- A
Create a backup with 365-day retention, and before it expires, create another backup to extend coverage
Why wrong: This approach works if you maintain overlapping backups, but it's not a single backup solution; however, the question asks for optimal approach. It's feasible but not the only way.
- B
Create a backup and set the expiration time to 400 days using the gcloud command
Why wrong: Spanner backup expiration max is 365 days. You cannot set it to 400 days.
- C
Use continuous PITR to retain transaction logs for 400 days
Why wrong: Spanner does not support PITR with configurable retention beyond 7 days (default).
- D
Export the database to Cloud Storage using Dataflow or an export job, which can be retained indefinitely
Exporting to Cloud Storage bypasses the 365-day limit; you can retain exports as long as needed.
PCDOE Practice Question: Design for Reliability, Scalability, and Disaster Recovery
This PCDOE practice question tests your understanding of design for reliability, scalability, and disaster recovery. 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.
A company uses Cloud Spanner and needs to back up a large database (several TB) for compliance reasons. They want to retain the backup for 400 days. What is the optimal approach to meet this requirement?
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
Export the database to Cloud Storage using Dataflow or an export job, which can be retained indefinitely
Cloud Spanner allows creating backups that can be retained for up to 365 days. For a retention of 400 days, you cannot use a single backup. Instead, you can create a backup and then take another backup before the first expires, or export data to Cloud Storage (e.g., using Dataflow) which has no expiration limit. Using the console, you are limited to 365 days; to exceed that, you must use long-term retention outside of Spanner backups.
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.
- ✗
Create a backup with 365-day retention, and before it expires, create another backup to extend coverage
Why it's wrong here
This approach works if you maintain overlapping backups, but it's not a single backup solution; however, the question asks for optimal approach. It's feasible but not the only way.
- ✗
Create a backup and set the expiration time to 400 days using the gcloud command
Why it's wrong here
Spanner backup expiration max is 365 days. You cannot set it to 400 days.
- ✗
Use continuous PITR to retain transaction logs for 400 days
Why it's wrong here
Spanner does not support PITR with configurable retention beyond 7 days (default).
- ✓
Export the database to Cloud Storage using Dataflow or an export job, which can be retained indefinitely
Why this is correct
Exporting to Cloud Storage bypasses the 365-day limit; you can retain exports as long as needed.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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 PCDOE 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.
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Design for Reliability, Scalability, and Disaster Recovery — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this PCDOE question test?
Design for Reliability, Scalability, and Disaster Recovery — This question tests Design for Reliability, Scalability, and Disaster Recovery — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Export the database to Cloud Storage using Dataflow or an export job, which can be retained indefinitely — Cloud Spanner allows creating backups that can be retained for up to 365 days. For a retention of 400 days, you cannot use a single backup. Instead, you can create a backup and then take another backup before the first expires, or export data to Cloud Storage (e.g., using Dataflow) which has no expiration limit. Using the console, you are limited to 365 days; to exceed that, you must use long-term retention outside of Spanner backups.
What should I do if I get this PCDOE question wrong?
Identify which PCDOE 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.
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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