- A
Sliding windows of length 5 minutes with a period of 1 minute
Sliding windows produce overlapping windows every minute, exactly what is needed.
- B
Global windows with a trigger firing every minute
Why wrong: Global window accumulates all data, not per device over last 5 minutes.
- C
Fixed windows of 5 minutes
Why wrong: Fixed windows are non-overlapping; you would get averages for disjoint 5-minute intervals, not sliding.
- D
Session windows with a gap duration of 1 minute
Why wrong: Session windows group based on activity gaps, not suitable for fixed time intervals.
Question 830 of 1,000
PDE Designing Data Processing Systems Practice Question
This PDE practice question tests your understanding of designing data processing systems. 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.
You need to analyse streaming data from thousands of IoT devices, each sending temperature readings every second. You want to calculate the average temperature per device over the last 5 minutes, updating every minute. Which windowing strategy should you use in Dataflow?
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
✓
Sliding windows of length 5 minutes with a period of 1 minute
Sliding windows of length 5 minutes with a period of 1 minute give the desired overlapping windows: every minute, you get the average over the last 5 minutes.
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.
- ✓
Sliding windows of length 5 minutes with a period of 1 minute
Why this is correct
Sliding windows produce overlapping windows every minute, exactly what is needed.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Global windows with a trigger firing every minute
Why it's wrong here
Global window accumulates all data, not per device over last 5 minutes.
- ✗
Fixed windows of 5 minutes
Why it's wrong here
Fixed windows are non-overlapping; you would get averages for disjoint 5-minute intervals, not sliding.
- ✗
Session windows with a gap duration of 1 minute
Why it's wrong here
Session windows group based on activity gaps, not suitable for fixed time intervals.
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 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 PDE 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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Designing Data Processing Systems — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this PDE question test?
Designing Data Processing Systems — This question tests Designing Data Processing Systems — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Sliding windows of length 5 minutes with a period of 1 minute — Sliding windows of length 5 minutes with a period of 1 minute give the desired overlapping windows: every minute, you get the average over the last 5 minutes.
What should I do if I get this PDE question wrong?
Identify which PDE 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 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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