PCDOE Implementing service monitoring strategies Practice Question
A cloud operations team is implementing monitoring for a microservices application deployed on Compute Engine. They want to create a custom dashboard in Cloud Monitoring that shows the 99th percentile latency of a specific service over the last hour. Which combination of Cloud Monitoring features should they use?
⚠ Common exam trap
Google Cloud often tests the distinction between metric types (gauge vs. distribution) and the specific alignment functions available in Cloud Monitoring, trapping candidates who confuse max alignment with percentile calculation or assume uptime checks can measure internal service 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
✓
Use a distribution metric with the 99th percentile alignment function in a Metrics Explorer chart.
Cloud Monitoring's distribution metrics inherently store a histogram of values, allowing percentile calculations like the 99th percentile. By selecting the 99th percentile alignment function in a Metrics Explorer chart, the dashboard directly computes and displays the desired latency threshold from the distribution data over the specified time window.
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 a gauge metric with the max alignment function in a Metrics Explorer chart.
Why it's wrong here
Gauge metrics do not support percentiles.
- ✓
Use a distribution metric with the 99th percentile alignment function in a Metrics Explorer chart.
Why this is correct
Distribution metrics support percentile alignments like 99th percentile.
- ✗
Use an uptime check metric and configure the latency percentile in the chart.
Why it's wrong here
Uptime checks measure availability, not service latency.
- ✗
Create a logs-based metric from application logs and use the count alignment.
Why it's wrong here
Logs-based metrics are for counts, not latency percentiles.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This PCDOE 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 PCDOE exam.