Section 1: Design scalable and highly available cloud database solutions (~42% of the exam)

1.1 Analyze relevant variables to perform database capacity and usage planning. Activities include:

● Given a scenario, perform solution sizing based on current environment workload metrics and future requirements

● Evaluate performance and cost tradeoffs of different database configurations (machine types, HDD versus SSD, etc.)

● Size database compute and storage based on performance requirements

1.2 Evaluate database high availability and disaster recovery options given the requirements. Activities include:

● Evaluate tradeoffs between multi-region, region, and zonal database deployment strategies

● Given a scenario, define maintenance windows and notifications based on application availability requirements

● Plan database upgrades for Google Cloud-managed databases

1.3 Determine how applications will connect to the database. Activities include:

● Design scalable, highly available, and secure databases

● Configure network and security (Cloud SQL Auth Proxy, CMEK, SSL certificates)

● Justify the use of session pooler services

● Assess auditing policies for managed services

1.4 Evaluate appropriate database solutions on Google Cloud. Activities include:

● Differentiate between managed and unmanaged database services (self-managed, bare metal, Google-managed databases and partner database offerings)

● Distinguish between SQL and NoSQL business requirements (structured, semi-structured, unstructured)

● Analyze the cost of running database solutions in Google Cloud (comparative analysis)

● Assess application and database dependencies

Section 2: Manage a solution that can span multiple database solutions (~34% of the exam)

2.1 Determine database connectivity and access management considerations. Activities include:

● Determine Identity and Access Management (IAM) policies for database connectivity and access control

● Manage database users, including authentication and access

2.2 Configure database monitoring and troubleshooting options. Activities include:

● Assess slow running queries and database locking and identify missing indexes

● Monitor and investigate database vitals: RAM, CPU storage, I/O, Cloud Logging

● Monitor and update quotas

● Investigate database resource contention

● Set up alerts for errors and performance metrics

2.3 Design database backup and recovery solutions. Activities include:

● Given SLAs and SLOs, recommend backup and recovery options (automatic scheduled backups)

● Configure export and import data for databases

● Design for recovery time objective (RTO) and recovery point objective (RPO)

2.4 Optimize database cost and performance in Google Cloud. Activities include:

● Assess options for scaling up and scaling out.

● Scale database instances based on current and upcoming workload

● Define replication strategies

● Continuously assess and optimize the cost of running a database solution

2.5 Determine solutions to automate database tasks. Activities include:

● Perform database maintenance

● Assess table fragmentation

● Schedule database exports

Section 3: Migrate data solutions (~14% of the exam)

3.1 Design and implement data migration and replication. Activities include:

● Develop and execute migration strategies and plans, including zero downtime, near-zero downtime, extended outage, and fallback plans

● Reverse replication from Google Cloud to source

● Plan and perform database migration, including fallback plans and schema conversion

● Determine the correct database migration tools for a given scenario

Section 4: Deploy scalable and highly available databases in Google Cloud (~10% of the exam)

4.1 Apply concepts to implement highly scalable and available databases in Google Cloud. Activities include:

● Provision high availability database solutions in Google Cloud

● Test high availability and disaster recovery strategies periodically

● Set up multi-regional replication for databases

● Assess requirements for read replicas

● Automate database instance provisioning