- A
Cloud Bigtable
Why wrong: Cloud Bigtable provides high throughput and 99.999% availability but only eventual consistency across rows, not strong consistency for multi-row transactions.
- B
AlloyDB
Why wrong: AlloyDB is a regional service, not globally distributed, and does not offer a 99.999% SLA across global regions.
- C
Firestore (in Datastore mode)
Why wrong: Firestore (in Datastore mode) offers strong consistency, multi-region replication, and a 99.999% availability SLA, making it suitable for global transactional data.
- D
Cloud SQL (with HA)
Why wrong: Cloud SQL with HA provides 99.95% availability, which is below the 99.999% requirement, and it is regional, not global.
- E
Cloud Spanner
Cloud Spanner provides globally distributed ACID transactions with strong consistency and a 99.999% SLA, meeting all requirements.
PDE Cloud Spanner Practice Question
This PDE practice question tests your understanding of storing the data. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. A key principle to apply: cloud Spanner. 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 needs to store transactional data for a global customer base with strong consistency and 99.999% availability SLA. They anticipate millions of transactions per day across multiple regions. Which TWO storage options meet these requirements? (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
Cloud Spanner
Cloud Spanner and Firestore (in Datastore mode) both provide globally distributed, strongly consistent transactions with a 99.999% SLA. Cloud Spanner offers a relational model with ACID across regions, while Firestore (Datastore mode) provides a schemaless document database with strong consistency and multi-region replication. Cloud Bigtable does not offer strong consistency across rows. AlloyDB and Cloud SQL with HA are regional services, not global, and do not meet the 99.999% SLA across multiple regions.
Key principle: Cloud Spanner
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Cloud Bigtable
Why it's wrong here
Cloud Bigtable provides high throughput and 99.999% availability but only eventual consistency across rows, not strong consistency for multi-row transactions.
- ✗
AlloyDB
Why it's wrong here
AlloyDB is a regional service, not globally distributed, and does not offer a 99.999% SLA across global regions.
- ✗
Firestore (in Datastore mode)
Why it's wrong here
Firestore (in Datastore mode) offers strong consistency, multi-region replication, and a 99.999% availability SLA, making it suitable for global transactional data.
- ✗
Cloud SQL (with HA)
Why it's wrong here
Cloud SQL with HA provides 99.95% availability, which is below the 99.999% requirement, and it is regional, not global.
- ✓
Cloud Spanner
Why this is correct
Cloud Spanner provides globally distributed ACID transactions with strong consistency and a 99.999% SLA, meeting all requirements.
Related concept
Cloud Spanner
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Candidates may incorrectly assume that only Cloud Spanner meets the strict combination of strong consistency and 99.999% global SLA, but Firestore (Datastore mode) also meets both requirements. Regional services like AlloyDB or Cloud SQL with HA cannot provide global strong consistency across multiple regions.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Treat this as a scenario question. Identify the problem, the constraint, and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Cloud Spanner
- Firestore (Datastore mode)
- Strong consistency
- 99.999% availability SLA
TExam Day Tips
- 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
Cloud Spanner
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.
Review cloud Spanner, then practise related PDE questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
- →
Storing the Data — study guide chapter
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Storing the Data practice questions
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this PDE question test?
Storing the Data — This question tests Storing the Data — Cloud Spanner.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Cloud Spanner — Cloud Spanner and Firestore (in Datastore mode) both provide globally distributed, strongly consistent transactions with a 99.999% SLA. Cloud Spanner offers a relational model with ACID across regions, while Firestore (Datastore mode) provides a schemaless document database with strong consistency and multi-region replication. Cloud Bigtable does not offer strong consistency across rows. AlloyDB and Cloud SQL with HA are regional services, not global, and do not meet the 99.999% SLA across multiple regions.
What should I do if I get this PDE question wrong?
Review cloud Spanner, then practise related PDE questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Cloud Spanner
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
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