- A
Export logs to Pub/Sub and store them in a Cloud Spanner table with 7-year TTL.
Why wrong: Spanner is not designed for archival; cost is high and TTL does not enforce immutability.
- B
Export logs to Cloud Storage using a sink, and enable Bucket Lock with retention policy.
This provides immutable, durable, and low-cost archival storage for the required duration.
- C
Export logs to BigQuery and set a 7-year table expiration.
Why wrong: BigQuery is for analytics, not cost-effective archival; retention policies do not enforce immutability at row level.
- D
Use the default log retention of 400 days and copy logs to a persistent disk snapshot.
Why wrong: Default retention is insufficient, and disk snapshots are not a scalable or auditable log archival solution.
Question 103 of 985
PCSE Practice Question: Managing Operations in a Cloud Solution Environment
This PCSE practice question tests your understanding of managing operations in a cloud solution environment. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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 security engineer needs to archive Cloud Audit Logs for regulatory compliance for 7 years. The logs should be immutable and cost-effective. Which solution should they choose?
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
✓
Export logs to Cloud Storage using a sink, and enable Bucket Lock with retention policy.
Cloud Storage with the Archive storage class and retention policy using Bucket Lock provides immutable, low-cost storage for long-term archival. Logging exports can be configured via a sink to write logs to a bucket with these settings. BigQuery is not suitable for long-term archival due to cost; Pub/Sub is for streaming; Cloud Spanner is transactional and expensive.
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.
- ✗
Export logs to Pub/Sub and store them in a Cloud Spanner table with 7-year TTL.
Why it's wrong here
Spanner is not designed for archival; cost is high and TTL does not enforce immutability.
- ✓
Export logs to Cloud Storage using a sink, and enable Bucket Lock with retention policy.
Why this is correct
This provides immutable, durable, and low-cost archival storage for the required duration.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Export logs to BigQuery and set a 7-year table expiration.
Why it's wrong here
BigQuery is for analytics, not cost-effective archival; retention policies do not enforce immutability at row level.
- ✗
Use the default log retention of 400 days and copy logs to a persistent disk snapshot.
Why it's wrong here
Default retention is insufficient, and disk snapshots are not a scalable or auditable log archival solution.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
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.
- Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
- Underline the problem statement mentally.
- 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.
Quick reference
AWS S3 Storage Class Comparison
| Storage Class | Min Duration | Retrieval | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| S3 Standard | None | Immediate | Frequently accessed data |
| S3 Standard-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Infrequent access, rapid retrieval |
| S3 One Zone-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Non-critical infrequent data |
| S3 Intelligent-Tiering | None | Immediate–hours | Unknown or changing access patterns |
| S3 Glacier Instant | 90 days | Milliseconds | Archive with instant retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Flexible | 90 days | Minutes–hours | Archive, flexible retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Deep Archive | 180 days | Hours | Long-term compliance archive |
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which PCSE exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
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Managing Operations in a Cloud Solution Environment — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this PCSE question test?
Managing Operations in a Cloud Solution Environment — This question tests Managing Operations in a Cloud Solution Environment — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Export logs to Cloud Storage using a sink, and enable Bucket Lock with retention policy. — Cloud Storage with the Archive storage class and retention policy using Bucket Lock provides immutable, low-cost storage for long-term archival. Logging exports can be configured via a sink to write logs to a bucket with these settings. BigQuery is not suitable for long-term archival due to cost; Pub/Sub is for streaming; Cloud Spanner is transactional and expensive.
What should I do if I get this PCSE question wrong?
Identify which PCSE exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
This PCSE 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 PCSE exam.
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