The correct answer is to enable automated backups and select a different region for the backup location. This configuration directly satisfies the disaster recovery requirement because Cloud SQL for MySQL allows you to specify a cross-region backup destination, ensuring that backup data is physically stored in a separate geographic area from your primary database instance. If the primary region fails, these regionally isolated backups remain accessible for recovery, which is the core technical concept behind cross-region backups for Cloud SQL MySQL. On the Google Professional Cloud Database Engineer exam, this question tests your understanding of built-in disaster recovery features versus manual export-based solutions—a common trap is assuming you need to use `gcloud` exports or clone instances to another region, but the automated backup location setting is the simplest, native method. Remember the mnemonic: "Backup region, not just retention"—the exam wants you to know that enabling backups alone is insufficient; you must explicitly choose a different region in the backup configuration to meet cross-region compliance.
PCDE Plan and manage database infrastructure Practice Question
This PCDE practice question tests your understanding of plan and manage database infrastructure. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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.
Your organization requires that all database backups be stored in a different region for disaster recovery. You are using Cloud SQL for MySQL. What backup configuration should you use?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Enable automated backups and select a different region for the backup location.
Cloud SQL for MySQL allows you to specify a different region for automated backup storage, which satisfies the disaster recovery requirement of storing backups in a separate region. By selecting a different region for the backup location, you ensure that if the primary region fails, the backups remain accessible for recovery. This is the only built-in option that directly meets the cross-region backup requirement without additional manual steps.
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 automated backups and select the same region as the instance.
Why it's wrong here
Same region does not meet DR requirement.
✓
Enable automated backups and select a different region for the backup location.
Why this is correct
This meets the cross-region DR requirement.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Use on-demand exports to Cloud Storage in the same region.
Why it's wrong here
Same region, not cross-region.
✗
Configure a multi-region Cloud Storage bucket and point automated backups there.
Why it's wrong here
Cloud SQL automated backups cannot be stored in multi-region buckets.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Google Cloud often tests the misconception that automated backups can be directed to a multi-region Cloud Storage bucket, but Cloud SQL only supports a single-region backup location for automated backups, not multi-region or dual-region buckets.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Cloud SQL automated backups are stored in a regional Cloud Storage bucket managed by Google, and you can select a different region for this backup storage during instance creation or update. This is distinct from on-demand exports, which write to a user-specified Cloud Storage bucket and require manual configuration for cross-region placement. In a real-world scenario, if the primary region (e.g., us-central1) experiences a disaster, backups stored in a different region (e.g., us-west1) allow you to restore the instance in that secondary region, minimizing data loss.
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: Enable automated backups and select a different region for the backup location. — Cloud SQL for MySQL allows you to specify a different region for automated backup storage, which satisfies the disaster recovery requirement of storing backups in a separate region. By selecting a different region for the backup location, you ensure that if the primary region fails, the backups remain accessible for recovery. This is the only built-in option that directly meets the cross-region backup requirement without additional manual steps.
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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