Cloud Digital Leader Practice Question: Google Cloud products, services, and solutions
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.
Network Topology
Refer to the exhibit. A user receives this error when trying to SSH into a Compute Engine instance. Which IAM role should be granted to the user?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
roles/compute.instanceAdmin.v1
The error indicates the user lacks SSH access to the Compute Engine instance. The `roles/compute.instanceAdmin.v1` role includes the `compute.instances.setMetadata` permission, which allows the user to add their SSH public key to the instance's metadata, enabling SSH access. This role also provides broader instance management capabilities, making it the correct choice for resolving SSH connectivity issues.
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.
✗
roles/compute.osLogin
Why it's wrong here
Enables OS Login, but does not include the compute.instances.get permission required for SSH metadata.
✓
roles/compute.instanceAdmin.v1
Why this is correct
This role includes compute.instances.get and compute.instances.setMetadata, which are needed for SSH access.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
roles/iam.serviceAccountUser
Why it's wrong here
Allows using a service account, but does not grant compute.instances.get.
✗
roles/compute.admin
Why it's wrong here
Grants full control over Compute Engine, which is more than necessary and not recommended.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Google Cloud often tests the misconception that `roles/compute.osLogin` is required for SSH access, but the trap here is that OS Login is an alternative method that must be explicitly enabled on the instance and project, whereas the default SSH access relies on metadata-based keys, which require `roles/compute.instanceAdmin.v1` to modify.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, SSH access to a Compute Engine instance relies on the instance's metadata containing the user's public SSH key. The `compute.instances.setMetadata` permission, part of `roles/compute.instanceAdmin.v1`, allows a user to add or modify metadata entries, including `ssh-keys`. In contrast, OS Login (via `roles/compute.osLogin`) uses IAM to bind SSH keys to a user's Google account, bypassing instance metadata entirely. A real-world scenario where this distinction matters is in a shared environment where multiple users need SSH access without granting full instance admin rights; using `roles/compute.instanceAdmin.v1` with metadata-based keys is common, but OS Login is preferred for centralized key management.
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 company's IT admin needs to give a contractor read-only access to production logs without sharing account credentials. Using role-based access control (RBAC) and temporary scoped permissions — not a permanent shared password — is the correct pattern. Questions like this test whether you can apply least-privilege access across cloud identity services.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this GCDL question in full detail.
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: roles/compute.instanceAdmin.v1 — The error indicates the user lacks SSH access to the Compute Engine instance. The `roles/compute.instanceAdmin.v1` role includes the `compute.instances.setMetadata` permission, which allows the user to add their SSH public key to the instance's metadata, enabling SSH access. This role also provides broader instance management capabilities, making it the correct choice for resolving SSH connectivity issues.
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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Question Discussion
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