PCNE Practice Question: Managing, Monitoring, and Optimising Network Operations
A company is experiencing periodic packet loss between two Compute Engine instances in the same region but different zones. They have enabled VPC Flow Logs and see that the flows are marked with 'RTT' latency. Which THREE actions should they take to diagnose the issue? (Choose three.)
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
✓
Check the Performance Dashboard for packet loss between the two zones
VPC Flow Logs provide RTT latency for TCP flows. Analyzing the RTT values can indicate congestion. Checking the Performance Dashboard can show packet loss between zones. Checking instance CPU metrics can reveal if one instance is overwhelmed. Checking firewall rules is less likely to cause intermittent loss; firewall rules either block or allow. Checking BGP sessions is irrelevant for intra-region traffic.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Check the Performance Dashboard for packet loss between the two zones
Why this is correct
Shows if there is underlying network packet loss.
- ✓
Analyze VPC Flow Logs for RTT latency values to identify congestion
Why this is correct
High RTT may indicate congestion or queuing.
- ✗
Verify that the firewall rules are not blocking ICMP
Why it's wrong here
ICMP blocking would cause consistent failure, not periodic packet loss.
- ✓
Review the CPU utilization of both instances
Why this is correct
High CPU can cause packet drops at the instance level.
- ✗
Check BGP session status on the Cloud Router
Why it's wrong here
BGP sessions are for hybrid connectivity, not intra-region instance communication.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This PCNE 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 PCNE exam.