PCDE Practice Question: Deploy scalable and highly available databases in Google Cloud
A company runs a critical application on Cloud SQL for MySQL with an HA configuration. They want to test their disaster recovery plan without affecting production. They need to validate that a cross-region read replica can be promoted successfully in the event of a regional outage. Which approach should they take?
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 clone of the cross-region read replica and promote the clone
To test DR without affecting production, you can promote a cross-region read replica to a standalone instance for testing. However, promoting a read replica stops replication and makes it a writable instance. To avoid impacting production, you should create a clone of the cross-region read replica and promote the clone. Alternatively, you can create a snapshot of the replica and restore to a new instance. The safest way is to create a clone from the replica and promote the clone.
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 cross-region read replica to a standalone instance, then re-create the replica after testing
Why it's wrong here
Promoting the production replica interrupts replication and could cause data loss if not recreated quickly.
- ✗
Use point-in-time recovery to restore the primary to a new instance in the secondary region
Why it's wrong here
This tests backup/restore, not read replica promotion.
- ✗
Create a new read replica in the secondary region and promote that
Why it's wrong here
Promoting a new replica also stops replication from the primary, but it's a different replica; however, it does not test the existing DR replica.
- ✓
Create a clone of the cross-region read replica and promote the clone
Why this is correct
Cloning creates an independent copy that can be promoted without affecting the original replica or primary.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This PCDE 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 PCDE exam.