- A
Recreate the index every hour using a scheduled job.
Why wrong: Causes downtime and is not immediate.
- B
Batch update by creating a new index and deploying it.
Why wrong: Batch updates are not immediate; they require rebuilding the index.
- C
Streaming updates using the streaming API.
Streaming updates allow immediate visibility of new data in the index.
- D
Use a brute-force index that supports real-time updates.
Why wrong: Brute-force index is not scalable for large datasets and does not support streaming updates natively.
Question 896 of 1,000
PMLE Serving and Scaling Models Practice Question
This PMLE practice question tests your understanding of serving and scaling models. 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 are using Vertex AI Vector Search with an approximate nearest neighbor index. You need to update the index with new data every hour. The updates must be available for queries immediately. Which update method should you use?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"immediately / without restart"Why it matters: Time or reboot constraint — the correct answer must take effect right away without requiring a reboot or reload.
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
✓
Streaming updates using the streaming API.
Option C is correct because Vertex AI Vector Search supports streaming updates via its streaming API, which allows you to insert, update, or delete vectors in real time. This ensures that new data is immediately available for approximate nearest neighbor (ANN) queries without requiring index recreation or redeployment, meeting the requirement for hourly updates with instant query availability.
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.
- ✗
Recreate the index every hour using a scheduled job.
Why it's wrong here
Causes downtime and is not immediate.
- ✗
Batch update by creating a new index and deploying it.
Why it's wrong here
Batch updates are not immediate; they require rebuilding the index.
- ✓
Streaming updates using the streaming API.
Why this is correct
Streaming updates allow immediate visibility of new data in the index.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "immediately / without restart" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Use a brute-force index that supports real-time updates.
Why it's wrong here
Brute-force index is not scalable for large datasets and does not support streaming updates natively.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Cisco often tests the misconception that batch updates (creating a new index) are the only way to update an ANN index, but the streaming API is designed specifically for low-latency, incremental updates without full index rebuilds.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Vertex AI Vector Search uses a scalable ANN algorithm (e.g., ScaNN) that partitions vectors into clusters. Streaming updates work by inserting new vectors into the appropriate shards and updating the index metadata in near real-time, leveraging a write-ahead log to ensure consistency. In practice, this is critical for applications like recommendation systems where user behavior data must be reflected in search results within seconds, not minutes.
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.
- →
Serving and Scaling Models — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this PMLE question test?
Serving and Scaling Models — This question tests Serving and Scaling Models — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Streaming updates using the streaming API. — Option C is correct because Vertex AI Vector Search supports streaming updates via its streaming API, which allows you to insert, update, or delete vectors in real time. This ensures that new data is immediately available for approximate nearest neighbor (ANN) queries without requiring index recreation or redeployment, meeting the requirement for hourly updates with instant query availability.
What should I do if I get this PMLE 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: "immediately / without restart". Time or reboot constraint — the correct answer must take effect right away without requiring a reboot or reload.
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 PMLE 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 PMLE exam.
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