The answer is to add cross-region read replicas in multiple regions and use replica read for queries. This is correct because Cloud SQL for MySQL cross-region read replicas allow you to globally scale Cloud SQL MySQL reads by offloading read traffic to replicas located closer to end users, dramatically reducing latency during breaking news spikes. Additionally, each replica maintains a synchronous copy of the data in a different geographic region, fulfilling the backup requirement without needing a separate disaster recovery solution. On the Google Professional Cloud Database Engineer exam, this scenario tests your understanding of read scalability patterns versus failover strategies—a common trap is confusing cross-region replicas with failover replicas, which are for high availability, not read scaling. Remember the memory tip: "Replicas for reads, failover for needs"—cross-region replicas solve global read performance and provide a backup copy, while failover replicas handle primary instance outages.
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 news website uses Cloud SQL for MySQL for content management. They experience slow reads during breaking news events. They have a single primary instance in us-east1. They need to improve read scalability globally. They also want to ensure data is backed up in another region. 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: "primary"
Why it matters: Asks for the main purpose or function, not a secondary benefit. Eliminate answers that describe side-effects or partial functions.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Add cross-region read replicas in multiple regions and use replica read for queries.
Option C is correct because adding cross-region read replicas in multiple regions allows the website to offload read queries to replicas located closer to global users, reducing latency during traffic spikes. Cloud SQL for MySQL supports cross-region replicas, which also provide a backup copy of data in another region for disaster recovery, meeting both scalability and backup requirements without changing the database engine.
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 it's wrong here
Cloud Spanner is expensive and requires significant changes.
✗
Enable automatic failover to a standby instance in another region.
Why it's wrong here
Failover addresses availability, not read scaling.
✓
Add cross-region read replicas in multiple regions and use replica read for queries.
Why this is correct
Read replicas provide read scalability and can be used for backups.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "primary" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Use Bigtable for content storage.
Why it's wrong here
Bigtable is NoSQL and not suited for relational content management.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Google Cloud often tests the distinction between read scalability and disaster recovery, and the trap here is that candidates confuse cross-region read replicas (which provide both read offloading and a backup copy) with automatic failover (which Cloud SQL for MySQL does not support across regions).
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Cloud SQL read replicas use asynchronous replication based on MySQL's native binlog replication, which means replica lag can occur under heavy write loads; for breaking news events, the application should use 'replica read' logic to direct read-only queries to replicas while writes remain on the primary. Cross-region replicas replicate data over Google's internal network, providing a backup in another region that can be promoted to a standalone instance if the primary fails, but this promotion is manual and not automatic failover.
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: Add cross-region read replicas in multiple regions and use replica read for queries. — Option C is correct because adding cross-region read replicas in multiple regions allows the website to offload read queries to replicas located closer to global users, reducing latency during traffic spikes. Cloud SQL for MySQL supports cross-region replicas, which also provide a backup copy of data in another region for disaster recovery, meeting both scalability and backup requirements without changing the database engine.
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: "primary". Asks for the main purpose or function, not a secondary benefit. Eliminate answers that describe side-effects or partial functions.
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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