- A
Instance-level 'replication_lag' metric.
Correct. Replication lag is measured in seconds and available in Cloud Monitoring.
- B
Cluster-level 'cpu_load' metric.
Why wrong: CPU load is not a direct measure of replication lag.
- C
Use Key Visualizer to identify replication delays.
Why wrong: Key Visualizer identifies hot spots, not replication lag.
- D
Table-level 'rows_returned' metric.
Why wrong: Rows returned is about query volume, not replication.
Question 349 of 1,000
PCDOE Manage Database Solutions Practice Question
This PCDOE practice question tests your understanding of manage 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 uses Cloud Bigtable to store session data. They need to monitor replication lag between clusters in different zones. Which metric should they use?
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
✓
Instance-level 'replication_lag' metric.
Option A is correct because Cloud Bigtable exposes an instance-level 'replication_lag' metric that measures the time delay (in seconds) between clusters in a replicated instance. This metric directly reflects how far behind a replica cluster is relative to the primary cluster, making it the appropriate choice for monitoring replication lag between zones.
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.
- ✓
Instance-level 'replication_lag' metric.
Why this is correct
Correct. Replication lag is measured in seconds and available in Cloud Monitoring.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Cluster-level 'cpu_load' metric.
Why it's wrong here
CPU load is not a direct measure of replication lag.
- ✗
Use Key Visualizer to identify replication delays.
Why it's wrong here
Key Visualizer identifies hot spots, not replication lag.
- ✗
Table-level 'rows_returned' metric.
Why it's wrong here
Rows returned is about query volume, not replication.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Cisco often tests the distinction between metrics that measure performance (like CPU load) versus metrics that measure data freshness (like replication lag), and candidates may confuse Key Visualizer's diagnostic capabilities with real-time monitoring metrics.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The 'replication_lag' metric is computed by comparing the timestamps of the last committed write on the primary cluster with the last applied write on the replica cluster, using Cloud Bigtable's built-in replication protocol. Under the hood, replication uses a distributed consensus mechanism (based on Google's Chubby) to ensure eventual consistency; the lag can spike during network partitions or heavy write loads. In a real-world scenario, if the lag exceeds a threshold (e.g., 10 seconds), it may indicate that the replica is too stale to serve read-after-write consistency, requiring failover or capacity adjustments.
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.
- →
Manage Database Solutions — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this PCDOE question test?
Manage Database Solutions — This question tests Manage Database Solutions — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Instance-level 'replication_lag' metric. — Option A is correct because Cloud Bigtable exposes an instance-level 'replication_lag' metric that measures the time delay (in seconds) between clusters in a replicated instance. This metric directly reflects how far behind a replica cluster is relative to the primary cluster, making it the appropriate choice for monitoring replication lag between zones.
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.
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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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