Cloud Digital Leader Practice Question: Google Cloud products, services, and solutions

Exhibit

{
  "lifecycle": {
    "rule": [
      {
        "action": {"type": "Delete"},
        "condition": {
          "daysSinceCustomTime": 30
        }
      }
    ]
  }
}

Refer to the exhibit. A company configures a lifecycle policy on a Cloud Storage bucket. The bucket contains objects uploaded over the past year with custom time set on each object. After 60 days, what happens to the objects?

⚠ Common exam trap

Google Cloud often tests the distinction between object age (creation time) and custom time, trapping candidates who assume lifecycle policies always use the object's creation date instead of the user-defined `customTime` attribute.

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

✓

Objects with custom time more than 30 days ago are deleted.

The lifecycle policy uses the `customTime` attribute, and the rule is configured to delete objects when `customTime` is older than 30 days. After 60 days from upload, objects with a `customTime` set at upload will have had that timestamp for 60 days, so they are more than 30 days past their `customTime` and are deleted. The policy does not use object age or last access time.

Answer analysis

Option-by-option breakdown

For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.

✗
All objects older than 30 days from now are deleted.
Why it's wrong here
The lifecycle rule uses the `daysSinceCustomTime` condition rather than the standard `age` condition, which measures time since object creation. Therefore, deletion is not based on a rolling 30-day window from the current date or the upload timestamp. Instead, the trigger is the elapsed time since the custom time metadata value stored on the object, which can differ substantially from the object's creation time.
✓
Objects with custom time more than 30 days ago are deleted.
Why this is correct
Correct: The rule specifies `daysSinceCustomTime: 30`, meaning any object whose custom time metadata is more than 30 days in the past will be deleted. Custom time is a user-controlled timestamp set at upload or via a metadata update, so the policy enforces a 30-day retention period measured from that business-specific point, not from when the object was created. When the current date minus the custom time exceeds 30 days, the delete action is triggered.
✗
Objects are deleted after 30 days from the last access.
Why it's wrong here
This answer incorrectly assumes Cloud Storage tracks and uses last access time in lifecycle rules, but no such condition is present in this policy. The rule is based exclusively on `daysSinceCustomTime` and does not consider read, download, or other access events. Cloud Storage does not maintain a last-access timestamp for lifecycle evaluation, so deletion is unaffected by access patterns and is determined solely by the custom time field.
✗
The lifecycle policy is invalid because custom time is not supported.
Why it's wrong here
Custom time is a fully supported object metadata property that Google Cloud Storage lifecycle policies can reference, so this option's claim of invalidity is incorrect. The `daysSinceCustomTime` condition is officially documented and enables lifecycle actions based on a user-defined timestamp, allowing flexible retention scheduling. The policy is valid and will delete objects when the custom time is older than 30 days.

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Cloud Digital Leader Practice Question: Google Cloud products, services, and solutions

Exhibit

Why each option matters

Option-by-option breakdown

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