- A
Modify the existing cluster's storage type to SSD via the Cloud Console
Why wrong: Storage type cannot be changed in-place; a new cluster is required.
- B
Create a new cluster with SSD storage, replicate data, then update the application to point to the new cluster
Correct. A new cluster with SSD must be created. Use replication to keep data in sync, then cut over with minimal downtime.
- C
Use Cloud Bigtable's hot tablet detection to rebalance the data
Why wrong: Hot tablet detection helps identify uneven load but does not change storage type.
- D
Increase the number of nodes in the existing cluster
Why wrong: Adding nodes improves throughput but does not address the inherent HDD latency bottleneck.
Question 659 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 financial services company uses Cloud Bigtable for real-time fraud detection. They have a cluster with 10 nodes using HDD storage and are experiencing high latency due to disk throughput bottlenecks. They need to improve performance with minimal downtime. What should they do?
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
✓
Create a new cluster with SSD storage, replicate data, then update the application to point to the new cluster
Option B is correct because Cloud Bigtable does not support in-place conversion of storage from HDD to SSD. The only way to migrate to SSD storage is to create a new cluster with SSD, replicate data using Bigtable replication, and then update the application connection string to point to the new cluster. This approach minimizes downtime by allowing the old cluster to serve reads during replication.
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.
- ✗
Modify the existing cluster's storage type to SSD via the Cloud Console
Why it's wrong here
Storage type cannot be changed in-place; a new cluster is required.
- ✓
Create a new cluster with SSD storage, replicate data, then update the application to point to the new cluster
Why this is correct
Correct. A new cluster with SSD must be created. Use replication to keep data in sync, then cut over with minimal downtime.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Use Cloud Bigtable's hot tablet detection to rebalance the data
Why it's wrong here
Hot tablet detection helps identify uneven load but does not change storage type.
- ✗
Increase the number of nodes in the existing cluster
Why it's wrong here
Adding nodes improves throughput but does not address the inherent HDD latency bottleneck.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Cisco often tests the misconception that you can change storage type in-place or that adding nodes solves all performance issues, but the key trap here is that HDD throughput is a hardware limitation that requires a new cluster with SSD to overcome.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Cloud Bigtable uses Colossus (Google's distributed file system) for storage, and HDD vs SSD is a cluster-level property that cannot be changed after creation. Replication between clusters uses the Bigtable replication protocol, which asynchronously replicates data with eventual consistency, typically within seconds. During migration, the application can use a multi-cluster routing policy to fail over gracefully, ensuring near-zero downtime.
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.
- →
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: Create a new cluster with SSD storage, replicate data, then update the application to point to the new cluster — Option B is correct because Cloud Bigtable does not support in-place conversion of storage from HDD to SSD. The only way to migrate to SSD storage is to create a new cluster with SSD, replicate data using Bigtable replication, and then update the application connection string to point to the new cluster. This approach minimizes downtime by allowing the old cluster to serve reads during replication.
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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