- A
Enable bucket lock and use object holds
Why wrong: Bucket lock is for compliance, not automatic deletion.
- B
Enable object versioning and set a retention policy with a retention period of 30 days
Why wrong: Retention policy prevents deletion, not automatic deletion. It does not meet the requirement to delete after 30 days.
- C
Enable a lifecycle rule with condition 'Age: 30 days' and action 'Delete'
Why wrong: Without versioning, deletion is permanent and no audit copy is kept.
- D
Enable object versioning and add a lifecycle rule with condition 'Age: 30 days' and action 'Delete' for the current version
Versioning retains noncurrent versions when objects are deleted, providing an audit trail. The lifecycle rule deletes current versions after 30 days, and the noncurrent versions remain (or can be deleted later with a separate rule). This combination meets both requirements.
Google ACE Planning and Configuring a Cloud Solution Practice Question
This ACE practice question tests your understanding of planning and configuring a cloud solution. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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 company has a Cloud Storage bucket that stores sensitive files. They want to ensure that objects are automatically deleted after 30 days to comply with data retention policies. Additionally, they need to keep a copy of all object deletions for audit purposes. Which combination of bucket settings should they use?
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
Enable object versioning and add a lifecycle rule with condition 'Age: 30 days' and action 'Delete' for the current version
Cloud Storage lifecycle management can automatically delete objects after 30 days using a SetStorageClass or Delete action with an Age condition. Object versioning enables keeping deleted or overwritten versions (noncurrent versions). By combining lifecycle rules to delete noncurrent versions after a period (e.g., 0 days) or simply keeping them, you can audit deletions. However, the question says 'keep a copy of all object deletions for audit purposes' – versioning retains noncurrent versions when objects are deleted or overwritten. Lifecycle rules can be set to expire the noncurrent versions after a longer period, but for audit purposes, you would keep them indefinitely or for a long period. The simplest is to enable versioning and set a lifecycle rule to delete objects after 30 days; deleted objects become noncurrent versions and are retained until a lifecycle rule removes them. To keep a copy, you might not delete noncurrent versions. The correct answer: enable versioning and add a lifecycle rule with condition Age:30 and action Delete for current objects. Noncurrent versions will remain unless a separate rule deletes them. For audit, you may also set a rule to delete noncurrent versions after a longer period, but the question asks for 'which combination' – the combination that achieves both requirements is versioning + lifecycle rule to delete current objects after 30 days. The deleted objects become noncurrent versions, which are retained (so audit copy is kept). If they need to keep the deletion records forever, they should not delete noncurrent versions. Among options, the one that includes versioning and a lifecycle rule that deletes objects after 30 days is correct. Option D includes versioning and lifecycle rule: 'Delete object after 30 days' – that's it. Option A is 'Object versioning' only – no deletion. Option B is 'Bucket lock' – not for automatic deletion. Option C is 'Lifecycle rule to delete objects after 30 days' without versioning – then when deleted, there is no version history. So D is best.
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.
- ✗
Enable bucket lock and use object holds
Why it's wrong here
Bucket lock is for compliance, not automatic deletion.
- ✗
Enable object versioning and set a retention policy with a retention period of 30 days
Why it's wrong here
Retention policy prevents deletion, not automatic deletion. It does not meet the requirement to delete after 30 days.
- ✗
Enable a lifecycle rule with condition 'Age: 30 days' and action 'Delete'
Why it's wrong here
Without versioning, deletion is permanent and no audit copy is kept.
- ✓
Enable object versioning and add a lifecycle rule with condition 'Age: 30 days' and action 'Delete' for the current version
Why this is correct
Versioning retains noncurrent versions when objects are deleted, providing an audit trail. The lifecycle rule deletes current versions after 30 days, and the noncurrent versions remain (or can be deleted later with a separate rule). This combination meets both requirements.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
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.
- Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
- Underline the problem statement mentally.
- 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
A media company stores terabytes of video archives that are accessed once a year for audit purposes. Moving these objects to a cold storage tier (Azure Archive, S3 Glacier, or Google Nearline) costs a fraction of hot storage. Questions like this test whether you understand storage tiers, access frequency tradeoffs, and retrieval latency requirements.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which ACE exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this ACE question test?
Planning and Configuring a Cloud Solution — This question tests Planning and Configuring a Cloud Solution — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Enable object versioning and add a lifecycle rule with condition 'Age: 30 days' and action 'Delete' for the current version — Cloud Storage lifecycle management can automatically delete objects after 30 days using a SetStorageClass or Delete action with an Age condition. Object versioning enables keeping deleted or overwritten versions (noncurrent versions). By combining lifecycle rules to delete noncurrent versions after a period (e.g., 0 days) or simply keeping them, you can audit deletions. However, the question says 'keep a copy of all object deletions for audit purposes' – versioning retains noncurrent versions when objects are deleted or overwritten. Lifecycle rules can be set to expire the noncurrent versions after a longer period, but for audit purposes, you would keep them indefinitely or for a long period. The simplest is to enable versioning and set a lifecycle rule to delete objects after 30 days; deleted objects become noncurrent versions and are retained until a lifecycle rule removes them. To keep a copy, you might not delete noncurrent versions. The correct answer: enable versioning and add a lifecycle rule with condition Age:30 and action Delete for current objects. Noncurrent versions will remain unless a separate rule deletes them. For audit, you may also set a rule to delete noncurrent versions after a longer period, but the question asks for 'which combination' – the combination that achieves both requirements is versioning + lifecycle rule to delete current objects after 30 days. The deleted objects become noncurrent versions, which are retained (so audit copy is kept). If they need to keep the deletion records forever, they should not delete noncurrent versions. Among options, the one that includes versioning and a lifecycle rule that deletes objects after 30 days is correct. Option D includes versioning and lifecycle rule: 'Delete object after 30 days' – that's it. Option A is 'Object versioning' only – no deletion. Option B is 'Bucket lock' – not for automatic deletion. Option C is 'Lifecycle rule to delete objects after 30 days' without versioning – then when deleted, there is no version history. So D is best.
What should I do if I get this ACE question wrong?
Identify which ACE exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
This ACE 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 ACE exam.
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