Google Cloud Professional Data Engineer — Question 230

You have 100 GB of data stored in a BigQuery table. This data is outdated and will only be accessed one or two times a year for analytics with SQL. For backup purposes, you want to store this data to be immutable for 3 years. You want to minimize storage costs. What should you do?

Answer options

• A. 1. Create a BigQuery table clone. 2. Query the clone when you need to perform analytics.
• B. 1. Create a BigQuery table snapshot. 2. Restore the snapshot when you need to perform analytics.
• C. 1. Perform a BigQuery export to a Cloud Storage bucket with archive storage class. 2. Enable versioning on the bucket. 3. Create a BigQuery external table on the exported files.
• D. 1. Perform a BigQuery export to a Cloud Storage bucket with archive storage class. 2. Set a locked retention policy on the bucket. 3. Create a BigQuery external table on the exported files.

Correct answer: D

Explanation

The correct answer is D, as it ensures the data is stored in a cost-effective manner using the archive storage class while also enforcing a locked retention policy, making it immutable for 3 years. Option A and B do not provide immutability or cost-effectiveness for long-term storage. Option C, while similar, lacks the critical locked retention policy that guarantees the data cannot be altered.