Google PCA Ensure solution and operations reliability Practice Question
This PCA practice question tests your understanding of ensure solution and operations reliability. 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.
Exhibit
Stackdriver Logging query results:
resource.type="gce_instance"
logName="projects/my-project/logs/syslog"
Timestamps:
2023-11-01 10:15:23 UTC - Out of memory: Killed process 1234 (java)
2023-11-01 10:15:24 UTC - Out of memory: Killed process 5678 (python)
2023-11-01 10:15:25 UTC - Out of memory: Killed process 9012 (node)
Monitoring metric: instance/disk/bytes_used (gce_instance)
Value: 95% at 10:15:20 UTC
Refer to the exhibit. The exhibit shows logs and a metric from a GCE instance that was terminated. The instance was part of a managed instance group. Which diagnostic step should be taken FIRST to prevent recurrence?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "first"
Why it matters: Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
Stackdriver Logging query results:
resource.type="gce_instance"
logName="projects/my-project/logs/syslog"
Timestamps:
2023-11-01 10:15:23 UTC - Out of memory: Killed process 1234 (java)
2023-11-01 10:15:24 UTC - Out of memory: Killed process 5678 (python)
2023-11-01 10:15:25 UTC - Out of memory: Killed process 9012 (node)
Monitoring metric: instance/disk/bytes_used (gce_instance)
Value: 95% at 10:15:20 UTC
A
Review the memory usage metric for the instance prior to termination.
Memory usage history will reveal if the instance was memory-constrained, guiding whether to increase memory.
B
Set a disk usage alert to be notified when disk exceeds 90%.
Why wrong: Alerting is reactive; the immediate diagnostic step is to check memory.
C
Increase the disk size of the instance template and redeploy.
Why wrong: Disk size may help but the primary symptom is OOM; memory should be checked first.
D
Add a startup script to clear temporary files on boot.
Why wrong: This does not address the root cause of OOM.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Review the memory usage metric for the instance prior to termination.
The logs indicate OOM kills, and the disk is nearly full. The most likely cause is a combination of high memory usage and disk filling up (possibly swap or logs). First, check memory usage history to confirm if the instance was under-provisioned.
Key principle: NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✓
Review the memory usage metric for the instance prior to termination.
Why this is correct
Memory usage history will reveal if the instance was memory-constrained, guiding whether to increase memory.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "first" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
✗
Set a disk usage alert to be notified when disk exceeds 90%.
Why it's wrong here
Alerting is reactive; the immediate diagnostic step is to check memory.
✗
Increase the disk size of the instance template and redeploy.
Why it's wrong here
Disk size may help but the primary symptom is OOM; memory should be checked first.
✗
Add a startup script to clear temporary files on boot.
Why it's wrong here
This does not address the root cause of OOM.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: NAT rules depend on direction and matching traffic
NAT is not only about the public address. The inside/outside interface roles and the ACL or rule that matches traffic are just as important.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
NAT questions usually test address translation, overload/PAT behaviour, static mappings and whether the right traffic is being translated. Read the interface direction and address terms carefully.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
PAT allows many inside hosts to share one public address using ports.
Inside local and inside global describe the private and translated addresses.
NAT ACLs identify traffic for translation, not always security filtering.
TExam Day Tips
→Identify inside and outside interfaces first.
→Check whether the scenario needs static NAT, dynamic NAT or PAT.
→Do not confuse NAT matching ACLs with normal packet-filtering intent.
Key takeaway
NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A cloud solutions architect for a retail company is evaluating services for a new workload. The correct answer here reflects best practice for the specific scenario described — not a general cloud recommendation. NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated. Cloud exam questions reward reading the constraint carefully: the same technology can be right or wrong depending on the use case.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this PCA question in full detail.
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related PCA NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
Ensure solution and operations reliability — This question tests Ensure solution and operations reliability — Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Review the memory usage metric for the instance prior to termination. — The logs indicate OOM kills, and the disk is nearly full. The most likely cause is a combination of high memory usage and disk filling up (possibly swap or logs). First, check memory usage history to confirm if the instance was under-provisioned.
What should I do if I get this PCA question wrong?
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related PCA NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "first". Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
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