PCDE Plan and manage database infrastructure Practice Question
This PCDE practice question tests your understanding of plan and manage database infrastructure. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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.
Refer to the exhibit. A database administrator notices that the Spanner instance has only 3 nodes, but the application experiences high read latency during peak hours. The team needs to improve performance without over-provisioning. What should they do?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Create a secondary index
Option E is correct because creating a secondary index on frequently queried columns allows Spanner to avoid full table scans, reducing read latency without increasing nodes. Option A (increase node count) would provision more compute and storage capacity, but if CPU utilization is not high, it constitutes over-provisioning. Option B (interleaved table) improves performance for parent-child joins but does not help general read queries. Option C (enable point-in-time recovery) adds storage costs for versioned data without directly improving read latency. Option D (change to multi-region configuration) increases write latency and cost due to replication across regions, and may not reduce read latency in a single-region setup.
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.
✗
Increase node count to 6
Why it's wrong here
Over-provisioning if CPU usage is not high; may not address query inefficiency.
✗
Use an interleaved table
Why it's wrong here
Interleaved tables improve join locality but do not directly reduce latency for simple reads.
✗
Enable point-in-time recovery
Why it's wrong here
PITR adds storage and operational cost; does not affect current read performance.
✗
Change to a multi-region configuration
Why it's wrong here
Multi-region increases write latency and cost; not the best solution for read-only performance issues.
✓
Create a secondary index
Why this is correct
Secondary indexes enable faster lookups and avoid full table scans, improving read latency.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
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.
Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
→Underline the problem statement mentally.
→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 startup's cloud architect reviews their monthly bill and notices costs are higher than expected for a long-running batch job. Switching from on-demand instances to Reserved Instances — or using Spot/Preemptible VMs — can reduce compute costs by up to 72 %. Questions like this test whether you understand the tradeoffs between commitment, flexibility, and cost across cloud pricing models.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which PCDE exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Plan and manage database infrastructure — This question tests Plan and manage database infrastructure — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Create a secondary index — Option E is correct because creating a secondary index on frequently queried columns allows Spanner to avoid full table scans, reducing read latency without increasing nodes. Option A (increase node count) would provision more compute and storage capacity, but if CPU utilization is not high, it constitutes over-provisioning. Option B (interleaved table) improves performance for parent-child joins but does not help general read queries. Option C (enable point-in-time recovery) adds storage costs for versioned data without directly improving read latency. Option D (change to multi-region configuration) increases write latency and cost due to replication across regions, and may not reduce read latency in a single-region setup.
What should I do if I get this PCDE question wrong?
Identify which PCDE exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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