easyMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped
PCSE Practice Question: Retain audit logs for 7 years to meet regulatory…
A company needs to retain audit logs for 7 years to meet regulatory compliance. They are using Cloud Logging. Which log storage strategy should they use to minimize costs while meeting the requirement?
⚠ Common exam trap
Google Cloud often tests the misconception that the _Required log bucket can be customized for long-term retention, when in fact it is a fixed, system-managed bucket with a default retention period that cannot be extended.
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 log sink to export logs to Cloud Storage with a retention policy of 7 years and nearline storage class.
Exporting logs to Cloud Storage via a log sink allows you to set a bucket retention policy of 7 years, meeting compliance requirements. Using the nearline storage class minimizes costs for logs that are accessed infrequently, as it offers lower storage costs than standard storage while still providing the necessary durability and retention capabilities.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Store logs in the _Required log bucket with a custom retention of 7 years.
Why it's wrong here
The _Required log bucket has a maximum retention of 400 days and cannot be extended to 7 years.
- ✗
Disable logging for non-critical resources to reduce log volume and retain only essential logs.
Why it's wrong here
Disabling logs would violate compliance requirements for audit trails.
- ✓
Use a log sink to export logs to Cloud Storage with a retention policy of 7 years and nearline storage class.
Why this is correct
Log sinks can export to Cloud Storage, and a retention policy ensures logs are kept for 7 years. Nearline storage class reduces cost.
- ✗
Use a log sink to export logs to BigQuery and set the table expiration to 7 years.
Why it's wrong here
BigQuery is not cost-optimized for long-term archival; Cloud Storage is cheaper.
Quick reference
AWS S3 Storage Class Comparison
| Storage Class | Min Duration | Retrieval | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| S3 Standard | None | Immediate | Frequently accessed data |
| S3 Standard-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Infrequent access, rapid retrieval |
| S3 One Zone-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Non-critical infrequent data |
| S3 Intelligent-Tiering | None | Immediate–hours | Unknown or changing access patterns |
| S3 Glacier Instant | 90 days | Milliseconds | Archive with instant retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Flexible | 90 days | Minutes–hours | Archive, flexible retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Deep Archive | 180 days | Hours | Long-term compliance archive |
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This PCSE 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 PCSE exam.