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ACE Practice Question: You notice that your Cloud SQL for PostgreSQL…
This ACE practice question tests your understanding of you notice that your cloud sql for postgresql…. 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.
You notice that your Cloud SQL for PostgreSQL instance's `pg_stat_activity` shows many connections in `idle in transaction` state, and the connection count is near the max_connections limit. Application threads are blocking waiting for connections. What is the most effective solution to manage database connections for a GKE-hosted application?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Good practice is not just finding the correct option. The wrong answers often show the exact trap the exam wants you to fall into.
A
Distractor review
Increase `max_connections` in the Cloud SQL PostgreSQL instance flags.
Increasing max_connections raises the limit temporarily but each additional connection consumes ~5-10 MB of RAM. The root problem (idle connections not being released) remains; the limit will be hit again.
B
Best answer
Deploy PgBouncer as a sidecar or deployment to pool connections to Cloud SQL in transaction mode.
PgBouncer in transaction pooling mode multiplexes many application connections onto fewer database connections, eliminating idle-in-transaction waste and staying well below max_connections.
C
Distractor review
Restart the Cloud SQL instance to clear idle connections.
Restarting clears connections temporarily but the problem returns immediately. It also causes downtime and doesn't address the root cause.
D
Distractor review
Switch from Cloud SQL to Cloud Spanner, which has no connection limits.
Cloud Spanner uses a different session model (sessions, not connections), and migrating from PostgreSQL to Spanner is a significant engineering effort — not a fix for the immediate connection management problem.
Common exam trap
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Technical deep dive
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
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.
- Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
- Underline the problem statement mentally.
- 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.
Related practice questions
Related ACE practice-question pages
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
More questions from this exam
Keep practising from the same exam bank, or move into a focused topic page if this question exposed a weak area.
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Question 3
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Question 4
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Question 5
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Question 6
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this ACE question test?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Deploy PgBouncer as a sidecar or deployment to pool connections to Cloud SQL in transaction mode. — Connection pooling is the standard solution for databases with limited connection counts. PgBouncer is a lightweight PostgreSQL connection pooler that sits between application pods and Cloud SQL. In 'transaction' pooling mode, a database connection is held only for the duration of a transaction (not for the entire client session), dramatically reducing connection count. Running PgBouncer as a sidecar or separate deployment allows many application connections to share a smaller pool of actual database connections.
What should I do if I get this ACE question wrong?
Identify which ACE exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
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This ACE 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 ACE exam.