- A
Bigtable
Why wrong: Eventual consistency, not suitable for complex analytics.
- B
AlloyDB
HTAP with columnar engine, strong consistency within region.
- C
BigQuery
Why wrong: Analytical only, not transactional.
- D
Firestore
Why wrong: Strong consistency but limited to document model and not for complex analytics.
- E
Cloud Spanner
Provides global strong consistency and analytics interface.
Question 471 of 1,000
PCDOE Design and Plan Database Solutions Practice Question
This PCDOE practice question tests your understanding of design and plan database solutions. 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 is evaluating Google Cloud databases for a new application that requires: (1) strong global consistency across multiple regions, (2) the ability to run complex analytical queries on the same data as the transactional workload, and (3) high write throughput. Which TWO databases should they consider?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
AlloyDB
AlloyDB is correct because it provides strong global consistency across multiple regions via its AlloyDB Omni and cross-region replication features, supports both transactional and analytical workloads on the same data through its columnar engine for HTAP (Hybrid Transactional/Analytical Processing), and delivers high write throughput with up to 100,000 writes per second on a standard cluster. This makes it ideal for applications needing real-time analytics on transactional data without data movement.
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.
- ✗
Bigtable
Why it's wrong here
Eventual consistency, not suitable for complex analytics.
- ✓
AlloyDB
Why this is correct
HTAP with columnar engine, strong consistency within region.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
BigQuery
Why it's wrong here
Analytical only, not transactional.
- ✗
Firestore
Why it's wrong here
Strong consistency but limited to document model and not for complex analytics.
- ✓
Cloud Spanner
Why this is correct
Provides global strong consistency and analytics interface.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Cisco often tests the misconception that BigQuery can handle transactional workloads because of its streaming capabilities, but BigQuery is a data warehouse, not an OLTP database, and cannot provide the strong consistency and high write throughput required for transactional applications.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
AlloyDB's columnar engine automatically offloads analytical queries from the transactional engine, enabling HTAP without ETL; it uses a PostgreSQL-compatible interface and leverages Google's distributed storage architecture to achieve up to 4x faster analytical queries than standard PostgreSQL. Under the hood, AlloyDB separates compute from storage, allowing independent scaling of read replicas and write nodes, and its cross-region replication uses synchronous replication for strong consistency, with a recovery point objective (RPO) of zero.
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 cloud solutions architect for a retail company is evaluating services for a new workload. The correct answer here reflects best practice for the specific scenario described — not a general cloud recommendation. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Cloud exam questions reward reading the constraint carefully: the same technology can be right or wrong depending on the use case.
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.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this PCDOE question test?
Design and Plan Database Solutions — This question tests Design and Plan Database Solutions — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: AlloyDB — AlloyDB is correct because it provides strong global consistency across multiple regions via its AlloyDB Omni and cross-region replication features, supports both transactional and analytical workloads on the same data through its columnar engine for HTAP (Hybrid Transactional/Analytical Processing), and delivers high write throughput with up to 100,000 writes per second on a standard cluster. This makes it ideal for applications needing real-time analytics on transactional data without data movement.
What should I do if I get this PCDOE 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.
About these practice questions
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
This PCDOE 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 PCDOE exam.
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