Courseiva
← PCD
Full test
Question 710 of 999
Deploying applications →easyMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped

Terraform Startup Script for Compute Engine — Metadata Block | Google Professional Cloud Developer Explained

This PCD practice question tests your understanding of deploying applications. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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 developer wants to deploy a Compute Engine instance using Terraform. They want to run a startup script to install software. How should they provide the script?

Quick Answer

The correct answer is to use the metadata block with the key 'startup-script' and the script content as the value. This works because Terraform’s google_compute_instance resource directly supports a metadata argument, and when you set the key to startup-script, Compute Engine automatically executes that script during the instance’s first boot sequence. On the Google Professional Cloud Developer exam, this question tests your understanding of how to automate software installation at launch using Infrastructure as Code, and it’s a common trap to confuse cloud-init (which is not native to Compute Engine) or to reach for gcloud commands instead of Terraform’s declarative syntax. The key distinction is that Terraform uses metadata, not user-data or cloud-init, to pass startup scripts. Memory tip: think “metadata key equals startup-script” — if you see any other key or method in the options, it’s likely a distractor.

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 the metadata block with key 'startup-script' and the script content as value.

Option A is correct because Terraform's `google_compute_instance` resource supports a `metadata` block where you can set the key `startup-script` with the script content as the value. When the Compute Engine instance boots, the `google-guest-agent` reads this metadata key and executes the script as the root user, which is the standard method for running startup scripts on Linux instances without additional configuration.

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 the metadata block with key 'startup-script' and the script content as value.

    Why this is correct

    This is the standard way to provide startup scripts in Terraform for GCP.

    Related concept

    Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.

  • ✗

    Use a cloud-init configuration file passed via user-data metadata.

    Why it's wrong here

    cloud-init is more common on AWS; GCP uses startup scripts.

  • ✗

    Use the user-data metadata key with the script content.

    Why it's wrong here

    user-data is not a standard GCP metadata key for startup scripts.

  • ✗

    Use the gcloud compute instances create command with --metadata-from-file flag.

    Why it's wrong here

    That is not Terraform.

Common exam traps

Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword

The trap here is that candidates confuse `user-data` (used by cloud-init) with `startup-script` (used by the Google Guest Agent), assuming any metadata key named 'user-data' will run a script, when in fact it requires cloud-init to be present and configured.

Detailed technical explanation

How to think about this question

Under the hood, the `google-guest-agent` on Compute Engine watches for metadata keys like `startup-script` and `startup-script-url`. The script content is stored as a string in the instance metadata (up to 256 KB), and the agent executes it via `/bin/sh` on Linux or `cmd.exe` on Windows. A subtle behavior is that if you use `startup-script-url` instead, the agent downloads the script from a URL, which is useful for larger scripts but requires the instance to have network access to that URL. In real-world scenarios, you might combine this with `metadata_startup_script` in Terraform for cleaner syntax.

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.

TExam Day Tips

  • 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

An e-commerce site experiences heavy traffic on Black Friday and near-zero traffic during off-peak weeks. Rather than provisioning permanent large VMs, the team uses auto-scaling groups that add capacity automatically under load and reduce it overnight. Questions like this test whether you understand elasticity, availability zones, and cloud compute scaling patterns.

What to study next

Got this wrong? Here's your next step.

Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.

Related practice questions

Related PCD practice-question pages

Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.

Manage a Solution that Can Span Multiple Database Systems practice questions

Practise PCD questions linked to Manage a Solution that Can Span Multiple Database Systems.

Deploy Scalable and Highly Available Databases in Google Cloud practice questions

Practise PCD questions linked to Deploy Scalable and Highly Available Databases in Google Cloud.

Design Scalable and Highly Available Cloud Database Solutions practice questions

Practise PCD questions linked to Design Scalable and Highly Available Cloud Database Solutions.

Migrate Data Solutions practice questions

Practise PCD questions linked to Migrate Data Solutions.

Designing highly scalable, available, and reliable cloud-native applications practice questions

Practise PCD questions linked to Designing highly scalable, available, and reliable cloud-native applications.

Building and testing applications practice questions

Practise PCD questions linked to Building and testing applications.

Deploying applications practice questions

Practise PCD questions linked to Deploying applications.

Integrating Google Cloud services practice questions

Practise PCD questions linked to Integrating Google Cloud services.

Managing application performance monitoring practice questions

Practise PCD questions linked to Managing application performance monitoring.

PCD fundamentals practice questions

Practise PCD questions linked to PCD fundamentals.

PCD scenario practice questions

Practise PCD questions linked to PCD scenario.

PCD troubleshooting practice questions

Practise PCD questions linked to PCD troubleshooting.

Practice this exam

Start a free PCD practice session

Short sessions build daily habit. Longer sessions build exam-day stamina. Try a timed session to simulate real conditions.

10 questions20 questions30 questions50 questionsTimed 30
PCD practice-test guide →Study guide →Browse all practice tests

FAQ

Questions learners often ask

What does this PCD question test?

Deploying applications — This question tests Deploying applications — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..

What is the correct answer to this question?

The correct answer is: Use the metadata block with key 'startup-script' and the script content as value. — Option A is correct because Terraform's `google_compute_instance` resource supports a `metadata` block where you can set the key `startup-script` with the script content as the value. When the Compute Engine instance boots, the `google-guest-agent` reads this metadata key and executes the script as the root user, which is the standard method for running startup scripts on Linux instances without additional configuration.

What should I do if I get this PCD question wrong?

Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.

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 →

How Courseiva writes practice questions · Editorial policy

Keep practising

More PCD practice questions

Browse all PCD questions →

Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026

Question Discussion

Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.

Loading comments…

Sign in to join the discussion.

This PCD 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 PCD exam.