- A
Use a managed instance group in multiple zones within the same region
Why wrong: This only protects against zone failures, not a regional disaster.
- B
Develop custom scripts to replicate application data asynchronously to another region
Asynchronous replication to another region can meet RPO and allow failover to that region.
- C
Configure persistent disk snapshots to a different region
Snapshots can be taken frequently (e.g., every 10 minutes) to meet RPO and stored in another region for disaster recovery.
- D
Use regional persistent disks to replicate data within the region
Why wrong: Regional persistent disks replicate across zones in the same region, not across regions, so they don't help in a regional disaster.
- E
Configure Cloud DNS with geo-routing to direct traffic to a healthy region
Geo-routing allows traffic to be redirected to a secondary region if the primary region fails, helping meet RTO.
Quick Answer
The answer is to configure Cloud DNS with geo-routing to direct traffic to a healthy region, as part of a plan that also includes asynchronous replication of application data to another region and using custom scripts to control replication frequency. This combination is correct because asynchronous replication can achieve an RPO of under 15 minutes by continuously copying stateful data to a secondary region with minimal lag, while geo-routing ensures traffic is automatically redirected away from the failed region, meeting the RTO of under 30 minutes. On the Google Professional Cloud Developer exam, this scenario tests your understanding of balancing cost and complexity against strict recovery objectives—a common trap is assuming synchronous replication is required for low RPO, but that would introduce latency and fail the RTO. Instead, remember that asynchronous replication with custom frequency tuning is the practical choice for regional disasters. Memory tip: think "ASYNC + GEO" for fast recovery without the sync penalty.
PCD Practice Question: Designing highly scalable, available, and reliable cloud-native applications
This PCD practice question tests your understanding of designing highly scalable, available, and reliable cloud-native applications. 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 runs a stateful application on Compute Engine. They need to achieve an RPO of less than 15 minutes and an RTO of less than 30 minutes for a regional disaster. Which three steps should they include in their disaster recovery plan? (Select exactly 3.)
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
Develop custom scripts to replicate application data asynchronously to another region
Option B is correct because asynchronous replication of application data to another region can achieve an RPO of less than 15 minutes and an RTO of less than 30 minutes, as it allows the application to fail over to a secondary region with minimal data loss. Custom scripts can control replication frequency and ensure data consistency, meeting the strict RPO requirement.
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 a managed instance group in multiple zones within the same region
Why it's wrong here
This only protects against zone failures, not a regional disaster.
- ✓
Develop custom scripts to replicate application data asynchronously to another region
Why this is correct
Asynchronous replication to another region can meet RPO and allow failover to that region.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✓
Configure persistent disk snapshots to a different region
Why this is correct
Snapshots can be taken frequently (e.g., every 10 minutes) to meet RPO and stored in another region for disaster recovery.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Use regional persistent disks to replicate data within the region
Why it's wrong here
Regional persistent disks replicate across zones in the same region, not across regions, so they don't help in a regional disaster.
- ✓
Configure Cloud DNS with geo-routing to direct traffic to a healthy region
Why this is correct
Geo-routing allows traffic to be redirected to a secondary region if the primary region fails, helping meet RTO.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Cisco often tests the distinction between regional and multi-region disaster recovery, where candidates mistakenly choose intra-region solutions like regional persistent disks or multi-zone instance groups for a regional disaster scenario.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Asynchronous replication typically uses a buffer or queue to batch write operations, allowing the secondary region to lag behind the primary by a configurable time window (e.g., 5–15 minutes). This trade-off reduces network latency impact on the primary application while still meeting the RPO, but requires careful monitoring to prevent data loss if the primary fails before replication completes.
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
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.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this PCD question test?
Designing highly scalable, available, and reliable cloud-native applications — This question tests Designing highly scalable, available, and reliable cloud-native applications — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Develop custom scripts to replicate application data asynchronously to another region — Option B is correct because asynchronous replication of application data to another region can achieve an RPO of less than 15 minutes and an RTO of less than 30 minutes, as it allows the application to fail over to a secondary region with minimal data loss. Custom scripts can control replication frequency and ensure data consistency, meeting the strict RPO requirement.
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.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 25, 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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