PDE Ingesting and Processing the Data Practice Question
An organization needs to continuously replicate change data from a MySQL database to BigQuery with sub-minute latency. The database is running on-premises. Which Google Cloud service should they use?
⚠ Common exam trap
PDE often tests the misconception that Dataflow or Pub/Sub are the default for CDC, when Datastream is the managed service specifically designed for low-latency database replication to BigQuery.
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 Datastream
Cloud Datastream is a serverless change data capture (CDC) and replication service that supports continuous replication from MySQL (including on-premises) to BigQuery with sub-second latency. It handles schema conversion, and integrates with BigQuery for real-time analytics. This is the purpose-built service for the requirement.
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 Pub/Sub with a custom connector to MySQL
Why it's wrong here
Pub/Sub transports messages but provides no MySQL change-data-capture mechanism; a custom connector would have to poll or read binlogs, adding latency and operational burden. Pub/Sub suits decoupled event streaming, yet Datastream is the managed CDC service that reads MySQL binlogs and lands changes in BigQuery.
- ✗
BigQuery Data Transfer Service for MySQL
Why it's wrong here
BigQuery Data Transfer Service runs scheduled batch loads, so it cannot deliver sub-minute change replication. It is tempting because it does move MySQL data into BigQuery, and would suit periodic bulk transfers; Datastream handles the continuous change data capture this scenario demands.
- ✗
Cloud Dataflow with a JDBC source
Why it's wrong here
Dataflow with a JDBC source performs periodic batch reads, not continuous binlog capture, so sub-minute change replication is unattainable. Dataflow suits custom streaming pipelines from sources like Pub/Sub or Kafka. Datastream is purpose-built for MySQL-to-BigQuery CDC with low latency.
- ✓
Cloud Datastream
Why this is correct
Datastream provides serverless change data capture, reading MySQL binlogs and streaming inserts, updates and deletes into BigQuery with sub-minute latency. It supports on-premises sources through private connectivity, satisfying the continuous replication and low-latency constraints without managing replication infrastructure.
Quick reference
Cloud Service Model Comparison
| Model | You Manage | Provider Manages | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| IaaS | OS, runtime, apps, data | Hardware, hypervisor, networking | EC2, Azure VMs, GCP Compute Engine |
| PaaS | Apps and data | OS, runtime, middleware, hardware | Elastic Beanstalk, Azure App Service |
| SaaS | Data and settings only | Everything else | Microsoft 365, Salesforce, Workday |
| FaaS / Serverless | Function code only | Infra, scaling, runtime | Lambda, Azure Functions, Cloud Run |
| CaaS | Containers and apps | Kubernetes, OS, hardware | EKS, AKS, GKE |
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Google Cloud exam blueprint
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.