- A
Use export to Cloud Storage daily and store exports for 365 days
Why wrong: Exports are not backups for PITR and would not allow point-in-time recovery within 30 days.
- B
Enable automated backups with retention set to 365 days and enable binary logging for PITR
Why wrong: Automated backups can be retained up to 365 days, but PITR transaction log retention max is 35 days. 30 days is fine, but 365-day backup retention is possible with automated backups.
- C
Enable automated backups with retention set to 365 days and set transaction log retention to 365 days
Why wrong: Transaction log retention maximum is 35 days, not 365.
- D
Enable automated backups with retention set to 30 days and create on-demand backups daily to cover the 365-day retention
On-demand backups (snapshots) can be retained indefinitely. Automated backups for PITR can be set to 30 days to meet PITR requirement, while on-demand backups meet long-term retention.
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 an e-commerce platform on Cloud SQL for MySQL. They need to comply with a policy that requires database backups to be retained for 365 days. They also need to restore to any point within the last 30 days. How should they configure their backup settings?
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
Enable automated backups with retention set to 30 days and create on-demand backups daily to cover the 365-day retention
Cloud SQL supports automated backups and point-in-time recovery (PITR) using binary logs. The maximum automated backup count is 365, and you can set the transaction log retention for PITR up to 35 days. For 365-day retention, you need to use on-demand backups (snapshots) which can be retained indefinitely. For PITR within 30 days, enable automated backups and binary logging with a log retention of 30 days.
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 export to Cloud Storage daily and store exports for 365 days
Why it's wrong here
Exports are not backups for PITR and would not allow point-in-time recovery within 30 days.
- ✗
Enable automated backups with retention set to 365 days and enable binary logging for PITR
Why it's wrong here
Automated backups can be retained up to 365 days, but PITR transaction log retention max is 35 days. 30 days is fine, but 365-day backup retention is possible with automated backups.
- ✗
Enable automated backups with retention set to 365 days and set transaction log retention to 365 days
Why it's wrong here
Transaction log retention maximum is 35 days, not 365.
- ✓
Enable automated backups with retention set to 30 days and create on-demand backups daily to cover the 365-day retention
Why this is correct
On-demand backups (snapshots) can be retained indefinitely. Automated backups for PITR can be set to 30 days to meet PITR requirement, while on-demand backups meet long-term retention.
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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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: Enable automated backups with retention set to 30 days and create on-demand backups daily to cover the 365-day retention — Cloud SQL supports automated backups and point-in-time recovery (PITR) using binary logs. The maximum automated backup count is 365, and you can set the transaction log retention for PITR up to 35 days. For 365-day retention, you need to use on-demand backups (snapshots) which can be retained indefinitely. For PITR within 30 days, enable automated backups and binary logging with a log retention of 30 days.
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
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
This PCDOE 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 PCDOE exam.
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