- A
All applications should be completely rewritten as cloud-native microservices for maximum cloud benefit
Why wrong: Complete rewrite of 200+ applications would take years, cost enormously, and carry huge execution risk. Not all applications justify the investment. A portfolio approach matching strategy to application characteristics is far more practical.
- B
A portfolio-based migration framework (such as the 6 Rs: Rehost, Replatform, Refactor, Repurchase, Retire, Retain) that applies the right migration strategy to each application based on its business value and cloud-readiness
The 6 Rs framework is the industry-standard answer for enterprise migration portfolio management. Simple internal apps: rehost (lift-and-shift). Commercially available replacements: repurchase. End-of-life apps: retire. Mission-critical legacy: retain. The right strategy for each application maximizes value while managing risk and cost.
- C
Migrate all applications simultaneously during a single weekend cutover to minimize the total migration duration
Why wrong: Big-bang simultaneous migrations carry enormous risk. A phased approach, migrating applications in waves based on risk and value, is standard practice. Simultaneous migration of 200+ applications virtually guarantees failures.
- D
Keep all applications on-premises until a complete cloud-native replacement is built for each one
Why wrong: Waiting for full replacement before any cloud migration means years of delay and zero cloud benefit. The portfolio approach allows migration to begin immediately with appropriate strategies per application.
Quick Answer
The correct answer is a portfolio-based migration framework such as the 6 Rs—Rehost, Replatform, Refactor, Repurchase, Retire, and Retain—because it provides a structured, risk-aware approach to cloud migration that recognizes not all applications should be moved the same way. This framework organizes different migration strategies by evaluating each application’s business value, technical debt, and cloud-readiness, allowing an enterprise with 200+ applications to optimize cost, performance, and operational continuity rather than applying a one-size-fits-all method. On the Google Cloud Digital Leader exam, this concept tests your understanding that cloud migration strategy is not a single technical lift but a portfolio-level decision; a common trap is assuming “lift and shift” (Rehost) works for everything, while the 6 Rs framework emphasizes tailoring the approach. To remember the six categories, use the mnemonic “The 5 R’s Plus One” (the original five plus Retain), or simply think of the phrase “Re-everything plus Retire and Retain.”
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 large enterprise has 200+ applications and is developing its cloud migration strategy. A cloud architect argues that not all applications should be migrated the same way. Which migration strategy framework best organizes the different approaches for moving applications to cloud?
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
A portfolio-based migration framework (such as the 6 Rs: Rehost, Replatform, Refactor, Repurchase, Retire, Retain) that applies the right migration strategy to each application based on its business value and cloud-readiness
Option B is correct because a portfolio-based migration framework like the 6 Rs (Rehost, Replatform, Refactor, Repurchase, Retire, Retain) provides a structured, risk-aware approach to cloud migration. It recognizes that each application has unique business value, technical debt, and cloud-readiness, so a one-size-fits-all strategy would be inefficient or disruptive. This framework aligns migration tactics with business objectives, enabling the enterprise to optimize cost, performance, and operational continuity across a diverse application portfolio.
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.
- ✗
All applications should be completely rewritten as cloud-native microservices for maximum cloud benefit
Why it's wrong here
Complete rewrite of 200+ applications would take years, cost enormously, and carry huge execution risk. Not all applications justify the investment. A portfolio approach matching strategy to application characteristics is far more practical.
- ✓
A portfolio-based migration framework (such as the 6 Rs: Rehost, Replatform, Refactor, Repurchase, Retire, Retain) that applies the right migration strategy to each application based on its business value and cloud-readiness
Why this is correct
The 6 Rs framework is the industry-standard answer for enterprise migration portfolio management. Simple internal apps: rehost (lift-and-shift). Commercially available replacements: repurchase. End-of-life apps: retire. Mission-critical legacy: retain. The right strategy for each application maximizes value while managing risk and cost.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Migrate all applications simultaneously during a single weekend cutover to minimize the total migration duration
Why it's wrong here
Big-bang simultaneous migrations carry enormous risk. A phased approach, migrating applications in waves based on risk and value, is standard practice. Simultaneous migration of 200+ applications virtually guarantees failures.
- ✗
Keep all applications on-premises until a complete cloud-native replacement is built for each one
Why it's wrong here
Waiting for full replacement before any cloud migration means years of delay and zero cloud benefit. The portfolio approach allows migration to begin immediately with appropriate strategies per application.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Google Cloud often tests the misconception that all applications must be fully re-architected (Refactor) to gain cloud benefits, when in reality a balanced portfolio approach using the 6 Rs is more practical and cost-effective for large-scale migrations.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The 6 Rs framework is derived from AWS's migration methodology, where each 'R' corresponds to a specific migration pattern: Rehost (lift-and-shift) moves applications as-is to IaaS, Replatform (lift-tinker-and-shift) makes minor cloud-optimized changes, Refactor (re-architect) rewrites code for cloud-native services like containers or serverless, Repurchase replaces the application with a SaaS alternative, Retire decommissions unused applications, and Retain keeps applications on-premises. Under the hood, this framework relies on portfolio assessment tools (e.g., AWS Migration Evaluator, Azure Migrate) that analyze application dependencies, resource utilization, and licensing to recommend the optimal strategy, reducing migration risk by up to 40% in large enterprises.
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.
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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: A portfolio-based migration framework (such as the 6 Rs: Rehost, Replatform, Refactor, Repurchase, Retire, Retain) that applies the right migration strategy to each application based on its business value and cloud-readiness — Option B is correct because a portfolio-based migration framework like the 6 Rs (Rehost, Replatform, Refactor, Repurchase, Retire, Retain) provides a structured, risk-aware approach to cloud migration. It recognizes that each application has unique business value, technical debt, and cloud-readiness, so a one-size-fits-all strategy would be inefficient or disruptive. This framework aligns migration tactics with business objectives, enabling the enterprise to optimize cost, performance, and operational continuity across a diverse application portfolio.
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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