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 company has a Cloud SQL for MySQL instance with automated backups enabled. They want to ensure they can recover to any point within the last 7 days with minimum storage cost. What should they do?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "minimum / minimize"
Why it matters: Asks for the least resource use — fewest addresses, smallest subnet, lowest overhead. Eliminate over-provisioned options even if they would technically work.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Keep the default automated backup configuration with 7-day retention and enable point-in-time recovery.
Option C is correct because Cloud SQL for MySQL with automated backups enabled by default retains backups for 7 days. Enabling point-in-time recovery (PITR) uses the existing binary logs to allow recovery to any point within that retention period, without additional storage cost for the logs beyond the backup storage. This meets the requirement of 7-day recoverability with minimum storage cost.
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 binary logging manually and store transaction logs in Cloud Storage.
Why it's wrong here
Cloud SQL manages binary logging for PITR automatically.
✗
Increase automated backup retention to 30 days and disable point-in-time recovery.
Why it's wrong here
30 days increases cost and is unnecessary; disabling PITR reduces granular recovery.
✓
Keep the default automated backup configuration with 7-day retention and enable point-in-time recovery.
Why this is correct
Default retention is 7 days, and PITR is enabled by default for MySQL.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "minimum / minimize" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Disable automated backups and create manual backups daily.
Why it's wrong here
Manual backups do not support PITR.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may think enabling point-in-time recovery requires additional storage or manual configuration of binary logs, but in Cloud SQL, PITR is a built-in feature that uses the existing automated backup retention and does not increase storage cost beyond the backup storage itself.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Cloud SQL for MySQL uses binary logs (binlogs) for point-in-time recovery, which are stored internally and count toward backup storage costs. The default automated backup retention of 7 days combined with PITR enables recovery to any second within that window, using the binlogs to replay transactions from the last full backup. In a real-world scenario, if a user accidentally drops a table at 3:14 PM, PITR can restore the instance to exactly 3:13:59 PM, minimizing data loss without needing separate log storage.
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 startup's cloud architect reviews their monthly bill and notices costs are higher than expected for a long-running batch job. Switching from on-demand instances to Reserved Instances — or using Spot/Preemptible VMs — can reduce compute costs by up to 72 %. Questions like this test whether you understand the tradeoffs between commitment, flexibility, and cost across cloud pricing models.
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: Keep the default automated backup configuration with 7-day retention and enable point-in-time recovery. — Option C is correct because Cloud SQL for MySQL with automated backups enabled by default retains backups for 7 days. Enabling point-in-time recovery (PITR) uses the existing binary logs to allow recovery to any point within that retention period, without additional storage cost for the logs beyond the backup storage. This meets the requirement of 7-day recoverability with minimum storage cost.
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.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "minimum / minimize". Asks for the least resource use — fewest addresses, smallest subnet, lowest overhead. Eliminate over-provisioned options even if they would technically work.
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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