- A
Use a bucket retention policy with a retention period of 1 year
Why wrong: Retention policy prevents deletion, not enforce it.
- B
Configure a Cloud Storage object lifecycle rule with a Delete action
Lifecycle rules can delete objects automatically based on age.
- C
Set an IAM policy to prevent deletion of objects
Why wrong: Opposite of what is needed.
- D
Create a Cloud Function to check object age and delete them
Why wrong: Possible but not the best practice; lifecycle rules are simpler and cheaper.
- E
Apply a lifecycle rule that deletes objects with the prefix 'raw/'
Targets only objects in the raw zone.
Question 181 of 1,000
PDE Storing the Data Practice Question
This PDE practice question tests your understanding of storing the data. 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.
A company is designing a data lake on Cloud Storage with different zones. They need to enforce data retention so that objects in the 'raw' zone are automatically deleted after 1 year. Which TWO actions should they take? (Choose 2 correct options)
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
✓
Configure a Cloud Storage object lifecycle rule with a Delete action
Option B is correct because Cloud Storage object lifecycle management allows you to set rules that automatically delete objects after a specified age. By configuring a lifecycle rule with a Delete action and setting the condition to 'Age: 365 days', objects in the 'raw' zone will be automatically removed after 1 year, meeting the retention requirement without manual intervention.
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 a bucket retention policy with a retention period of 1 year
Why it's wrong here
Retention policy prevents deletion, not enforce it.
- ✓
Configure a Cloud Storage object lifecycle rule with a Delete action
Why this is correct
Lifecycle rules can delete objects automatically based on age.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Set an IAM policy to prevent deletion of objects
Why it's wrong here
Opposite of what is needed.
- ✗
Create a Cloud Function to check object age and delete them
Why it's wrong here
Possible but not the best practice; lifecycle rules are simpler and cheaper.
- ✓
Apply a lifecycle rule that deletes objects with the prefix 'raw/'
Why this is correct
Targets only objects in the raw zone.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is confusing retention policies (which prevent deletion) with lifecycle rules (which trigger deletion), leading candidates to incorrectly select Option A thinking it enforces deletion rather than preventing it.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Object lifecycle management in Cloud Storage evaluates rules based on object age (from creation time) and conditions like prefix or storage class. The Delete action permanently removes the object, and rules are evaluated once per day, so there may be up to a 24-hour delay after the 1-year mark. For the 'raw/' prefix, you can target specific folders by setting a prefix condition in the lifecycle rule, ensuring only objects in that zone are affected.
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 media company stores terabytes of video archives that are accessed once a year for audit purposes. Moving these objects to a cold storage tier (Azure Archive, S3 Glacier, or Google Nearline) costs a fraction of hot storage. Questions like this test whether you understand storage tiers, access frequency tradeoffs, and retrieval latency requirements.
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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Storing the Data — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this PDE question test?
Storing the Data — This question tests Storing the Data — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Configure a Cloud Storage object lifecycle rule with a Delete action — Option B is correct because Cloud Storage object lifecycle management allows you to set rules that automatically delete objects after a specified age. By configuring a lifecycle rule with a Delete action and setting the condition to 'Age: 365 days', objects in the 'raw' zone will be automatically removed after 1 year, meeting the retention requirement without manual intervention.
What should I do if I get this PDE 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: Jul 4, 2026
This PDE 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 PDE exam.
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