Google Cloud Professional Data Engineer Exam

In which scenario would you be least likely to use Cloud Functions?

1. To execute code in response to changes in Cloud Storage

2. To orchestrate data pipeline components

3. To build a real-time event processing solution

4. To trigger functions on API requests

The correct answer is: To orchestrate data pipeline components

Using Cloud Functions is particularly well-suited for scenarios where you need to execute code in response to specific events, such as changes in Cloud Storage, API requests, or for real-time event processing. These use cases leverage the serverless, event-driven architecture of Cloud Functions, where the service automatically scales based on the number of events or requests. In contrast, orchestrating data pipeline components typically involves more complex workflows, where various tasks need to be coordinated in a specific sequence or require state management. For these scenarios, tools designed specifically for data orchestration, such as Cloud Dataflow or Cloud Composer, would be more appropriate. These services provide more extensive capabilities for managing dependencies, retries, and scheduling, which make them better suited than Cloud Functions for handling intricate data pipelines. Thus, when considering the characteristics and intended purposes of Cloud Functions, orchestrating data pipeline components is the scenario where their use is least likely to be effective.