This PCA practice question tests your understanding of manage implementation of cloud 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 is using Cloud SQL for MySQL and wants to implement automated backups that are retained for 30 days. They also need point-in-time recovery. Which configuration should they use?
Enable database replication
Why wrong: Replication provides high availability, not backup or PITR.
Use Cloud Storage versioning
Why wrong: Versioning applies to Cloud Storage objects, not Cloud SQL.
Enable automated backups with binary logging
Binary logging enables point-in-time recovery.
Enable automated backups and set backup retention to 30
Why wrong: Without binary logging, point-in-time recovery is not available.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Enable automated backups with binary logging
Cloud SQL for MySQL requires automated backups to be enabled along with binary logging to support point-in-time recovery (PITR). Binary logs record all changes to the database, allowing you to restore to any specific timestamp within the backup retention period. Setting the retention to 30 days ensures backups are kept for the required duration, and binary logging enables the granular recovery needed for PITR.
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.
Enable database replication
Why it's wrong here
Replication provides high availability, not backup or PITR.
Use Cloud Storage versioning
Why it's wrong here
Versioning applies to Cloud Storage objects, not Cloud SQL.
Enable automated backups with binary logging
Why this is correct
Binary logging enables point-in-time recovery.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Enable automated backups and set backup retention to 30
Why it's wrong here
Without binary logging, point-in-time recovery is not available.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates often assume enabling automated backups alone (Option D) is sufficient for point-in-time recovery, but they overlook the critical requirement of binary logging, which is the mechanism that enables granular time-based restores.
Detailed technical explanation
Cloud SQL for MySQL uses binary logs (binlogs) to record every data change; these logs are retained based on the backup retention setting and are used during PITR to replay transactions from the last full backup to the target time. Under the hood, Cloud SQL automatically rotates and purges binlogs according to the retention policy, and PITR works by restoring the nearest full backup and then applying binlog entries up to the specified timestamp. A real-world scenario is recovering from an accidental data deletion: with PITR enabled, you can restore the database to a time just before the deletion occurred, minimizing data loss.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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.
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FAQ
Manage implementation of cloud architecture — This question tests Manage implementation of cloud architecture — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Enable automated backups with binary logging — Cloud SQL for MySQL requires automated backups to be enabled along with binary logging to support point-in-time recovery (PITR). Binary logs record all changes to the database, allowing you to restore to any specific timestamp within the backup retention period. Setting the retention to 30 days ensures backups are kept for the required duration, and binary logging enables the granular recovery needed for PITR.
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 25, 2026
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