Google PCA Ensure solution and operations reliability Practice Question
This PCA practice question tests your understanding of ensure solution and operations reliability. 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.
Exhibit
Stackdriver Logging query results:
resource.type="gce_instance"
logName="projects/my-project/logs/syslog"
Timestamps:
2023-11-01 10:15:23 UTC - Out of memory: Killed process 1234 (java)
2023-11-01 10:15:24 UTC - Out of memory: Killed process 5678 (python)
2023-11-01 10:15:25 UTC - Out of memory: Killed process 9012 (node)
Monitoring metric: instance/disk/bytes_used (gce_instance)
Value: 95% at 10:15:20 UTC
Refer to the exhibit. The exhibit shows logs and a metric from a GCE instance that was terminated. The instance was part of a managed instance group. Which diagnostic step should be taken FIRST to prevent recurrence?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "first"
Why it matters: Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
Exhibit
Stackdriver Logging query results:
resource.type="gce_instance"
logName="projects/my-project/logs/syslog"
Timestamps:
2023-11-01 10:15:23 UTC - Out of memory: Killed process 1234 (java)
2023-11-01 10:15:24 UTC - Out of memory: Killed process 5678 (python)
2023-11-01 10:15:25 UTC - Out of memory: Killed process 9012 (node)
Monitoring metric: instance/disk/bytes_used (gce_instance)
Value: 95% at 10:15:20 UTC
A
Review the memory usage metric for the instance prior to termination.
Memory usage history will reveal if the instance was memory-constrained, guiding whether to increase memory.
B
Set a disk usage alert to be notified when disk exceeds 90%.
Why wrong: Alerting is reactive; the immediate diagnostic step is to check memory.
C
Increase the disk size of the instance template and redeploy.
Why wrong: Disk size may help but the primary symptom is OOM; memory should be checked first.
D
Add a startup script to clear temporary files on boot.
Why wrong: This does not address the root cause of OOM.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Review the memory usage metric for the instance prior to termination.
The logs indicate OOM kills, and the disk is nearly full. The most likely cause is a combination of high memory usage and disk filling up (possibly swap or logs). First, check memory usage history to confirm if the instance was under-provisioned.
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.
✓
Review the memory usage metric for the instance prior to termination.
Why this is correct
Memory usage history will reveal if the instance was memory-constrained, guiding whether to increase memory.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "first" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Set a disk usage alert to be notified when disk exceeds 90%.
Why it's wrong here
Alerting is reactive; the immediate diagnostic step is to check memory.
✗
Increase the disk size of the instance template and redeploy.
Why it's wrong here
Disk size may help but the primary symptom is OOM; memory should be checked first.
✗
Add a startup script to clear temporary files on boot.
Why it's wrong here
This does not address the root cause of OOM.
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 cloud solutions architect for a retail company is evaluating services for a new workload. The correct answer here reflects best practice for the specific scenario described — not a general cloud recommendation. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Cloud exam questions reward reading the constraint carefully: the same technology can be right or wrong depending on the use case.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this PCA question in full detail.
Identify which PCA 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.
Ensure solution and operations reliability — This question tests Ensure solution and operations reliability — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Review the memory usage metric for the instance prior to termination. — The logs indicate OOM kills, and the disk is nearly full. The most likely cause is a combination of high memory usage and disk filling up (possibly swap or logs). First, check memory usage history to confirm if the instance was under-provisioned.
What should I do if I get this PCA question wrong?
Identify which PCA 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: "first". Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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