- A
Use Bigtable replication with 'read-failover' routing policy and use Cloud Functions to failover
Why wrong: There is no 'read-failover' routing policy in Bigtable. The correct policy is 'cluster-group routing' (any-replica).
- B
Use Cloud SQL for MySQL with cross-region replica for better RPO
Why wrong: Cloud SQL is not designed for Bigtable workloads (petabyte-scale time-series).
- C
Create a scheduled backup every 5 minutes to Cloud Storage and restore in another region on failure
Why wrong: Backups restore in hours, not minutes; RTO would be much higher than 10 minutes.
- D
Add a second cluster in a different region, configure replication, and use 'any-replica' routing policy
A second cluster with asynchronous replication can achieve RPO of minutes. The 'any-replica' routing policy automatically sends requests to the available cluster, enabling failover in minutes.
PCDOE Practice Question: Design for Reliability, Scalability, and Disaster Recovery
This PCDOE practice question tests your understanding of design for reliability, scalability, and disaster recovery. 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.
A company runs a Cloud Bigtable instance with a single cluster in us-central1. They want to implement a disaster recovery plan that meets an RPO of 5 minutes and an RTO of 10 minutes in case of a regional outage. Which actions 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
Add a second cluster in a different region, configure replication, and use 'any-replica' routing policy
Bigtable replication allows you to add a second cluster in a different region. Replication is asynchronous, so RPO depends on replication lag. With proper configuration and low write load, RPO can be as low as seconds, but typically a few minutes. To achieve RPO of 5 minutes, you need to monitor replication lag. For RTO of 10 minutes, you need automatic failover. You can use 'any-replica' routing to automatically route requests to the secondary cluster if the primary is down. However, failover is not instantaneous; there is a detection delay. But with proper health checks and DNS, it can be achieved. The simplest approach is to add a second cluster in a different region and use 'any-replica' routing policy (or cluster-group routing). Using Cloud DNS with health checks is also valid but adds complexity.
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.
- ✗
Use Bigtable replication with 'read-failover' routing policy and use Cloud Functions to failover
Why it's wrong here
There is no 'read-failover' routing policy in Bigtable. The correct policy is 'cluster-group routing' (any-replica).
- ✗
Use Cloud SQL for MySQL with cross-region replica for better RPO
Why it's wrong here
Cloud SQL is not designed for Bigtable workloads (petabyte-scale time-series).
- ✗
Create a scheduled backup every 5 minutes to Cloud Storage and restore in another region on failure
Why it's wrong here
Backups restore in hours, not minutes; RTO would be much higher than 10 minutes.
- ✓
Add a second cluster in a different region, configure replication, and use 'any-replica' routing policy
Why this is correct
A second cluster with asynchronous replication can achieve RPO of minutes. The 'any-replica' routing policy automatically sends requests to the available cluster, enabling failover in minutes.
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 media company stores terabytes of video archives that are accessed once a year for audit purposes. Moving these objects to a cold storage tier (Azure Archive, S3 Glacier, or Google Nearline) costs a fraction of hot storage. Questions like this test whether you understand storage tiers, access frequency tradeoffs, and retrieval latency requirements.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which PCDOE 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.
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Design for Reliability, Scalability, and Disaster Recovery — study guide chapter
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Design for Reliability, Scalability, and Disaster Recovery practice questions
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this PCDOE question test?
Design for Reliability, Scalability, and Disaster Recovery — This question tests Design for Reliability, Scalability, and Disaster Recovery — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Add a second cluster in a different region, configure replication, and use 'any-replica' routing policy — Bigtable replication allows you to add a second cluster in a different region. Replication is asynchronous, so RPO depends on replication lag. With proper configuration and low write load, RPO can be as low as seconds, but typically a few minutes. To achieve RPO of 5 minutes, you need to monitor replication lag. For RTO of 10 minutes, you need automatic failover. You can use 'any-replica' routing to automatically route requests to the secondary cluster if the primary is down. However, failover is not instantaneous; there is a detection delay. But with proper health checks and DNS, it can be achieved. The simplest approach is to add a second cluster in a different region and use 'any-replica' routing policy (or cluster-group routing). Using Cloud DNS with health checks is also valid but adds complexity.
What should I do if I get this PCDOE question wrong?
Identify which PCDOE 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.
About these practice questions
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
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