- A
Enable high availability on the primary instance.
Why wrong: HA provides zone-level failover, not cross-region DR.
- B
Create a cross-region read replica in another region.
A cross-region read replica provides read offloading and can be promoted for DR in another region.
- C
Create a same-region read replica and use failover.
Why wrong: Same-region replica does not protect against regional disasters.
- D
Use an external replica in another region via MySQL replication.
Why wrong: External replicas require manual setup and maintenance; Cloud SQL cross-region replicas are simpler.
Question 670 of 980
Deploy Scalable and Highly Available Databases in Google Cloud →mediumMultiple ChoiceObjective-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. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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 offload read traffic to a replica for better performance. They also need the replica to be available for disaster recovery in a different region. What should they do?
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
✓
Create a cross-region read replica in another region.
Cross-region read replicas serve both read scaling and disaster recovery. They can be promoted to primary in a different region. Same-region replicas do not protect against regional failures. External replicas are not necessary; Cloud SQL supports cross-region replicas natively.
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.
- ✗
Enable high availability on the primary instance.
Why it's wrong here
HA provides zone-level failover, not cross-region DR.
- ✓
Create a cross-region read replica in another region.
Why this is correct
A cross-region read replica provides read offloading and can be promoted for DR in another region.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Create a same-region read replica and use failover.
Why it's wrong here
Same-region replica does not protect against regional disasters.
- ✗
Use an external replica in another region via MySQL replication.
Why it's wrong here
External replicas require manual setup and maintenance; Cloud SQL cross-region replicas are simpler.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
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.
- Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
- Underline the problem statement mentally.
- 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
An e-commerce site experiences heavy traffic on Black Friday and near-zero traffic during off-peak weeks. Rather than provisioning permanent large VMs, the team uses auto-scaling groups that add capacity automatically under load and reduce it overnight. Questions like this test whether you understand elasticity, availability zones, and cloud compute scaling patterns.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which PCD exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
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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 — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Create a cross-region read replica in another region. — Cross-region read replicas serve both read scaling and disaster recovery. They can be promoted to primary in a different region. Same-region replicas do not protect against regional failures. External replicas are not necessary; Cloud SQL supports cross-region replicas natively.
What should I do if I get this PCD question wrong?
Identify which PCD exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
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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