- A
Use Cloud Spanner with multi-region configuration
Spanner's multi-region instances provide ACID transactions across regions.
- B
Use Cloud Pub/Sub to orchestrate eventual consistency
Why wrong: Eventual consistency does not meet ACID requirements.
- C
Use Cloud SQL with cross-region replication and two-phase commit
Why wrong: Cloud SQL does not support distributed transactions across instances.
- D
Implement a saga pattern with compensating transactions
Why wrong: Saga pattern provides eventual consistency, not strict ACID.
Question 883 of 980
PCD Practice Question: Manage a Solution that Can Span Multiple Database Systems
This PCD practice question tests your understanding of manage a solution that can span multiple database systems. 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 financial services company is implementing a distributed transaction across multiple Cloud Spanner instances in different regions. They require strict ACID compliance. What is the best approach?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"best"Why it matters: Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
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 Cloud Spanner with multi-region configuration
Cloud Spanner with a multi-region configuration is the best approach because it provides native support for distributed ACID transactions across regions using synchronous replication and the TrueTime API, ensuring strong consistency, atomicity, and isolation without requiring application-level coordination. This eliminates the complexity and latency of managing distributed transactions manually while meeting strict ACID compliance requirements.
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 Cloud Spanner with multi-region configuration
Why this is correct
Spanner's multi-region instances provide ACID transactions across regions.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Use Cloud Pub/Sub to orchestrate eventual consistency
Why it's wrong here
Eventual consistency does not meet ACID requirements.
- ✗
Use Cloud SQL with cross-region replication and two-phase commit
Why it's wrong here
Cloud SQL does not support distributed transactions across instances.
- ✗
Implement a saga pattern with compensating transactions
Why it's wrong here
Saga pattern provides eventual consistency, not strict ACID.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Cisco often tests the misconception that eventual consistency patterns like sagas or messaging can achieve ACID compliance, but the key distinction is that ACID requires strict isolation and atomicity across regions, which only a globally distributed database like Cloud Spanner with TrueTime can provide.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Cloud Spanner's multi-region configuration leverages Paxos-based synchronous replication and the TrueTime API (which uses GPS and atomic clocks) to provide external consistency, meaning transactions are globally ordered and linearizable. Under the hood, Spanner assigns commit timestamps that respect causal ordering, allowing reads to see a consistent snapshot across regions without blocking writes. In a real-world scenario, a financial services company processing cross-region payments can rely on Spanner to prevent double-spending or lost updates, whereas two-phase commit over Cloud SQL would face increased latency and risk of coordinator failure.
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 cloud solutions architect for a retail company is evaluating services for a new workload. The correct answer here reflects best practice for the specific scenario described — not a general cloud recommendation. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Cloud exam questions reward reading the constraint carefully: the same technology can be right or wrong depending on the use case.
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?
Manage a Solution that Can Span Multiple Database Systems — This question tests Manage a Solution that Can Span Multiple Database Systems — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Use Cloud Spanner with multi-region configuration — Cloud Spanner with a multi-region configuration is the best approach because it provides native support for distributed ACID transactions across regions using synchronous replication and the TrueTime API, ensuring strong consistency, atomicity, and isolation without requiring application-level coordination. This eliminates the complexity and latency of managing distributed transactions manually while meeting strict ACID compliance requirements.
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: "best". Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
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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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