- A
Migrate to Virtual Machines (formerly Velostrata), which migrates on-premises VMware VMs to Compute Engine with minimal modification and downtime
Migrate to Virtual Machines is the purpose-built service for this. It performs VM migrations from VMware (and other sources) to Compute Engine, handling the OS and application translation automatically. The 'minimal changes' requirement is the defining characteristic — it's a lift-and-shift migration tool.
- B
Cloud Dataflow, by streaming data from on-premises VMs to Google Cloud storage
Why wrong: Cloud Dataflow is a data processing pipeline service. It processes data streams and batch data — it doesn't migrate VM workloads or application instances.
- C
Anthos, by registering on-premises Kubernetes clusters with Google Cloud's management plane
Why wrong: Anthos manages hybrid Kubernetes environments across on-premises and cloud. It doesn't migrate non-containerized VMware VMs — it's for organizations already running containers on Kubernetes.
- D
Cloud Storage Transfer Service, by copying VM disk images from on-premises storage to Cloud Storage
Why wrong: Storage Transfer Service moves data (files, objects) from storage systems. While VM disk images are files, the Transfer Service doesn't handle VM migration — it would just copy the image, not handle the conversion and boot configuration needed to run it in Compute Engine.
Migrating VMware VMs to Google Cloud: Migrate to Virtual Machines vs Alternatives
This GCDL practice question tests your understanding of google cloud products, services, and solutions. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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 wants to migrate its existing on-premises virtual machines (VMware VMs) to Google Cloud with minimal changes to the operating system and applications. Which Google Cloud product is specifically designed for migrating on-premises VMs to Google Cloud with minimal modification?
Quick Answer
The answer is Migrate to Virtual Machines, formerly known as Velostrata, which is the correct choice because it is specifically engineered to move on-premises VMware VMs to Google Cloud with minimal modification to the operating system and applications. This tool uses a streaming migration approach that incrementally transfers the VM’s disk state while the source machine continues running, drastically reducing downtime and eliminating the need to re-architect workloads. On the Google Cloud Digital Leader exam, this question tests your understanding of lift-and-shift migration strategies versus re-platforming or refactoring; a common trap is confusing Migrate to Virtual Machines with a general backup or disaster recovery tool like Backup and DR, which does not perform live streaming migration. Remember the key differentiator: if the scenario emphasizes “minimal changes” and “low downtime,” think of the streaming engine behind Migrate to Virtual Machines. A simple memory tip is “stream to stay lean”—streaming migration means you keep your OS and apps untouched.
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
Migrate to Virtual Machines (formerly Velostrata), which migrates on-premises VMware VMs to Compute Engine with minimal modification and downtime
Migrate to Virtual Machines (formerly Velostrata) is the correct choice because it is specifically designed to migrate on-premises VMware VMs to Compute Engine with minimal modification to the OS and applications. It uses a streaming migration approach that moves the VM's disk state incrementally while keeping the VM running, resulting in minimal downtime and no need to re-architect the workloads.
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.
- ✓
Migrate to Virtual Machines (formerly Velostrata), which migrates on-premises VMware VMs to Compute Engine with minimal modification and downtime
Why this is correct
Migrate to Virtual Machines is the purpose-built service for this. It performs VM migrations from VMware (and other sources) to Compute Engine, handling the OS and application translation automatically. The 'minimal changes' requirement is the defining characteristic — it's a lift-and-shift migration tool.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Cloud Dataflow, by streaming data from on-premises VMs to Google Cloud storage
Why it's wrong here
Cloud Dataflow is a data processing pipeline service. It processes data streams and batch data — it doesn't migrate VM workloads or application instances.
- ✗
Anthos, by registering on-premises Kubernetes clusters with Google Cloud's management plane
Why it's wrong here
Anthos manages hybrid Kubernetes environments across on-premises and cloud. It doesn't migrate non-containerized VMware VMs — it's for organizations already running containers on Kubernetes.
- ✗
Cloud Storage Transfer Service, by copying VM disk images from on-premises storage to Cloud Storage
Why it's wrong here
Storage Transfer Service moves data (files, objects) from storage systems. While VM disk images are files, the Transfer Service doesn't handle VM migration — it would just copy the image, not handle the conversion and boot configuration needed to run it in Compute Engine.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Google Cloud often tests the distinction between general-purpose data transfer or processing services (like Dataflow or Storage Transfer Service) and specialized migration tools, tempting candidates to pick a familiar service that sounds plausible but lacks the specific VM migration capability.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Migrate to Virtual Machines uses a lightweight agent installed on the source VMware VM to replicate disk blocks to a Compute Engine persistent disk while the VM continues running. During the cutover, it performs a final sync and powers on the new VM in Google Cloud, typically with only a few minutes of downtime. This approach avoids the need to convert disk formats or reinstall drivers, as the service handles the translation of VMware virtual hardware to Google Compute Engine virtual hardware transparently.
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.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this GCDL question test?
Google Cloud products, services, and solutions — This question tests Google Cloud products, services, and solutions — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Migrate to Virtual Machines (formerly Velostrata), which migrates on-premises VMware VMs to Compute Engine with minimal modification and downtime — Migrate to Virtual Machines (formerly Velostrata) is the correct choice because it is specifically designed to migrate on-premises VMware VMs to Compute Engine with minimal modification to the OS and applications. It uses a streaming migration approach that moves the VM's disk state incrementally while keeping the VM running, resulting in minimal downtime and no need to re-architect the workloads.
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.
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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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