- A
Deploy a single large virtual machine in one region and rely on a CDN to serve content globally.
Why wrong: Single VM is a bottleneck and cannot handle traffic spikes; CDN only helps static content, not compute.
- B
Build the app on Compute Engine with managed instance groups, use Cloud CDN for global low-latency delivery, and Cloud Storage for user content.
Provides autoscaling, global reach, and fully managed services, aligning with startup needs.
- C
Purchase and configure servers in a single colocation facility, and use a content delivery network (CDN) for static assets.
Why wrong: Requires upfront investment and lacks elasticity; scaling is slow and hardware-intensive.
- D
Use a hybrid cloud model: keep a small on-premises server for core features and burst to the cloud for extra capacity.
Why wrong: Unnecessary complexity and cost; startup has no existing on-premises infrastructure.
Cloud Digital Leader Why cloud technology is transforming business Practice Question
This GCDL practice question tests your understanding of why cloud technology is transforming business. 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 startup wants to launch a social media app globally. They have no existing IT infrastructure and very limited capital. The app will experience unpredictable traffic patterns, with usage expected to rapidly grow after viral campaigns. They need low latency for users across North America, Europe, and Asia. The development team is small and wants to focus on coding rather than operations. They also need to store user-generated content like images and videos. The CTO is evaluating whether to build on-premises or use cloud services. Which approach best meets their needs?
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
Build the app on Compute Engine with managed instance groups, use Cloud CDN for global low-latency delivery, and Cloud Storage for user content.
Option B is correct because it leverages Google Cloud's fully managed services to meet the startup's needs: Compute Engine with managed instance groups provides auto-scaling for unpredictable traffic, Cloud CDN ensures low-latency global content delivery, and Cloud Storage offers scalable, durable storage for user-generated content. This serverless-like approach minimizes operational overhead, allowing the small team to focus on coding.
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.
- ✗
Deploy a single large virtual machine in one region and rely on a CDN to serve content globally.
Why it's wrong here
Single VM is a bottleneck and cannot handle traffic spikes; CDN only helps static content, not compute.
- ✓
Build the app on Compute Engine with managed instance groups, use Cloud CDN for global low-latency delivery, and Cloud Storage for user content.
Why this is correct
Provides autoscaling, global reach, and fully managed services, aligning with startup needs.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Purchase and configure servers in a single colocation facility, and use a content delivery network (CDN) for static assets.
Why it's wrong here
Requires upfront investment and lacks elasticity; scaling is slow and hardware-intensive.
- ✗
Use a hybrid cloud model: keep a small on-premises server for core features and burst to the cloud for extra capacity.
Why it's wrong here
Unnecessary complexity and cost; startup has no existing on-premises infrastructure.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Google Cloud often tests the misconception that a CDN alone can solve global latency for a dynamic app, but candidates must recognize that CDNs only cache static content and do not reduce latency for dynamic requests, which require compute resources close to the user.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Managed instance groups (MIGs) in Compute Engine use autoscalers that monitor CPU utilization, HTTP load balancing capacity, or custom metrics to automatically add or remove instances, handling traffic spikes from viral campaigns without manual intervention. Cloud CDN leverages Google's global edge cache network, which uses Anycast routing to serve content from the nearest point of presence (PoP), reducing latency for users in North America, Europe, and Asia. Cloud Storage offers multi-regional storage classes that automatically replicate data across geographic regions, ensuring durability and low-latency access for user-generated images and videos.
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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Why cloud technology is transforming business — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this GCDL question test?
Why cloud technology is transforming business — This question tests Why cloud technology is transforming business — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Build the app on Compute Engine with managed instance groups, use Cloud CDN for global low-latency delivery, and Cloud Storage for user content. — Option B is correct because it leverages Google Cloud's fully managed services to meet the startup's needs: Compute Engine with managed instance groups provides auto-scaling for unpredictable traffic, Cloud CDN ensures low-latency global content delivery, and Cloud Storage offers scalable, durable storage for user-generated content. This serverless-like approach minimizes operational overhead, allowing the small team to focus on coding.
What should I do if I get this GCDL 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
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Last reviewed: Jun 30, 2026
This GCDL 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 GCDL exam.
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