Backup and restore in GCP - Practice Problems & Coding Challenges

Challenge - 5 Problems

❓ service_behavior

intermediate

Understanding Cloud SQL Automated Backups

What happens when you enable automated backups on a Cloud SQL instance in Google Cloud?

A Cloud SQL requires manual initiation of backups; automated backups are not supported.

B Cloud SQL creates backups only when a user triggers a failover event.

C Backups are created only when the instance is stopped and restarted.

D Cloud SQL creates daily backups and retains them for a user-defined retention period automatically.

💡 Hint

Think about how automated backups help with data protection without manual intervention.

Enabling automated backups in Cloud SQL schedules daily backups automatically and retains them based on the retention period you set. This helps protect data without manual steps.

❓ Architecture

intermediate

Designing Backup Strategy for Compute Engine VM

You want to back up a Compute Engine VM's disk regularly with minimal downtime. Which approach is best?

A Create snapshots of the VM's persistent disk while the VM is running.

B Create a new VM and copy the disk contents to it for backup.

C Copy all files manually from the VM to Cloud Storage using a cron job.

D Stop the VM, create a disk image, then restart the VM.

💡 Hint

Consider how snapshots work with running disks and downtime.

Snapshots can be taken while the VM is running, minimizing downtime. Stopping the VM is not required, making snapshots the best choice for regular backups.

❓ security

advanced

Securing Backup Data in Cloud Storage

You store backups in a Cloud Storage bucket. What is the best practice to ensure backup data is protected from unauthorized access?

A Use bucket-level IAM roles to restrict access and enable Object Versioning for recovery.

B Make the bucket public so backups can be accessed from anywhere if needed.

C Disable all encryption to improve backup speed and reduce costs.

D Share the bucket credentials with all team members for easy access.

💡 Hint

Think about controlling access and protecting data integrity.

Restricting access with IAM roles and enabling Object Versioning helps protect backup data from unauthorized access and accidental deletion.

❓ Configuration

advanced

Restoring a Cloud SQL Instance from Backup

You need to restore a Cloud SQL instance to a point in time 3 hours ago. Which method should you use?

A Delete the instance and create a new one with the same name.

B Use Point-in-Time Recovery (PITR) feature to restore the instance to 3 hours ago.

C Manually download the backup and upload it to a new instance.

D Restore from the latest automated backup only; PITR is not supported.

💡 Hint

Consider features that allow restoring to a specific time.

Point-in-Time Recovery allows restoring a Cloud SQL instance to any time within the backup retention period, such as 3 hours ago.

✅ Best Practice

expert

Optimizing Backup Storage Costs for Large Datasets

Your backups are growing large and costly in Cloud Storage. Which strategy best reduces storage costs while keeping backups reliable?

A Delete all backups older than one day to save space.

B Keep all backups in Standard storage indefinitely for fastest access.

C Use lifecycle management to transition older backups to Coldline or Archive storage classes automatically.

D Store backups on local disks of Compute Engine instances instead of Cloud Storage.

💡 Hint

Think about balancing cost and data availability over time.

Lifecycle management policies can move older backups to cheaper storage classes like Coldline or Archive, reducing costs while keeping data available if needed.