This PCA practice question tests your understanding of design and plan a cloud solution architecture. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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 has a Cloud SQL for PostgreSQL instance with high read traffic. They want to offload read queries without modifying the application. Which strategy should they implement?
Increase the machine type of the primary instance
Why wrong: Not cost-effective for read offload.
Implement a caching layer using Memorystore
Why wrong: May require application changes.
Create read replicas and configure the application to use them
Read replicas offload reads without app changes.
Migrate to Cloud Spanner for better scalability
Why wrong: Requires application changes.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Create read replicas and configure the application to use them
Creating read replicas in Cloud SQL for PostgreSQL allows you to offload read traffic from the primary instance without modifying the application, because the replicas are fully managed and can serve read queries directly. The application can be configured to point to the read replica's endpoint, which handles SELECT statements while the primary continues to handle writes. This is the most direct and cost-effective solution for high read traffic when application changes are not permitted.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Increase the machine type of the primary instance
Why it's wrong here
Not cost-effective for read offload.
Implement a caching layer using Memorystore
Why it's wrong here
May require application changes.
Create read replicas and configure the application to use them
Why this is correct
Read replicas offload reads without app changes.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Migrate to Cloud Spanner for better scalability
Why it's wrong here
Requires application changes.
Common exam traps
Google Cloud often tests the misconception that caching (Memorystore) is the only way to offload reads, but the key constraint here is 'without modifying the application,' which eliminates caching because it requires application-level cache integration.
Detailed technical explanation
Cloud SQL read replicas use PostgreSQL's native streaming replication protocol to asynchronously replicate data from the primary to the replica, with a typical replication lag of under one second. The read replica endpoint is a separate IP address that the application can connect to using the same PostgreSQL wire protocol (port 5432), so no driver or query changes are needed—only the connection string must be updated. In a real-world scenario, you could use a DNS CNAME to point read traffic to the replica and write traffic to the primary, achieving read scaling without application code changes.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A startup's cloud architect reviews their monthly bill and notices costs are higher than expected for a long-running batch job. Switching from on-demand instances to Reserved Instances — or using Spot/Preemptible VMs — can reduce compute costs by up to 72 %. Questions like this test whether you understand the tradeoffs between commitment, flexibility, and cost across cloud pricing models.
What to study next
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FAQ
Design and plan a cloud solution architecture — This question tests Design and plan a cloud solution architecture — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Create read replicas and configure the application to use them — Creating read replicas in Cloud SQL for PostgreSQL allows you to offload read traffic from the primary instance without modifying the application, because the replicas are fully managed and can serve read queries directly. The application can be configured to point to the read replica's endpoint, which handles SELECT statements while the primary continues to handle writes. This is the most direct and cost-effective solution for high read traffic when application changes are not permitted.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 30, 2026
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