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Manage implementation of cloud architecture →mediumMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped

Google PCA Manage implementation of cloud architecture Practice Question

This PCA practice question tests your understanding of manage implementation of cloud architecture. 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

Refer to the exhibit.

gcloud deployment-manager deployments describe my-deployment
---
id: '12345'
name: my-deployment
manifest: manifest-123
state: DEPLOYED
resources:
- name: my-vm
  type: compute.v1.instance
  properties:
    machineType: zones/us-central1-a/machineTypes/n1-standard-1
    networkInterfaces:
    - network: global/networks/default
  currentStatus: FAILED
- name: my-disk
  type: compute.v1.disk
  properties:
    zone: us-central1-a
    sizeGb: 10
  currentStatus: SUCCESS

Why did the VM resource fail while the disk succeeded?

Question 1mediummultiple choice
Full question →

Exhibit

Refer to the exhibit.

gcloud deployment-manager deployments describe my-deployment
---
id: '12345'
name: my-deployment
manifest: manifest-123
state: DEPLOYED
resources:
- name: my-vm
  type: compute.v1.instance
  properties:
    machineType: zones/us-central1-a/machineTypes/n1-standard-1
    networkInterfaces:
    - network: global/networks/default
  currentStatus: FAILED
- name: my-disk
  type: compute.v1.disk
  properties:
    zone: us-central1-a
    sizeGb: 10
  currentStatus: SUCCESS

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

✓

The VM definition is missing a boot disk source reference.

Option B is correct because when you define a VM instance in Google Cloud, you must include a reference to a boot disk source. If the `source` field under `disks` is missing or empty, the API will reject the VM creation but may still succeed in creating the disk resource separately, since the disk creation does not depend on the VM. This explains why the disk succeeded while the VM failed.

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.

  • ✗

    The disk and VM must be in the same zone; us-central1-a is consistent.

    Why it's wrong here

    They are same zone.

  • ✓

    The VM definition is missing a boot disk source reference.

    Why this is correct

    A VM instance typically requires a boot disk; the disk resource exists but VM doesn't reference it as boot disk.

    Related concept

    Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.

  • ✗

    The VM's machine type is not available in us-central1-a.

    Why it's wrong here

    n1-standard-1 is available.

  • ✗

    The VM's network is misspelled as 'global/networks/default' instead of 'global/networks/default' (correct).

    Why it's wrong here

    Spelling is correct.

Common exam traps

Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword

Google Cloud often tests the subtle dependency that a boot disk must have an explicit `source` reference in the VM definition, and candidates mistakenly think the disk creation implies the VM will also succeed, or they confuse zone constraints with missing required fields.

Detailed technical explanation

How to think about this question

In the Google Cloud REST API for `instances.insert`, the `disks` array requires at least one disk with `boot: true` and a valid `source` URI pointing to an existing disk resource. If the `source` is omitted, the API returns a 400 error with a message like 'Invalid value for field 'resource.disks[0].source': ''. The disk resource itself is created independently via `disks.insert`, which only requires a name, zone, and source image, so it succeeds even if the VM definition is malformed.

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

An e-commerce site experiences heavy traffic on Black Friday and near-zero traffic during off-peak weeks. Rather than provisioning permanent large VMs, the team uses auto-scaling groups that add capacity automatically under load and reduce it overnight. Questions like this test whether you understand elasticity, availability zones, and cloud compute scaling patterns.

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 PCA question test?

Manage implementation of cloud architecture — This question tests Manage implementation of cloud architecture — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..

What is the correct answer to this question?

The correct answer is: The VM definition is missing a boot disk source reference. — Option B is correct because when you define a VM instance in Google Cloud, you must include a reference to a boot disk source. If the `source` field under `disks` is missing or empty, the API will reject the VM creation but may still succeed in creating the disk resource separately, since the disk creation does not depend on the VM. This explains why the disk succeeded while the VM failed.

What should I do if I get this PCA 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

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This PCA 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 PCA exam.