- A
Purchase reserved capacity for peak load and configure it to be active only on weekdays.
Why wrong: Reserved capacity (committed use discounts) provides cost savings on fixed baseline capacity but doesn't automatically scale for variable demand. Autoscaling is the correct solution.
- B
Configure autoscaling on the application's infrastructure to automatically scale up for load and scale down during off-peak hours.
Autoscaling monitors metrics (CPU, requests, custom) and automatically adds instances during the morning spike. Scheduled autoscaling can proactively scale before 9 AM. Resources scale down when load decreases.
- C
Deploy additional VMs manually each weekday morning and terminate them at night.
Why wrong: Manual scaling is operationally expensive, error-prone, and doesn't meet the 'without manual intervention' requirement.
- D
Use Cloud Monitoring to send an email alert when CPU exceeds 80% so the team can manually scale.
Why wrong: Email alerts inform humans to act — they don't provide automatic scaling. The requirement is automatic response to traffic spikes.
Quick Answer
The answer is to configure autoscaling on the application's infrastructure to automatically scale up for load and scale down during off-peak hours. This is correct because Google Cloud’s managed instance groups (MIGs) with autoscaling dynamically adjust the number of VM instances based on real-time metrics like CPU utilization or requests per second, so the infrastructure automatically handles traffic spikes at 9 AM without manual intervention and avoids over-provisioning resources all day. On the Google Cloud Digital Leader exam, this scenario tests your understanding of operational efficiency and elasticity—a common trap is choosing manual scaling or static provisioning, which wastes cost or fails during spikes. Remember the key principle: autoscaling is about matching supply to demand in real time. A useful memory tip is “scale up for the spike, scale down for the night”—autoscaling ensures you only pay for what you use when you use it.
Cloud Digital Leader Scaling with Google Cloud operations Practice Question
This GCDL practice question tests your understanding of scaling with google cloud operations. 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's application experiences traffic spikes every weekday morning when employees log in at 9 AM. The team wants their infrastructure to automatically handle these spikes without manual intervention and without over-provisioning resources all day. Which Google Cloud capability addresses this?
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
Configure autoscaling on the application's infrastructure to automatically scale up for load and scale down during off-peak hours.
Option B is correct because Google Cloud's managed instance groups (MIGs) with autoscaling can automatically adjust the number of VM instances based on load metrics (e.g., CPU utilization, requests per second). This handles the 9 AM traffic spike without manual intervention and avoids over-provisioning during off-peak hours by scaling down when demand decreases.
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.
- ✗
Purchase reserved capacity for peak load and configure it to be active only on weekdays.
Why it's wrong here
Reserved capacity (committed use discounts) provides cost savings on fixed baseline capacity but doesn't automatically scale for variable demand. Autoscaling is the correct solution.
- ✓
Configure autoscaling on the application's infrastructure to automatically scale up for load and scale down during off-peak hours.
Why this is correct
Autoscaling monitors metrics (CPU, requests, custom) and automatically adds instances during the morning spike. Scheduled autoscaling can proactively scale before 9 AM. Resources scale down when load decreases.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Deploy additional VMs manually each weekday morning and terminate them at night.
Why it's wrong here
Manual scaling is operationally expensive, error-prone, and doesn't meet the 'without manual intervention' requirement.
- ✗
Use Cloud Monitoring to send an email alert when CPU exceeds 80% so the team can manually scale.
Why it's wrong here
Email alerts inform humans to act — they don't provide automatic scaling. The requirement is automatic response to traffic spikes.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse 'reserved capacity' (a billing commitment) with 'autoscaling' (an operational scaling mechanism), or they think manual or alert-based actions satisfy the 'automatic' requirement, but Cisco specifically tests the distinction between automated scaling policies and manual or notification-driven processes.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Autoscaling in Google Cloud uses the autoscaler component within a managed instance group, which polls metrics like CPU utilization (default 60% target) or custom Stackdriver metrics every 60 seconds. It calculates desired size using a formula that considers the target utilization and current load, then adds or removes instances via the instance group API. A real-world scenario: if the app uses HTTP(S) load balancing, autoscaling can also use 'requests per second per instance' to preemptively scale before CPU spikes.
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 startup's cloud architect reviews their monthly bill and notices costs are higher than expected for a long-running batch job. Switching from on-demand instances to Reserved Instances — or using Spot/Preemptible VMs — can reduce compute costs by up to 72 %. Questions like this test whether you understand the tradeoffs between commitment, flexibility, and cost across cloud pricing models.
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.
- →
Scaling with Google Cloud operations — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
- →
Scaling with Google Cloud operations practice questions
Targeted practice on this topic area only
- →
All GCDL questions
507 questions across all exam domains
- →
Google Cloud Digital Leader study guide
Full concept coverage aligned to exam objectives
- →
GCDL practice test guide
How to use practice tests most effectively before exam day
Related practice questions
Related GCDL practice-question pages
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
Why cloud technology is transforming business practice questions
Practise GCDL questions linked to Why cloud technology is transforming business.
Fundamental cloud concepts practice questions
Practise GCDL questions linked to Fundamental cloud concepts.
Google Cloud products, services, and solutions practice questions
Practise GCDL questions linked to Google Cloud products, services, and solutions.
Scaling with Google Cloud operations practice questions
Practise GCDL questions linked to Scaling with Google Cloud operations.
Trust and security with Google Cloud practice questions
Practise GCDL questions linked to Trust and security with Google Cloud.
GCDL fundamentals practice questions
Practise GCDL questions linked to GCDL fundamentals.
GCDL scenario practice questions
Practise GCDL questions linked to GCDL scenario.
GCDL troubleshooting practice questions
Practise GCDL questions linked to GCDL troubleshooting.
Practice this exam
Start a free GCDL practice session
Short sessions build daily habit. Longer sessions build exam-day stamina. Try a timed session to simulate real conditions.
FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this GCDL question test?
Scaling with Google Cloud operations — This question tests Scaling with Google Cloud operations — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Configure autoscaling on the application's infrastructure to automatically scale up for load and scale down during off-peak hours. — Option B is correct because Google Cloud's managed instance groups (MIGs) with autoscaling can automatically adjust the number of VM instances based on load metrics (e.g., CPU utilization, requests per second). This handles the 9 AM traffic spike without manual intervention and avoids over-provisioning during off-peak hours by scaling down when demand decreases.
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.
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 →
Keep practising
More GCDL practice questions
- What is virtualization in the context of cloud computing, and why is it fundamental to how cloud providers deliver servi…
- A company stores its data in Google Cloud. The security team asks: can Google employees access our customer data without…
- A company is evaluating whether to use a content delivery network (CDN) for its e-commerce website. Which scenario would…
- A company's SRE team is debating whether to automate a frequently performed manual operational task. The automation woul…
- A DevOps team wants to adopt GitOps practices for managing their Google Cloud infrastructure. Which combination of tools…
- A startup is building an application that sends daily promotional push notifications to millions of mobile users on both…
Last reviewed: Jun 11, 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.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.