- A
Standard machine type with HDD and storage auto-increase enabled
Why wrong: Standard machine type may not provide enough memory for 30,000 TPS, and HDD is too slow for high transaction throughput.
- B
High-memory machine type with SSD and storage auto-increase enabled
High-memory instances provide more memory per core, improving performance for PostgreSQL. SSD ensures low latency, and storage auto-increase prevents out-of-disk issues.
- C
Custom machine type with 4 vCPUs and 15 GB memory, SSD, and storage auto-increase enabled
Why wrong: 15 GB memory may be insufficient for 30,000 TPS heavy workloads; highmem typically offers 6.5 GB per vCPU.
- D
Lightweight machine type with SSD and storage auto-increase disabled
Why wrong: Lightweight instances (shared-core) are not suitable for high-throughput production workloads. Disabling storage auto-increase risks downtime.
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 migrating an on-premises Oracle database to Cloud SQL for PostgreSQL. They require a deployment that supports up to 30,000 transactions per second (TPS) and provides automatic storage scaling. Which instance configuration should they choose?
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
High-memory machine type with SSD and storage auto-increase enabled
Cloud SQL supports storage auto-increase regardless of machine type. For high TPS, a high-memory machine type (e.g., highmem) provides more memory per CPU, which can improve performance for database workloads. SSD is required for consistent performance. HDD is not recommended for production.
Key principle: ACLs process entries top to bottom and stop at the first match. Entry order and interface direction matter as much as the permit or deny statement.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Standard machine type with HDD and storage auto-increase enabled
Why it's wrong here
Standard machine type may not provide enough memory for 30,000 TPS, and HDD is too slow for high transaction throughput.
- ✓
High-memory machine type with SSD and storage auto-increase enabled
Why this is correct
High-memory instances provide more memory per core, improving performance for PostgreSQL. SSD ensures low latency, and storage auto-increase prevents out-of-disk issues.
Related concept
Standard ACLs match source addresses.
- ✗
Custom machine type with 4 vCPUs and 15 GB memory, SSD, and storage auto-increase enabled
Why it's wrong here
15 GB memory may be insufficient for 30,000 TPS heavy workloads; highmem typically offers 6.5 GB per vCPU.
- ✗
Lightweight machine type with SSD and storage auto-increase disabled
Why it's wrong here
Lightweight instances (shared-core) are not suitable for high-throughput production workloads. Disabling storage auto-increase risks downtime.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: ACLs stop at the first match
ACLs are processed top to bottom. The first matching entry wins, and an implicit deny usually exists at the end.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
ACL questions test precision: source, destination, protocol, port and direction. A generally correct ACL can still fail if it is applied on the wrong interface or in the wrong direction.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Standard ACLs match source addresses.
- Extended ACLs can match source, destination, protocol and ports.
- The first matching ACL entry is used.
- There is usually an implicit deny at the end.
TExam Day Tips
- Check inbound versus outbound direction.
- Read the ACL from top to bottom.
- Look for a broader permit or deny above the intended line.
Key takeaway
ACLs process entries top to bottom and stop at the first match. Entry order and interface direction matter as much as the permit or deny statement.
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.
Review ACL processing order, placement rules (standard near destination, extended near source), and inbound vs outbound direction. Study wildcard masks and implicit deny. Then practise related PCD ACL questions on filtering logic and placement.
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Deploy Scalable and Highly Available Databases in Google Cloud — study guide chapter
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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 — Standard ACLs match source addresses..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: High-memory machine type with SSD and storage auto-increase enabled — Cloud SQL supports storage auto-increase regardless of machine type. For high TPS, a high-memory machine type (e.g., highmem) provides more memory per CPU, which can improve performance for database workloads. SSD is required for consistent performance. HDD is not recommended for production.
What should I do if I get this PCD question wrong?
Review ACL processing order, placement rules (standard near destination, extended near source), and inbound vs outbound direction. Study wildcard masks and implicit deny. Then practise related PCD ACL questions on filtering logic and placement.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Standard ACLs match source addresses.
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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