PCDE Plan and manage database infrastructure Practice Question
This PCDE practice question tests your understanding of plan and manage database infrastructure. 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 Cloud SQL instance is running low on disk space. You want to increase disk size with zero downtime. Which action should you take?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Use gcloud sql instances patch to increase the storage size
Option D is correct because Cloud SQL supports online storage increases without downtime. The `gcloud sql instances patch` command (or the equivalent Console/API operation) dynamically adds more disk capacity to the running instance while it continues serving traffic. This is possible because Cloud SQL uses persistent disks that can be resized online, and the database engine (e.g., MySQL, PostgreSQL) does not need to restart to recognize the additional space.
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.
✗
Stop the instance, increase disk, and restart
Why it's wrong here
Stopping the instance causes downtime.
✗
Export data, create a new instance with larger disk, and import
Why it's wrong here
Export/import requires downtime and is not necessary.
✗
Create a clone with larger disk and failover
Why it's wrong here
Creating a clone and failing over causes downtime during the switch.
✓
Use gcloud sql instances patch to increase the storage size
Why this is correct
This operation increases storage online without restarting the instance.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Google Cloud often tests the misconception that any storage change requires a restart or rebuild, but Cloud SQL's online disk resize is a key differentiator that candidates must remember to avoid picking downtime-inducing options like stopping the instance or recreating it.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Cloud SQL uses Compute Engine persistent disks, which support live resizing without detaching. When you increase the disk size via `gcloud sql instances patch`, the underlying disk is resized and the filesystem is automatically expanded to use the new space. The database instance remains online throughout; no restart is needed because the OS and database see the new capacity immediately. In a real-world scenario, you might also need to monitor the `max_disk_size` quota and ensure you are not exceeding the instance's maximum supported disk size (e.g., 30 TB for MySQL).
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 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.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Plan and manage database infrastructure — This question tests Plan and manage database infrastructure — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Use gcloud sql instances patch to increase the storage size — Option D is correct because Cloud SQL supports online storage increases without downtime. The `gcloud sql instances patch` command (or the equivalent Console/API operation) dynamically adds more disk capacity to the running instance while it continues serving traffic. This is possible because Cloud SQL uses persistent disks that can be resized online, and the database engine (e.g., MySQL, PostgreSQL) does not need to restart to recognize the additional space.
What should I do if I get this PCDE 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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Question Discussion
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