- A
Use point-in-time recovery to restore to any point within the last 24 hours.
Why wrong: Spanner does not support point-in-time recovery; it uses full backups.
- B
Export the database to Avro files in Cloud Storage.
Why wrong: Export/import is not recommended for DR due to longer RTO.
- C
Create a cross-region read replica for failover.
Why wrong: Read replicas are not used for backup; they are for read scaling.
- D
Schedule a daily backup of the Spanner database.
Daily backup gives RPO up to 24 hours.
- E
Restore the backup to a new Spanner instance in the same region.
Restore can complete within hours, meeting RTO.
Question 416 of 1,000
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. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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 uses Cloud Spanner and needs to design a backup strategy that meets a 24-hour RPO and 4-hour RTO. Which TWO statements are correct for achieving these goals? (Choose 2)
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
✓
Schedule a daily backup of the Spanner database.
Spanner backups can be created on-demand or scheduled. The backup restore typically completes in hours depending on size, and can meet 4-hour RTO. Scheduling daily backups meets 24-hour RPO.
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 point-in-time recovery to restore to any point within the last 24 hours.
Why it's wrong here
Spanner does not support point-in-time recovery; it uses full backups.
- ✗
Export the database to Avro files in Cloud Storage.
Why it's wrong here
Export/import is not recommended for DR due to longer RTO.
- ✗
Create a cross-region read replica for failover.
Why it's wrong here
Read replicas are not used for backup; they are for read scaling.
- ✓
Schedule a daily backup of the Spanner database.
Why this is correct
Daily backup gives RPO up to 24 hours.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✓
Restore the backup to a new Spanner instance in the same region.
Why this is correct
Restore can complete within hours, meeting RTO.
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.
- →
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: Schedule a daily backup of the Spanner database. — Spanner backups can be created on-demand or scheduled. The backup restore typically completes in hours depending on size, and can meet 4-hour RTO. Scheduling daily backups meets 24-hour RPO.
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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