Question 1,194 of 1,446
PCDE Monitor and optimize database performance Practice Question
A team is deploying a new application on Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE) that uses Cloud Spanner. They want to minimize latency for read operations. Which Spanner configuration should they use?
⚠ Common exam trap
Google Cloud often tests the misconception that multi-region configurations with leader preference reduce read latency, when in fact leader preference only affects write commit latency, not read latency, and multi-region setups inherently add cross-region latency for reads.
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
✓
Use a single-region instance and configure the leader preference to the application's zone.
Using a single-region Cloud Spanner instance with leader preference set to the zone where the application runs ensures that the leader replica is in the same zone as the application. Strongly consistent reads are served from the leader, so this configuration minimizes read latency by avoiding cross-zone network round trips. Option B is incorrect because a regional instance does not have separate 'read replicas'; all replicas in a regional instance are read-write, and the leader is already in the same region, but specifying 'read replicas' is misleading and not a valid Spanner configuration. Multi-region options (A and D) introduce cross-region latency for strongly consistent reads.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Use a multi-region configuration with default leader preference set to the region where the application runs.
Why it's wrong here
Multi-region configurations add cross-region latency for reads, even with leader preference, because replicas are spread across regions.
- ✗
Use a regional instance with read replicas in the same region.
Why it's wrong here
This option is misleading—Cloud Spanner regional instances do not have separate 'read replicas'; all replicas are read-write. The description implies read-only replicas, which cannot serve strongly consistent reads.
- ✓
Use a single-region instance and configure the leader preference to the application's zone.
Why this is correct
A single-region instance with leader preference set to the application's zone ensures the leader is local, minimizing read latency.
- ✗
Use a single-region instance and enable read-only replicas in multiple zones.
Why it's wrong here
Read-only replicas are used for eventual consistency (stale reads), not strong consistency, and they are not part of a single-region instance.
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Last reviewed: Jun 30, 2026
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