Google PCA Design and plan a cloud solution architecture Practice Question
This PCA practice question tests your understanding of design and plan a cloud solution architecture. Compare every option against the stated constraints before choosing — the best answer satisfies all requirements, not just the most obvious one. 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 is migrating an on-premises PostgreSQL database to Cloud SQL with minimal downtime. The database is 1 TB and the network link has 500 Mbps bandwidth. Which migration approach is most appropriate?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Use Database Migration Service to perform continuous replication and then promote Cloud SQL.
Database Migration Service (DMS) supports continuous replication from on-premises PostgreSQL to Cloud SQL using native PostgreSQL logical replication (pglogical or native publication/slot). This allows near-zero downtime by keeping the target in sync until promotion, which is ideal for a 1 TB database over a 500 Mbps link where a full dump/restore would take hours.
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.
✗
Set up a Compute Engine instance with PostgreSQL replication and switch over.
Why it's wrong here
While possible, it is more complex and less managed than using DMS.
✗
Use BigQuery Data Transfer Service to replicate data.
Why it's wrong here
BigQuery Data Transfer Service is for loading data into BigQuery, not for migrating databases to Cloud SQL.
✗
Export the database as a SQL dump, transfer it to Cloud Storage, and import into Cloud SQL.
Why it's wrong here
This approach requires significant downtime for the export and import process.
✓
Use Database Migration Service to perform continuous replication and then promote Cloud SQL.
Why this is correct
Database Migration Service supports continuous replication from on-premises to Cloud SQL with minimal downtime.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Google Cloud often tests the misconception that a simple dump-and-import (Option C) is acceptable for large databases, but the trap here is ignoring the 'minimal downtime' requirement, which demands a continuous replication solution like DMS rather than a batch export/import.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Database Migration Service uses PostgreSQL's native logical replication, which streams WAL-level changes via a publication/slot mechanism, ensuring minimal latency (typically < 1 second) for ongoing sync. The 500 Mbps link is sufficient for continuous replication because only incremental changes are transmitted after the initial seed, which can be done via a parallel bulk export to Cloud Storage. In real-world scenarios, if the network link is saturated, DMS supports compression and can throttle replication to avoid overwhelming the link.
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
A media company stores terabytes of video archives that are accessed once a year for audit purposes. Moving these objects to a cold storage tier (Azure Archive, S3 Glacier, or Google Nearline) costs a fraction of hot storage. Questions like this test whether you understand storage tiers, access frequency tradeoffs, and retrieval latency requirements.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this PCA question in full detail.
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..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Use Database Migration Service to perform continuous replication and then promote Cloud SQL. — Database Migration Service (DMS) supports continuous replication from on-premises PostgreSQL to Cloud SQL using native PostgreSQL logical replication (pglogical or native publication/slot). This allows near-zero downtime by keeping the target in sync until promotion, which is ideal for a 1 TB database over a 500 Mbps link where a full dump/restore would take hours.
What should I do if I get this PCA question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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