PDE Ingesting and Processing the Data Practice Question
A company uses Workflows to orchestrate a multi-step data pipeline. One step calls an HTTP endpoint that may take up to 10 minutes, but the default Workflows timeout is too short. They also need to handle transient errors with retries. Which TWO configurations should they apply? (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
✓
Set a step timeout of 600 seconds for the HTTP call step
Option A is correct because Workflows steps support a per-step timeout, and setting it to 600 seconds (10 minutes) ensures the HTTP call step is allowed to run for the full duration instead of being cut off by the shorter default step timeout. Option E is correct because transient errors (such as 5xx responses or connection resets) should be handled by attaching a retry policy to the step with conditions that match those transient failures, so the step is retried automatically. Option B is not appropriate because Workflows does not use dead letter queues for failed steps; failures are surfaced through execution errors and logs. Option C is wrong because relying on the default retry policy does not let them target transient errors with appropriate conditions, and the default may not retry at all. Option D is wrong because setting the workflow execution timeout to 600 seconds would cap the entire workflow at 10 minutes, which is not the same as giving the HTTP step enough time and could still cause premature termination.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Set a step timeout of 600 seconds for the HTTP call step
Why this is correct
The HTTP call can run for 10 minutes, exceeding the default step timeout. Setting a 600-second step timeout on that call allows the long-running request to finish rather than being cancelled mid-flight, directly satisfying the stem's stated duration constraint.
- ✗
Configure a dead letter queue for failed steps
Why it's wrong here
A dead letter queue captures failed executions for later inspection; it does not extend the step timeout or retry transient errors. DLQs are correct when you must preserve failed payloads for replay or audit after retries are exhausted, not as the mechanism that keeps a 10-minute call alive.
- ✗
Use the default retry policy on the step
Why it's wrong here
The default retry policy only covers a fixed set of error codes with limited attempts, so it cannot be tuned to the endpoint's transient failures. Default retries suit simple, predictable steps; here the step needs a custom retry predicate with backoff matched to the HTTP endpoint's behaviour.
- ✗
Set the workflow execution timeout to 600 seconds
Why it's wrong here
The workflow execution timeout bounds the whole pipeline, not the individual HTTP step, so a 600-second value still leaves the step's own default timeout truncating the 10-minute call. Workflow-level timeouts suit capping total pipeline duration, not extending a single long-running step.
- ✓
Add a retry policy on the step with appropriate conditions for transient errors
Why this is correct
Transient failures such as connection resets or 5xx responses would otherwise abort the workflow. A retry policy with conditions targeting those transient errors re-invokes the step automatically, meeting the stem's requirement to handle intermittent failures without manual intervention.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This PDE 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 PDE exam.