Google PCA Manage implementation of cloud architecture Practice Question
Your company runs a critical application on Compute Engine instances in a managed instance group across three zones. The application writes logs to local disk. You are asked to improve the reliability of log retention and ensure logs are available in case of instance failure. You have already configured a health check that automatically recreates instances. However, after a recent zonal outage, logs from the affected instances were lost. You need to implement a solution that preserves logs even when instances are terminated. What should you do?
⚠ Common exam trap
Google Cloud often tests the misconception that persistent disks or Cloud Storage buckets are sufficient for log durability, but the key requirement is centralized log management with automatic streaming, which only Cloud Logging provides without additional complexity or latency.
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
✓
Install the Cloud Logging agent on each instance and configure it to stream application logs to Cloud Logging.
The Cloud Logging agent streams logs directly to Cloud Logging (now part of Google Cloud's operations suite), which stores logs independently of the Compute Engine instances. This ensures logs are preserved even if instances are terminated due to a zonal outage or health check recreation, as logs are sent to a centralized, durable logging service rather than being stored on local disk.
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 size of the local SSD to accommodate more logs and set a longer retention period.
Why it's wrong here
Local SSDs are ephemeral; data is lost when the instance is terminated.
- ✗
Configure each instance to write logs to a persistent disk that is retained after instance deletion.
Why it's wrong here
Persistent disks are zonal resources; if the zone fails, the disk may be inaccessible, and logs may still be lost.
- ✓
Install the Cloud Logging agent on each instance and configure it to stream application logs to Cloud Logging.
Why this is correct
Cloud Logging provides centralized, durable log storage independent of instance lifecycle.
- ✗
Mount a Cloud Storage bucket using gcsfuse on each instance and write logs directly to the bucket.
Why it's wrong here
Mounting a Cloud Storage bucket with gcsfuse is unsuitable for critical application logs due to the significant performance overhead and latency introduced by translating filesystem operations into Cloud Storage API calls. This can impact application performance and log reliability, especially with frequent small writes. However, it is tempting because it provides persistent storage, ensuring logs are not lost upon instance termination. This approach is effective for less performance-sensitive use cases like accessing large static files or infrequent data uploads, where direct filesystem-like access to Cloud Storage simplifies application logic.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Introduction to Google Cloud Platform
Key term
Compute Engine
Compute Engine is Google Cloud's Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) offering that lets you create and run virtual machines on Google's infrastructure.
Key term
Zonal
Zonal refers to the practice of grouping computing resources within a single geographic area to improve fault isolation, reduce latency, and meet compliance requirements.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This PCA practice question is part of Courseiva's free Google Cloud certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the PCA exam.