PCD Managing application performance monitoring Practice Question
This PCD practice question tests your understanding of managing application performance monitoring. 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.
Which THREE are valid ways to create custom metrics in Cloud Monitoring? (Select exactly 3.)
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Use the Cloud Monitoring API to write time series directly.
Option B is correct because the Cloud Monitoring API allows you to write time series data directly via the `projects.timeSeries.create` method, which is a primary mechanism for ingesting custom metrics. This enables you to programmatically send metric data from any source, bypassing the need for an agent.
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.
✗
Use the Cloud Billing pricing calculator to estimate metric costs.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✓
Install the Cloud Monitoring agent and configure custom metrics in its configuration file.
Why this is correct
Agent can collect custom metrics for applications.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✓
Define a log-based metric in Cloud Logging based on log content.
Why this is correct
Extracts metrics from logs automatically.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Deploy Ops Agent with default configuration.
Why it's wrong here
Default Ops Agent collects system metrics, not custom application metrics without additional config.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Cisco often tests the distinction between agent-based collection of predefined metrics (Ops Agent default) and the explicit creation of custom metrics via API or log-based definitions, leading candidates to mistakenly select the Ops Agent default as a valid method for custom metrics.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Custom metrics in Cloud Monitoring are stored as time series in the `custom.googleapis.com` namespace. The Cloud Monitoring API's `TimeSeries.create` endpoint accepts data points with a metric type, resource labels, and value (e.g., double, int64). Log-based metrics (Option D) are defined via Cloud Logging filters and automatically create a custom metric in Monitoring, but they are not written directly via the Monitoring API—they are derived from log entries.
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.
Managing application performance monitoring — This question tests Managing application performance monitoring — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Use the Cloud Monitoring API to write time series directly. — Option B is correct because the Cloud Monitoring API allows you to write time series data directly via the `projects.timeSeries.create` method, which is a primary mechanism for ingesting custom metrics. This enables you to programmatically send metric data from any source, bypassing the need for an agent.
What should I do if I get this PCD 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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