← GCDL·Google Cloud

Question 459 of 507

Google Cloud products, services, and solutions →hardMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped

Quick Answer

The correct configuration is Cloud SQL High Availability with a synchronously replicated standby instance, which automatically promotes to primary within approximately 60 seconds of failure. This satisfies the requirement because synchronous replication ensures every transaction is committed on both the primary and standby instances before being acknowledged, guaranteeing minimal data loss even during a sudden outage. On the Google Cloud Digital Leader exam, this scenario tests your understanding of Cloud SQL’s HA architecture and its distinction from asynchronous replication, which trades data durability for lower latency. A common trap is assuming any standby instance works, but only synchronous replication meets the “minimal data loss” clause. Remember the key phrase: “committed on both before acknowledged” — if you see failover under 60 seconds plus zero data loss, think synchronous HA.

Cloud Digital Leader Practice Question: Google Cloud products, services, and solutions

This GCDL practice question tests your understanding of google cloud products, services, and solutions. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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 runs a mission-critical PostgreSQL database on Google Cloud that must support automatic failover to a standby instance within 60 seconds if the primary instance fails, with minimal data loss. Which Cloud SQL configuration satisfies this high availability requirement?

Clue words in this question

Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.

Clue: "primary"
Why it matters: Asks for the main purpose or function, not a secondary benefit. Eliminate answers that describe side-effects or partial functions.

Question 1hardmultiple choice

Full question →

A
Cloud SQL with automated daily backups, restoring from backup if the primary fails
Why wrong: Automated backups enable point-in-time recovery but restoration takes significant time (minutes to hours depending on database size) — far exceeding the 60-second RTO requirement. Backups address data loss (RPO), not rapid automatic failover (RTO).
B
Cloud SQL High Availability configuration with a synchronously replicated standby instance that automatically promotes to primary within approximately 60 seconds of primary failure
Cloud SQL HA is precisely the right answer. It maintains a standby instance in the same region with synchronous replication, automatically detects primary failure, and promotes the standby without manual intervention. Failover typically completes within 60 seconds, meeting the stated RTO with minimal data loss (synchronous replication means near-zero RPO).
C
Cloud SQL read replicas in another region, manually promoted if the primary fails
Why wrong: Read replicas use asynchronous replication (potential data loss) and require manual promotion (doesn't meet automatic failover requirement). Cross-region replicas are for disaster recovery, not fast automatic HA failover within a region.
D
Running a self-managed PostgreSQL cluster on Compute Engine VMs with a custom pacemaker/corosync HA setup
Why wrong: Custom HA setups on VMs are technically possible but require significant engineering effort and operational expertise to maintain. Cloud SQL HA provides the same capability as a fully managed service without custom HA infrastructure management.

Full breakdown with real-world context →

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 SQL High Availability configuration with a synchronously replicated standby instance that automatically promotes to primary within approximately 60 seconds of primary failure

Option B is correct because Cloud SQL's High Availability (HA) configuration uses a synchronous replication mechanism between the primary and standby instances. This ensures that transactions are committed on both instances before being acknowledged, meeting the requirement for minimal data loss. In the event of a primary failure, the standby is automatically promoted to primary within approximately 60 seconds, satisfying the failover time 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.

✗
Cloud SQL with automated daily backups, restoring from backup if the primary fails
Why it's wrong here
Automated backups enable point-in-time recovery but restoration takes significant time (minutes to hours depending on database size) — far exceeding the 60-second RTO requirement. Backups address data loss (RPO), not rapid automatic failover (RTO).
✓
Cloud SQL High Availability configuration with a synchronously replicated standby instance that automatically promotes to primary within approximately 60 seconds of primary failure
Why this is correct
Cloud SQL HA is precisely the right answer. It maintains a standby instance in the same region with synchronous replication, automatically detects primary failure, and promotes the standby without manual intervention. Failover typically completes within 60 seconds, meeting the stated RTO with minimal data loss (synchronous replication means near-zero RPO).
Clue confirmation
The clue word "primary" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Cloud SQL read replicas in another region, manually promoted if the primary fails
Why it's wrong here
Read replicas use asynchronous replication (potential data loss) and require manual promotion (doesn't meet automatic failover requirement). Cross-region replicas are for disaster recovery, not fast automatic HA failover within a region.
✗
Running a self-managed PostgreSQL cluster on Compute Engine VMs with a custom pacemaker/corosync HA setup
Why it's wrong here
Custom HA setups on VMs are technically possible but require significant engineering effort and operational expertise to maintain. Cloud SQL HA provides the same capability as a fully managed service without custom HA infrastructure management.

Common exam traps

Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword

The trap here is that candidates may confuse read replicas (which are asynchronous and require manual promotion) with HA standby instances (which are synchronous and automatically promoted), or assume that automated backups can meet a strict 60-second RTO/RPO requirement.

Detailed technical explanation

How to think about this question

Cloud SQL HA uses synchronous replication with a semi-synchronous fallback to ensure durability; the standby instance is in the same region but a different zone, leveraging Google's regional persistent disks for fast failover. The 60-second failover target is achieved through health-check probes and automatic promotion, but during a zone outage, there is a brief period where transactions in-flight on the primary may be lost if the primary crashes before the standby acknowledges them. In practice, Google guarantees a Recovery Point Objective (RPO) of less than 1 second for HA instances, but not zero data loss, which is a subtle distinction often tested.

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

An e-commerce site experiences heavy traffic on Black Friday and near-zero traffic during off-peak weeks. Rather than provisioning permanent large VMs, the team uses auto-scaling groups that add capacity automatically under load and reduce it overnight. Questions like this test whether you understand elasticity, availability zones, and cloud compute scaling patterns.

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.

Related GCDL practice-question pages

Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.

Why cloud technology is transforming business practice questions

Practise GCDL questions linked to Why cloud technology is transforming business.

Fundamental cloud concepts practice questions

Practise GCDL questions linked to Fundamental cloud concepts.

Google Cloud products, services, and solutions practice questions

Practise GCDL questions linked to Google Cloud products, services, and solutions.

Scaling with Google Cloud operations practice questions

Practise GCDL questions linked to Scaling with Google Cloud operations.

Trust and security with Google Cloud practice questions

Practise GCDL questions linked to Trust and security with Google Cloud.

GCDL fundamentals practice questions

Practise GCDL questions linked to GCDL fundamentals.

GCDL scenario practice questions

Practise GCDL questions linked to GCDL scenario.

GCDL troubleshooting practice questions

Practise GCDL questions linked to GCDL troubleshooting.

Practice this exam

Start a free GCDL practice session

Short sessions build daily habit. Longer sessions build exam-day stamina. Try a timed session to simulate real conditions.

10 questions 20 questions 30 questions 50 questions Timed 30

GCDL practice-test guide →Study guide →Browse all practice tests

FAQ

Questions learners often ask

What does this GCDL question test?

Google Cloud products, services, and solutions — This question tests Google Cloud products, services, and solutions — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..

What is the correct answer to this question?

The correct answer is: Cloud SQL High Availability configuration with a synchronously replicated standby instance that automatically promotes to primary within approximately 60 seconds of primary failure — Option B is correct because Cloud SQL's High Availability (HA) configuration uses a synchronous replication mechanism between the primary and standby instances. This ensures that transactions are committed on both instances before being acknowledged, meeting the requirement for minimal data loss. In the event of a primary failure, the standby is automatically promoted to primary within approximately 60 seconds, satisfying the failover time requirement.

What should I do if I get this GCDL question wrong?

Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.

Are there clue words in this question I should notice?

Yes — watch for: "primary". Asks for the main purpose or function, not a secondary benefit. Eliminate answers that describe side-effects or partial functions.

What is the key concept behind this question?

Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.

About these practice questions

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 →

How Courseiva writes practice questions · Editorial policy

Keep practising

Question Discussion

Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.

Loading comments…

This GCDL 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 GCDL exam.