A: Adding read replicas spreads read load, appropriate indexing speeds up queries, and increasing instance memory improves cache hit ratio. Sharding would require application changes.
Variation 3. A Cloud SQL for PostgreSQL instance is experiencing a surge in read traffic. The team wants to offload read queries without affecting write latency. What should they do?
easy- A.Enable automated backups
- ✓ B.Create a same-region read replica
- C.Create a cross-region read replica
- D.Increase the CPU of the primary instance
Why B: Creating read replicas allows distributing read traffic, reducing load on the primary instance for writes. Read replicas are the standard solution for scaling read workloads.
Variation 4. A company is running a Cloud SQL for PostgreSQL database and wants to improve read performance for reporting queries. They have already optimized the queries but still see high CPU usage on the primary instance. What is the most cost-effective solution?
easy- ✓ A.Add a read replica and direct reporting traffic to it.
- B.Enable connection pooling with PgBouncer on the primary.
- C.Increase the memory of the primary instance.
- D.Create a Cloud SQL Auth Proxy and use it for all connections.
Why A: Read replicas offload read traffic from the primary instance, reducing CPU usage without requiring a larger primary instance.
Variation 5. A team runs a Cloud SQL MySQL instance serving an e-commerce application. Read traffic is growing and causing increased latency on the primary instance. They want to offload read queries with minimal application changes. Which solution should they implement?
medium- A.Upgrade the primary instance to a higher machine type
- B.Optimize slow queries using EXPLAIN ANALYZE and add indexes
- C.Enable connection pooling with Cloud SQL Auth Proxy and PgBouncer
- ✓ D.Create Cloud SQL read replicas and direct read-only queries to them
Why D: Cloud SQL read replicas are designed to offload read traffic from the primary instance. The application can be configured to send read-only queries to the replica endpoint. Connection pooling with PgBouncer helps with connection management but does not offload reads. Query optimization reduces load but doesn't scale reads. Read replicas are the standard solution.
Variation 6. A company wants to use Cloud SQL for MySQL to serve a read-heavy application. They need to ensure high availability and offload read traffic. Which TWO steps should they take? (Choose two.)
medium- A.Schedule on-demand backups daily
- B.Create a cross-region read replica
- ✓ C.Create a same-region read replica
- D.Enable auto-storage increase
- ✓ E.Enable high availability (HA) configuration on the primary instance
Why C: To ensure high availability, create a Cloud SQL HA configuration (regional instance with standby). To offload read traffic, create read replicas. Cross-region replicas are for disaster recovery but add latency. On-demand backups are for data protection, not availability. Auto-storage increase is for storage management.
Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
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