- A
Reduce the max_connections flag to force the application to reuse connections.
Why wrong: Reducing max_connections would cause connection failures, not encourage reuse.
- B
Increase the max_connections flag to a higher value.
Why wrong: Increasing max_connections can alleviate connection limit issues but does not reduce churn; it may increase resource contention.
- C
Switch to Cloud SQL for MySQL, which has built-in connection pooling.
Why wrong: Migrating databases is not a configuration change and MySQL does not have built-in pooling; both PostgreSQL and MySQL require external poolers.
- D
Enable the pgBouncer flag to use transaction pooling.
PgBouncer provides connection pooling, reusing connections and reducing churn, without application changes.
Question 604 of 1,000
PCDOE Design and Plan Database Solutions Practice Question
This PCDOE practice question tests your understanding of design and plan database solutions. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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.
An e-commerce platform uses Cloud SQL for PostgreSQL to manage orders. The application team reports that the database experiences performance degradation during peak hours due to high connection churn. They want to maintain a pool of established connections. Which configuration change addresses this without application code changes?
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
✓
Enable the pgBouncer flag to use transaction pooling.
Option D is correct because enabling the pgBouncer flag in Cloud SQL for PostgreSQL provides a built-in connection pooler that maintains persistent connections to the database, reducing the overhead of frequent connection establishment. pgBouncer operates in transaction pooling mode, which allows multiple client connections to share a smaller pool of backend connections, directly addressing high connection churn without requiring any application code changes.
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.
- ✗
Reduce the max_connections flag to force the application to reuse connections.
Why it's wrong here
Reducing max_connections would cause connection failures, not encourage reuse.
- ✗
Increase the max_connections flag to a higher value.
Why it's wrong here
Increasing max_connections can alleviate connection limit issues but does not reduce churn; it may increase resource contention.
- ✗
Switch to Cloud SQL for MySQL, which has built-in connection pooling.
Why it's wrong here
Migrating databases is not a configuration change and MySQL does not have built-in pooling; both PostgreSQL and MySQL require external poolers.
- ✓
Enable the pgBouncer flag to use transaction pooling.
Why this is correct
PgBouncer provides connection pooling, reusing connections and reducing churn, without application changes.
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 increasing or decreasing max_connections alone can solve connection churn, when in reality connection pooling (like pgBouncer) is the correct solution to reduce overhead without application changes.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
pgBouncer uses a lightweight, event-driven architecture to multiplex client connections into a smaller number of PostgreSQL backend connections. In transaction pooling mode, a backend connection is released back to the pool after each transaction completes, which is ideal for OLTP workloads with short-lived transactions. This reduces the overhead of TCP handshakes and authentication (which can take 10-20ms per connection) and prevents the database from being overwhelmed by hundreds of short-lived connections during peak hours.
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.
Visual reference
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.
- →
Design and Plan Database Solutions — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
- →
Design and Plan Database Solutions practice questions
Targeted practice on this topic area only
- →
All PCDOE questions
1,000 questions across all exam domains
- →
Google Professional Cloud DevOps Engineer study guide
Full concept coverage aligned to exam objectives
- →
PCDOE practice test guide
How to use practice tests most effectively before exam day
Related practice questions
Related PCDOE practice-question pages
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
Design and Plan Database Solutions practice questions
Practise PCDOE questions linked to Design and Plan Database Solutions.
Manage Database Solutions practice questions
Practise PCDOE questions linked to Manage Database Solutions.
Migrate Database Solutions practice questions
Practise PCDOE questions linked to Migrate Database Solutions.
Design for Reliability, Scalability, and Disaster Recovery practice questions
Practise PCDOE questions linked to Design for Reliability, Scalability, and Disaster Recovery.
Bootstrapping a Google Cloud organization for DevOps practice questions
Practise PCDOE questions linked to Bootstrapping a Google Cloud organization for DevOps.
Managing service incidents practice questions
Practise PCDOE questions linked to Managing service incidents.
Managing Google Cloud costs practice questions
Practise PCDOE questions linked to Managing Google Cloud costs.
Building and implementing CI/CD pipelines practice questions
Practise PCDOE questions linked to Building and implementing CI/CD pipelines.
Implementing service monitoring strategies practice questions
Practise PCDOE questions linked to Implementing service monitoring strategies.
Optimizing service performance practice questions
Practise PCDOE questions linked to Optimizing service performance.
PCDOE fundamentals practice questions
Practise PCDOE questions linked to PCDOE fundamentals.
PCDOE scenario practice questions
Practise PCDOE questions linked to PCDOE scenario.
Practice this exam
Start a free PCDOE practice session
Short sessions build daily habit. Longer sessions build exam-day stamina. Try a timed session to simulate real conditions.
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: Enable the pgBouncer flag to use transaction pooling. — Option D is correct because enabling the pgBouncer flag in Cloud SQL for PostgreSQL provides a built-in connection pooler that maintains persistent connections to the database, reducing the overhead of frequent connection establishment. pgBouncer operates in transaction pooling mode, which allows multiple client connections to share a smaller pool of backend connections, directly addressing high connection churn without requiring any application code changes.
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
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
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.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.