The answer is to increase storage capacity via gcloud and enable automatic storage increase, as these two actions directly resolve a Cloud SQL out of storage resolution by expanding the available disk space and preventing future shortages. When a Cloud SQL instance runs out of storage, the database stops accepting writes, so manually resizing the disk or setting the auto-increase flag ensures continuous availability without requiring data migration. On the Google Professional Cloud Database Engineer exam, this scenario tests your understanding of immediate operational fixes versus architectural changes—a common trap is choosing to delete binary logs, which frees space but risks breaking point-in-time recovery, or suggesting read replicas, which do not add storage. Remember the mnemonic “Grow or Go”: either grow the disk manually or let auto-increase go to work, but never sacrifice recovery logs for a quick fix.
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.
Which TWO actions can a team take immediately to resolve a Cloud SQL instance running out of storage?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "immediately / without restart"
Why it matters: Time or reboot constraint — the correct answer must take effect right away without requiring a reboot or reload.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Enable automatic storage increase
Increasing storage capacity and enabling automatic storage increase directly address the storage shortage. Deleting binary logs can free space but is not recommended as it may affect point-in-time recovery. Migrating to Cloud Spanner is a long-term change. Adding read replicas does not increase storage.
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 automatic storage increase
Why this is correct
Automatic increase ensures future storage issues are avoided.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "immediately / without restart" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✓
Increase storage capacity via gcloud
Why this is correct
Manual increase adds disk space immediately.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "immediately / without restart" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Delete binary log files
Why it's wrong here
Deleting binary logs can break point-in-time recovery and is not recommended.
✗
Migrate to Cloud Spanner
Why it's wrong here
Migration is a long-term project, not an immediate fix.
✗
Add read replicas
Why it's wrong here
Read replicas do not increase storage capacity of the primary instance.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
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.
Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
→Underline the problem statement mentally.
→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 PCDE exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
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: Enable automatic storage increase — Increasing storage capacity and enabling automatic storage increase directly address the storage shortage. Deleting binary logs can free space but is not recommended as it may affect point-in-time recovery. Migrating to Cloud Spanner is a long-term change. Adding read replicas does not increase storage.
What should I do if I get this PCDE question wrong?
Identify which PCDE exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "immediately / without restart". Time or reboot constraint — the correct answer must take effect right away without requiring a reboot or reload.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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This PCDE 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 PCDE exam.
Question Discussion
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