PCDOE Implementing service monitoring strategies Practice Question
A company needs to monitor custom application metrics from Compute Engine instances. Which TWO methods can be used?
⚠ Common exam trap
Google Cloud often tests the distinction between agents for logging versus monitoring, and candidates mistakenly think the Cloud Logging agent can also handle metrics, or they confuse Cloud Trace (tracing) with metric collection.
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 Cloud Monitoring agent on instances
The Cloud Monitoring agent is specifically designed to collect custom application metrics from Compute Engine instances and send them to Cloud Monitoring. It supports both third-party applications and custom metrics via its built-in integration with collectd and a configuration interface for defining custom metrics. This is the standard, supported method for monitoring custom metrics from 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.
- ✗
Use the deprecated Stackdriver Agent
Why it's wrong here
The Stackdriver Agent is deprecated and should not be used.
- ✓
Install Cloud Monitoring agent on instances
Why this is correct
The agent collects custom metrics and sends to Cloud Monitoring.
- ✗
Use Cloud Trace
Why it's wrong here
Cloud Trace is for distributed tracing, not custom metrics.
- ✓
Use OpenTelemetry to send metrics to Cloud Monitoring
Why this is correct
OpenTelemetry is a supported standard for custom metrics.
- ✗
Install Cloud Logging agent
Why it's wrong here
The Logging agent collects logs, not metrics.
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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.