- A
Set up a Cloud VPN and use rsync over the encrypted connection.
Why wrong: VPN adds overhead and does not improve throughput; still limited by 1 Gbps bandwidth.
- B
Use BigQuery Data Transfer Service to load the data directly into BigQuery.
Why wrong: Data Transfer Service is for online transfers from specific sources, not bulk file uploads.
- C
Order a Transfer Appliance, copy data locally, and ship it to Google for ingestion.
Transfer Appliance is designed for large offline transfers when network speed is a constraint.
- D
Use Storage Transfer Service to copy data from on-premises to GCS over the existing network.
Why wrong: Network speed is insufficient to meet the deadline.
Question 744 of 1,000
PDE Ingesting and Processing the Data Practice Question
This PDE practice question tests your understanding of ingesting and processing the data. 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 wants to migrate 500 TB of on-premises archival data to Cloud Storage. The data is stored on a SAN and the network link is limited to 1 Gbps. The migration must complete within 10 days. What is the MOST cost-effective approach?
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
✓
Order a Transfer Appliance, copy data locally, and ship it to Google for ingestion.
Option C is correct because the Transfer Appliance is designed for large-scale data migrations where network bandwidth is insufficient. With 500 TB at 1 Gbps, the theoretical transfer time is over 46 days, far exceeding the 10-day window. The appliance allows you to physically ship the data, bypassing network constraints entirely, making it the most cost-effective and timely solution.
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.
- ✗
Set up a Cloud VPN and use rsync over the encrypted connection.
Why it's wrong here
VPN adds overhead and does not improve throughput; still limited by 1 Gbps bandwidth.
- ✗
Use BigQuery Data Transfer Service to load the data directly into BigQuery.
Why it's wrong here
Data Transfer Service is for online transfers from specific sources, not bulk file uploads.
- ✓
Order a Transfer Appliance, copy data locally, and ship it to Google for ingestion.
Why this is correct
Transfer Appliance is designed for large offline transfers when network speed is a constraint.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Use Storage Transfer Service to copy data from on-premises to GCS over the existing network.
Why it's wrong here
Network speed is insufficient to meet the deadline.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates underestimate the time required for network transfer at 1 Gbps and overestimate the practicality of compression or incremental sync, failing to recognize that physical shipping is the only viable option for multi-petabyte data within a tight deadline.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The Transfer Appliance is a ruggedized, high-capacity storage server (up to 480 TB per unit) that you physically connect to your SAN, copy data via NFS or SMB, then ship back to Google for ingestion into Cloud Storage. This approach leverages Google's high-speed internal network for the final upload, avoiding public internet bottlenecks. For archival data, which is typically cold and not latency-sensitive, physical shipping is ideal, but it requires planning for shipping time and data encryption at rest using the appliance's built-in AES-256 encryption.
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.
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
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 startup's cloud architect reviews their monthly bill and notices costs are higher than expected for a long-running batch job. Switching from on-demand instances to Reserved Instances — or using Spot/Preemptible VMs — can reduce compute costs by up to 72 %. Questions like this test whether you understand the tradeoffs between commitment, flexibility, and cost across cloud pricing models.
Visual reference
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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Ingesting and Processing the Data — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this PDE question test?
Ingesting and Processing the Data — This question tests Ingesting and Processing the Data — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Order a Transfer Appliance, copy data locally, and ship it to Google for ingestion. — Option C is correct because the Transfer Appliance is designed for large-scale data migrations where network bandwidth is insufficient. With 500 TB at 1 Gbps, the theoretical transfer time is over 46 days, far exceeding the 10-day window. The appliance allows you to physically ship the data, bypassing network constraints entirely, making it the most cost-effective and timely solution.
What should I do if I get this PDE question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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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
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