PDE Storing the Data Practice Question
An organization needs to store transactional data for a global e-commerce platform with strong consistency across regions and an SLA of 99.999% availability. The application requires SQL semantics with horizontal scaling. Which Google Cloud database should they choose?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many exam-takers confuse Cloud Spanner with Cloud SQL, assuming any SQL database can scale horizontally, but Cloud SQL is a single-region, vertically scaled service, while Cloud Spanner is the only Google Cloud database that combines SQL, horizontal scaling, and global strong consistency with a 99.999% SLA.
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 is the correct choice because it provides globally distributed, strongly consistent SQL semantics with horizontal scaling and a 99.999% availability SLA. It uses synchronous replication and the TrueTime API to ensure external consistency across regions, meeting the strict consistency and uptime requirements of a global e-commerce platform.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Firestore
Why it's wrong here
Firestore is a document NoSQL database, not SQL, and its global consistency is eventual unless using transactions.
- ✗
Cloud SQL
Why it's wrong here
Cloud SQL is regional, not globally distributed, and its SLA is lower (99.95% for single zone).
- ✓
Cloud Spanner
Why this is correct
Spanner is globally distributed, provides strong consistency, and offers 99.999% availability SLA, matching the requirements.
- ✗
Cloud Bigtable
Why it's wrong here
Bigtable is a NoSQL wide-column database, not SQL, and does not offer strong transactional consistency across regions.
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JA
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.