- A
Use nodes for compute capacity
Nodes provide dedicated resources for predictable low latency.
- B
Deploy a multi-region instance configuration
Multi-region configurations replicate data across continents, reducing write latency for global users.
- C
Use a regional instance configuration
Why wrong: Regional configuration serves only one region, increasing latency for users far away.
- D
Use processing units for compute capacity
Why wrong: Processing units are suitable for smaller or bursty workloads; nodes provide consistent performance for high throughput.
- E
Enable auto-scaling with a high-priority CPU target
Why wrong: Auto-scaling helps with variable load but does not directly address global write latency.
Question 633 of 980
Deploy Scalable and Highly Available Databases in Google Cloud →mediumMultiple SelectObjective-mapped
PCD Practice Question: Deploy Scalable and Highly Available Databases in Google Cloud
This PCD practice question tests your understanding of deploy scalable and highly available databases in google cloud. 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 deploying a Cloud Spanner instance for a global application. They need to minimize write latency for users in Asia, Europe, and North America while maintaining strong consistency. Which two configurations should they choose? (Choose two.)
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"minimum / minimize"Why it matters: Asks for the least resource use — fewest addresses, smallest subnet, lowest overhead. Eliminate over-provisioned options even if they would technically work.
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
✓
Use nodes for compute capacity
Option A is correct because nodes provide dedicated compute and storage resources in Cloud Spanner, which are necessary to achieve low write latency and high throughput for a global application. Nodes scale linearly with performance, ensuring that write operations are processed quickly across multiple regions. For a multi-region instance, nodes are the only supported compute capacity option, as processing units are limited to regional instances.
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.
- ✓
Use nodes for compute capacity
Why this is correct
Nodes provide dedicated resources for predictable low latency.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "minimum / minimize" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✓
Deploy a multi-region instance configuration
Why this is correct
Multi-region configurations replicate data across continents, reducing write latency for global users.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "minimum / minimize" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Use a regional instance configuration
Why it's wrong here
Regional configuration serves only one region, increasing latency for users far away.
- ✗
Use processing units for compute capacity
Why it's wrong here
Processing units are suitable for smaller or bursty workloads; nodes provide consistent performance for high throughput.
- ✗
Enable auto-scaling with a high-priority CPU target
Why it's wrong here
Auto-scaling helps with variable load but does not directly address global write latency.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse regional and multi-region configurations, assuming a regional instance can serve global users with acceptable latency, or they mistakenly think processing units or auto-scaling can substitute for nodes in a multi-region setup.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Cloud Spanner's multi-region configuration uses synchronous replication across regions using Paxos-based consensus, which ensures strong consistency but requires nodes to handle the additional write overhead of cross-region replication. Nodes in Spanner are virtual machines that include both compute and storage, and each node provides 2 TB of storage and up to 10,000 read operations per second (QPS) and 2,000 write QPS. For global applications, choosing the correct multi-region configuration (e.g., nam3 for North America, eur3 for Europe, and asia1 for Asia) is critical to minimize write latency by placing leaders close to write-heavy regions.
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.
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.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this PCD question test?
Deploy Scalable and Highly Available Databases in Google Cloud — This question tests Deploy Scalable and Highly Available Databases in Google Cloud — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Use nodes for compute capacity — Option A is correct because nodes provide dedicated compute and storage resources in Cloud Spanner, which are necessary to achieve low write latency and high throughput for a global application. Nodes scale linearly with performance, ensuring that write operations are processed quickly across multiple regions. For a multi-region instance, nodes are the only supported compute capacity option, as processing units are limited to regional instances.
What should I do if I get this PCD 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: "minimum / minimize". Asks for the least resource use — fewest addresses, smallest subnet, lowest overhead. Eliminate over-provisioned options even if they would technically work.
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 →
Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
This PCD 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 PCD exam.
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