- A
Use Cloud Storage Object Lifecycle Management to move objects to Nearline after 30 days, then to Coldline after 90 days, then to Archive after 1 year
Lifecycle management automates transitions to lower-cost storage classes, reducing costs over time.
- B
Store the data in BigQuery and use clustering on frequently filtered columns
Clustering improves query performance and reduces data scanned, lowering query costs.
- C
Export older partitions from BigQuery to Cloud Storage and delete them from BigQuery after 30 days
Exporting to Cloud Storage reduces BigQuery storage costs; Cloud Storage offers cheaper archival classes.
- D
Store the data in BigQuery and set an expiration on the table to delete data after 30 days
Why wrong: Deleting after 30 days violates the 7-year compliance requirement.
- E
Use BigQuery partitions based on ingestion time and set partition expiration to 30 days
Why wrong: Again, deleting partitions after 30 days does not meet the 7-year retention.
Google ACE Planning and Configuring a Cloud Solution Practice Question
This ACE practice question tests your understanding of planning and configuring a cloud solution. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A company needs to store and analyze large amounts of log data (hundreds of terabytes) with occasional SQL queries. The data is rarely accessed after 30 days and must be kept for compliance for 7 years. They want to minimize storage costs. Which three actions should they take? (Choose THREE.)
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"minimum / minimize"Why it matters: Asks for the least resource use — fewest addresses, smallest subnet, lowest overhead. Eliminate over-provisioned options even if they would technically work.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Use Cloud Storage Object Lifecycle Management to move objects to Nearline after 30 days, then to Coldline after 90 days, then to Archive after 1 year
BigQuery is ideal for log analysis. For historical data, moving older data to lower-cost storage classes like NEARLINE or COLDLINE reduces cost. Partitioning and clustering improve query performance and reduce costs. Cloud Storage is an alternative, but BigQuery is better for SQL queries.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Use Cloud Storage Object Lifecycle Management to move objects to Nearline after 30 days, then to Coldline after 90 days, then to Archive after 1 year
Why this is correct
Lifecycle management automates transitions to lower-cost storage classes, reducing costs over time.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "minimum / minimize" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✓
Store the data in BigQuery and use clustering on frequently filtered columns
Why this is correct
Clustering improves query performance and reduces data scanned, lowering query costs.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "minimum / minimize" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✓
Export older partitions from BigQuery to Cloud Storage and delete them from BigQuery after 30 days
Why this is correct
Exporting to Cloud Storage reduces BigQuery storage costs; Cloud Storage offers cheaper archival classes.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "minimum / minimize" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Store the data in BigQuery and set an expiration on the table to delete data after 30 days
Why it's wrong here
Deleting after 30 days violates the 7-year compliance requirement.
- ✗
Use BigQuery partitions based on ingestion time and set partition expiration to 30 days
Why it's wrong here
Again, deleting partitions after 30 days does not meet the 7-year retention.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
- Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
- Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
- Underline the problem statement mentally.
- Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
- Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A startup's cloud architect reviews their monthly bill and notices costs are higher than expected for a long-running batch job. Switching from on-demand instances to Reserved Instances — or using Spot/Preemptible VMs — can reduce compute costs by up to 72 %. Questions like this test whether you understand the tradeoffs between commitment, flexibility, and cost across cloud pricing models.
Quick reference
AWS S3 Storage Class Comparison
| Storage Class | Min Duration | Retrieval | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| S3 Standard | None | Immediate | Frequently accessed data |
| S3 Standard-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Infrequent access, rapid retrieval |
| S3 One Zone-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Non-critical infrequent data |
| S3 Intelligent-Tiering | None | Immediate–hours | Unknown or changing access patterns |
| S3 Glacier Instant | 90 days | Milliseconds | Archive with instant retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Flexible | 90 days | Minutes–hours | Archive, flexible retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Deep Archive | 180 days | Hours | Long-term compliance archive |
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which ACE exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this ACE question test?
Planning and Configuring a Cloud Solution — This question tests Planning and Configuring a Cloud Solution — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Use Cloud Storage Object Lifecycle Management to move objects to Nearline after 30 days, then to Coldline after 90 days, then to Archive after 1 year — BigQuery is ideal for log analysis. For historical data, moving older data to lower-cost storage classes like NEARLINE or COLDLINE reduces cost. Partitioning and clustering improve query performance and reduce costs. Cloud Storage is an alternative, but BigQuery is better for SQL queries.
What should I do if I get this ACE question wrong?
Identify which ACE exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "minimum / minimize". Asks for the least resource use — fewest addresses, smallest subnet, lowest overhead. Eliminate over-provisioned options even if they would technically work.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
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