- A
Replace backend Compute Engine instances with Cloud SQL for data storage and keep frontend as is
Why wrong: Cloud SQL is a database, but the backend involves application logic on instances; it doesn't address the compute layer.
- B
Move all instances to a single zone in us-central1 with larger machine types
Why wrong: Single zone does not provide high availability against zone failure.
- C
Keep the backend in a zonal MIG in us-east1-b but take hourly snapshots of persistent disks to a different zone
Why wrong: Snapshots are not real-time; data loss potential and recovery time are high.
- D
Use regional persistent disks for backend data and deploy a regional managed instance group for backend instances across us-east1-a and us-east1-b
Regional persistent disks are replicated across zones; regional MIG provides auto-healing and distribution.
Google ACE Deploying and implementing a cloud solution Practice Question
This ACE practice question tests your understanding of deploying and implementing a cloud solution. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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 runs a multi-tier web application on Compute Engine: a frontend instance group (us-east1) and a backend instance group (us-east1) that stores data on persistent disks. They recently experienced a zone failure in us-east1-b, causing all instances in that zone to go down. The application was unavailable for 2 hours. The team is now required to design a solution that provides high availability across multiple zones within the us-east1 region and minimizes data loss. The frontend is stateless, but the backend holds critical state data on persistent disks. The team considers: (A) Migrate backend to use regional persistent disks and distribute backend instances across zones using a regional MIG. (B) Use a zonal MIG in us-east1-b with snapshots to another zone. (C) Move the entire application to a single zone in us-central1 with more resources. (D) Use Cloud SQL for backend data and keep Compute Engine instances in a single zone. Which option best meets the requirements?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"best"Why it matters: Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
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 regional persistent disks for backend data and deploy a regional managed instance group for backend instances across us-east1-a and us-east1-b
Option D is correct because it uses regional persistent disks (which replicate data synchronously across two zones in the same region) combined with a regional managed instance group (MIG) that distributes backend instances across us-east1-a and us-east1-b. This architecture ensures that if one zone fails, the backend instances in the other zone can immediately attach the same regional persistent disk, minimizing data loss and providing high availability without requiring manual snapshot recovery.
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.
- ✗
Replace backend Compute Engine instances with Cloud SQL for data storage and keep frontend as is
Why it's wrong here
Cloud SQL is a database, but the backend involves application logic on instances; it doesn't address the compute layer.
- ✗
Move all instances to a single zone in us-central1 with larger machine types
Why it's wrong here
Single zone does not provide high availability against zone failure.
- ✗
Keep the backend in a zonal MIG in us-east1-b but take hourly snapshots of persistent disks to a different zone
Why it's wrong here
Snapshots are not real-time; data loss potential and recovery time are high.
- ✓
Use regional persistent disks for backend data and deploy a regional managed instance group for backend instances across us-east1-a and us-east1-b
Why this is correct
Regional persistent disks are replicated across zones; regional MIG provides auto-healing and distribution.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Google Cloud often tests the distinction between zonal and regional resources; the trap here is that candidates may think snapshots or backups are sufficient for high availability, but they fail to recognize that snapshots do not provide automatic failover or near-zero data loss, which is only achievable with synchronous replication like regional persistent disks.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Regional persistent disks use synchronous replication between two zones in the same region, ensuring that writes are committed to both zones before acknowledging the write to the application. When used with a regional MIG, the instance group can automatically redistribute instances across zones based on health checks and zone failures, and the disk can be attached to a new instance in the surviving zone without needing to restore from a snapshot. This design achieves a Recovery Point Objective (RPO) of zero and a Recovery Time Objective (RTO) of minutes, which is far superior to snapshot-based approaches that typically have RPOs of hours.
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.
TExam Day Tips
- 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 exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this ACE question test?
Deploying and implementing a cloud solution — This question tests Deploying and implementing a cloud solution — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Use regional persistent disks for backend data and deploy a regional managed instance group for backend instances across us-east1-a and us-east1-b — Option D is correct because it uses regional persistent disks (which replicate data synchronously across two zones in the same region) combined with a regional managed instance group (MIG) that distributes backend instances across us-east1-a and us-east1-b. This architecture ensures that if one zone fails, the backend instances in the other zone can immediately attach the same regional persistent disk, minimizing data loss and providing high availability without requiring manual snapshot recovery.
What should I do if I get this ACE question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "best". Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Last reviewed: Jun 30, 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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