- A
Use Storage Transfer Service over the 1 Gbps link.
Why wrong: At 1 Gbps, transferring 500 TB would take about 46 days, which is slow and uses network bandwidth.
- B
Use gsutil cp in parallel with multiple threads.
Why wrong: gsutil is still limited by the 1 Gbps network bandwidth.
- C
Use Transfer Appliance to physically ship the data.
Transfer Appliance can handle 500 TB in a single appliance, transferring the data offline within days.
- D
Use BigQuery Data Transfer Service for Hadoop.
Why wrong: BigQuery Data Transfer Service does not support Hadoop; it supports services like Google Ads, Amazon S3, etc.
Question 376 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 transfer 500 TB of data from an on-premises Hadoop cluster to Google Cloud Storage (GCS) for processing with Dataproc. The on-premises network has a 1 Gbps dedicated link to Google Cloud. The data must be transferred as quickly as possible, minimizing network usage. Which transfer method should they use?
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
✓
Use Transfer Appliance to physically ship the data.
Transfer Appliance is the correct method because the dataset is 500 TB and the network link is only 1 Gbps. At 1 Gbps, the theoretical maximum transfer time is over 46 days, and real-world throughput (due to overhead, congestion, and Hadoop data characteristics) would be even longer. Transfer Appliance physically ships the data, bypassing the network bottleneck entirely and minimizing network usage, which is the stated requirement.
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 Storage Transfer Service over the 1 Gbps link.
Why it's wrong here
At 1 Gbps, transferring 500 TB would take about 46 days, which is slow and uses network bandwidth.
- ✗
Use gsutil cp in parallel with multiple threads.
Why it's wrong here
gsutil is still limited by the 1 Gbps network bandwidth.
- ✓
Use Transfer Appliance to physically ship the data.
Why this is correct
Transfer Appliance can handle 500 TB in a single appliance, transferring the data offline within days.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Use BigQuery Data Transfer Service for Hadoop.
Why it's wrong here
BigQuery Data Transfer Service does not support Hadoop; it supports services like Google Ads, Amazon S3, etc.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates assume parallel transfers (gsutil cp) or managed services (Storage Transfer Service) can overcome bandwidth limitations, but they ignore the fundamental physics of a 1 Gbps link and the sheer size of 500 TB.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Transfer Appliance is a ruggedized, high-capacity storage server that Google ships to the customer site. The customer copies data locally onto the appliance, then ships it back to Google, where it is uploaded into GCS. This method is ideal for datasets over 10 TB when network transfer would take more than a week. The appliance supports up to 480 TB (RAID-protected) and uses encryption at rest (AES-256) and in transit (TLS) for security.
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 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 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: Use Transfer Appliance to physically ship the data. — Transfer Appliance is the correct method because the dataset is 500 TB and the network link is only 1 Gbps. At 1 Gbps, the theoretical maximum transfer time is over 46 days, and real-world throughput (due to overhead, congestion, and Hadoop data characteristics) would be even longer. Transfer Appliance physically ships the data, bypassing the network bottleneck entirely and minimizing network usage, which is the stated requirement.
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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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
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