Design innovative, scalable, and highly available cloud database solutions →easyMultiple SelectObjective-mapped
PCDE Practice Question: Design innovative, scalable, and highly available cloud database solutions
A startup is building a mobile app with a relational database backend. They expect moderate traffic and need strong consistency, automatic backups, and point-in-time recovery. Which two Google Cloud database services meet these requirements? (Choose TWO.)
⚠ Common exam trap
Google Cloud certifications often test the distinction between relational and NoSQL databases, trapping candidates who assume Firestore or Bigtable can serve as relational backends with strong consistency, when in fact they sacrifice consistency for scalability or are designed for different use cases.
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
✓
Cloud Spanner
Cloud Spanner is correct because it provides strong consistency across globally distributed data using TrueTime and synchronous replication, along with automatic backups and point-in-time recovery. Cloud SQL is correct because it offers fully managed relational databases (MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQL Server) with automated backups and point-in-time recovery, meeting the need for strong consistency and moderate traffic.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Firestore
Why it's wrong here
Document database; no traditional relational model.
- ✓
Cloud Spanner
Why this is correct
Relational, strongly consistent, with backups and PITR.
- ✓
Cloud SQL
Why this is correct
Fully managed relational database with backups and PITR.
- ✗
Cloud Bigtable
Why it's wrong here
NoSQL, not relational.
- ✗
BigQuery
Why it's wrong here
Analytics data warehouse, not transactional.
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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.