- A
Enable regional HA by adding a standby in a different zone
Regional HA uses a synchronous standby in a different zone within the same region, providing automatic failover in under 60 seconds.
- B
Configure zonal HA with a standby in the same zone
Why wrong: Zonal HA is not a Cloud SQL feature; a standby in the same zone would not protect against zone failure.
- C
Use AlloyDB with cross-region replication
Why wrong: AlloyDB is a different service, and switching to AlloyDB is not necessary for HA. Cloud SQL HA meets the requirement.
- D
Create a read replica in a different region
Why wrong: Read replicas are for read scaling and can be promoted manually, but do not provide automatic failover.
Question 805 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. 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 uses Cloud SQL for MySQL with a single zone. They need high availability with automatic failover in under 60 seconds. What configuration should they use?
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
✓
Enable regional HA by adding a standby in a different zone
Cloud SQL HA configuration creates a primary and a standby instance in different zones within the same region, using synchronous replication. Automatic failover occurs in under 60 seconds. Zonal HA is not a valid concept, and cross-region failover is not automatic.
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 regional HA by adding a standby in a different zone
Why this is correct
Regional HA uses a synchronous standby in a different zone within the same region, providing automatic failover in under 60 seconds.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Configure zonal HA with a standby in the same zone
Why it's wrong here
Zonal HA is not a Cloud SQL feature; a standby in the same zone would not protect against zone failure.
- ✗
Use AlloyDB with cross-region replication
Why it's wrong here
AlloyDB is a different service, and switching to AlloyDB is not necessary for HA. Cloud SQL HA meets the requirement.
- ✗
Create a read replica in a different region
Why it's wrong here
Read replicas are for read scaling and can be promoted manually, but do not provide automatic failover.
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: Enable regional HA by adding a standby in a different zone — Cloud SQL HA configuration creates a primary and a standby instance in different zones within the same region, using synchronous replication. Automatic failover occurs in under 60 seconds. Zonal HA is not a valid concept, and cross-region failover is not automatic.
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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