- A
Configure a high availability (HA) replica
Why wrong: HA provides failover but does not serve read traffic.
- B
Use Cloud SQL's failover replica
Why wrong: Failover replica is for HA, not read offload.
- C
Create a cross-region read replica
Read replicas can be in the same or different region and serve read-only traffic.
- D
Enable automatic backups and point-in-time recovery
Why wrong: Backups are for disaster recovery, not for offloading read traffic.
Question 741 of 1,000
PDE Storing the Data Practice Question
This PDE practice question tests your understanding of storing the data. 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.
An e-commerce application uses Cloud SQL (MySQL) for transaction processing. To improve read performance for reporting queries, the team wants to offload read traffic to a separate database instance that stays in sync with the primary. Which Cloud SQL feature should they use?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"primary"Why it matters: Asks for the main purpose or function, not a secondary benefit. Eliminate answers that describe side-effects or partial functions.
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 cross-region read replica
Option C is correct because Cloud SQL read replicas are designed to offload read traffic from the primary instance while staying in sync using asynchronous replication. Cross-region read replicas specifically allow you to place a replica in a different region, improving read performance for geographically distributed reporting queries without affecting the primary's transaction processing.
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.
- ✗
Configure a high availability (HA) replica
Why it's wrong here
HA provides failover but does not serve read traffic.
- ✗
Use Cloud SQL's failover replica
Why it's wrong here
Failover replica is for HA, not read offload.
- ✓
Create a cross-region read replica
Why this is correct
Read replicas can be in the same or different region and serve read-only traffic.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "primary" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Enable automatic backups and point-in-time recovery
Why it's wrong here
Backups are for disaster recovery, not for offloading read traffic.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse high availability (HA) replicas with read replicas, assuming that an HA standby can also serve read traffic, but in Cloud SQL the HA standby is not directly accessible for reads and is only used for failover.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Cloud SQL read replicas use MySQL's native asynchronous replication (binary log-based) to stay in sync with the primary, meaning there is a small replication lag that can affect read consistency for reporting queries. In a cross-region setup, network latency increases this lag, so applications must tolerate eventual consistency; for critical reporting, you might use proxy logic to route read-only transactions to the replica while ensuring write transactions go to the primary.
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
An e-commerce site experiences heavy traffic on Black Friday and near-zero traffic during off-peak weeks. Rather than provisioning permanent large VMs, the team uses auto-scaling groups that add capacity automatically under load and reduce it overnight. Questions like this test whether you understand elasticity, availability zones, and cloud compute scaling patterns.
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.
- →
Storing the Data — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this PDE question test?
Storing the Data — This question tests Storing the Data — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Create a cross-region read replica — Option C is correct because Cloud SQL read replicas are designed to offload read traffic from the primary instance while staying in sync using asynchronous replication. Cross-region read replicas specifically allow you to place a replica in a different region, improving read performance for geographically distributed reporting queries without affecting the primary's transaction processing.
What should I do if I get this PDE question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "primary". Asks for the main purpose or function, not a secondary benefit. Eliminate answers that describe side-effects or partial functions.
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 PDE 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 PDE exam.
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