Google PCA Manage implementation of cloud architecture Practice Question
Exhibit
Refer to the exhibit. $ gcloud compute instances list --zones=us-central1-a,us-central1-b,us-central1-c NAME ZONE MACHINE_TYPE PREEMPTIBLE STATUS instance-1 us-central1-a n1-standard-4 yes RUNNING instance-2 us-central1-b n1-standard-4 yes RUNNING instance-3 us-central1-c n1-standard-4 yes RUNNING instance-4 us-central1-a n1-standard-4 yes RUNNING instance-5 us-central1-b n1-standard-4 yes TERMINATED instance-6 us-central1-c n1-standard-4 yes RUNNING
A company uses preemptible VMs for batch processing. They notice that during peak hours, many instances are terminated before finishing their tasks. The operations team observes the output shown in the exhibit. Which action would best improve job completion rates without significantly increasing costs?
⚠ Common exam trap
Google Cloud often tests the misconception that simply adding more preemptible VMs or switching entirely to regular VMs is the solution, but the correct answer requires a hybrid approach that balances cost and reliability using instance groups with a mix of VM types.
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 instance groups with a mix of preemptible and regular VMs
Using a mixed instance group with both preemptible and regular VMs allows the batch processing job to continue on regular VMs when preemptible VMs are terminated during peak hours. This balances cost and reliability: preemptible VMs handle most of the workload at low cost, while regular VMs act as a fallback to ensure job completion without the full expense of switching entirely to regular VMs.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Increase the number of instances to compensate for terminations
Why it's wrong here
More preemptible instances increase likelihood of terminations; may not improve overall completion.
- ✗
Use sole-tenant nodes for these instances
Why it's wrong here
Sole-tenant nodes are expensive and do not prevent preemption.
- ✓
Use instance groups with a mix of preemptible and regular VMs
Why this is correct
Combines cost savings of preemptible with reliability of regular VMs.
- ✗
Use committed use discounts for 1 year
Why it's wrong here
Committed use discounts apply to regular VMs, not preemptible.
- ✗
Switch to regular VMs for critical jobs
Why it's wrong here
Regular VMs increase costs; not all jobs may be critical.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Virtual Machine Instances in Compute Engine
Key term
Batch processing
Batch processing is a method of running high-volume, repetitive data jobs where a group of transactions is collected, processed together automatically, and then results are produced without real-time user interaction.
Key term
Batch
Batch is a cloud computing service that runs large numbers of computing jobs as a group, or batch, without needing to manage individual servers.
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