Google Cloud Professional Data Engineer Exam

What is the recommended data storage solution to support a transactional system when customers are primarily based in one region?

1. Use Cloud Spanner.

2. Use Cloud SQL.

3. Install a database of your choice on a Compute Engine VM.

4. Create a Cloud Storage bucket with a regional bucket.

The correct answer is: Use Cloud SQL.

Using Cloud SQL is the recommended data storage solution for a transactional system when customers are primarily based in one region due to its ease of use, built-in scalability for relational databases, and support for standard SQL queries. Cloud SQL provides automatic backups, replication capabilities, and managed database services which abstract much of the operational overhead that comes with running and maintaining a database. This is particularly advantageous for transactional systems where data integrity and performance are critical. Cloud SQL is also a fully managed service, meaning that Google Cloud takes care of maintenance tasks such as patching and updates, allowing developers to focus more on application development rather than database maintenance. Additionally, being a regional service, it can offer lower latency for users in the same geographic area, thus enhancing the overall user experience. In contrast, while other options like Cloud Spanner are designed for horizontal scalability and can handle large volumes of data and high availability requirements, they might be more complex than necessary for a smaller, regional user base. Installation of a database on a Compute Engine VM would require more manual management and maintenance overhead, making it less ideal for transactional systems where reliability and uptime are essential. Creating a Cloud Storage bucket is not suitable for transactional data storage as it is more designed for unstructured data and lacks the transactional