Top 100 Questions with Answers on Google Cloud Platform (GCP) Topic-Wise

 

Top 100 Questions with Answers on Google Cloud Platform (GCP) Topic-Wise

General GCP Questions:

1. What is Google Cloud Platform (GCP)?
• GCP is a suite of cloud computing services that offers a variety of services including computing, storage, databases, machine learning, and more, provided by Google.
2. What are the main components of GCP?
• GCP comprises various services including Compute Engine, App Engine, Kubernetes Engine, Cloud Storage, BigQuery, and many others.
3. How does GCP differ from other cloud providers?
• GCP is known for its data analytics capabilities and machine learning services, as well as strong networking infrastructure.
4. How is GCP's pricing structured?
• GCP uses a pay-as-you-go model, where you are billed based on your usage of resources.
5. What is a Virtual Machine (VM) in GCP?
• A VM is a software-based emulation of a physical computer, allowing you to run applications on virtualized hardware.

Compute Engine:

6. What is Google Compute Engine?
• Compute Engine is GCP's Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) offering, providing scalable virtual machine instances in the cloud.
7. How do you create a VM instance in Compute Engine?
• You can create a VM instance using the GCP Console, gcloud command-line tool, or API.
8. What is an instance template in GCP?
• An instance template is a configuration template used to create VM instances consistently.
9. How does load balancing work in Compute Engine?
• Load balancing distributes incoming network traffic across multiple VM instances to ensure efficient resource utilization and high availability.
10. What is a managed instance group?
• A managed instance group is a set of identical VM instances that are automatically managed for you, providing high availability and scalability.

Kubernetes Engine:

11. What is Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE)?
• GKE is a managed Kubernetes service that simplifies the deployment, management, and scaling of containerized applications.
12. What are Kubernetes pods?
• Pods are the smallest deployable units in Kubernetes, containing one or more containers.
13. How does GKE handle automatic scaling?
• GKE can automatically scale your application based on resource utilization using Horizontal Pod Autoscaling (HPA) and Cluster Autoscaler.
14. What is a Kubernetes cluster in GKE?
• A Kubernetes cluster is a collection of nodes that run containerized applications.
15. What is a Kubernetes deployment?
• A deployment in Kubernetes is a resource that manages a set of identical pods, ensuring high availability and easy updates.

App Engine:

16. What is Google App Engine?
• App Engine is a Platform as a Service (PaaS) offering that allows developers to build and deploy applications without managing the underlying infrastructure.
17. How do you deploy applications on App Engine?
• You deploy applications by specifying the code and configuration in the app.yaml file and using the gcloud command-line tool.
18. What are the scaling options in App Engine?
• App Engine offers automatic scaling and manual scaling options, allowing you to adjust resources based on traffic.
19. What are the supported programming languages on App Engine?
• App Engine supports several programming languages including Python, Java, Node.js, Go, and PHP.
20. What is the difference between standard and flexible environments in App Engine?
• The standard environment offers automatic scaling and limited runtime options, while the flexible environment provides more customization and supports a wider range of runtimes.

Networking:

21. What is Google Cloud VPC (Virtual Private Cloud)?
• VPC is a networking service that allows you to create and manage isolated network environments within the Google Cloud infrastructure.
22. How does GCP's Cloud Load Balancing work?
• Cloud Load Balancing distributes incoming traffic across multiple instances to ensure high availability and low latency.
23. What is Google Cloud CDN (Content Delivery Network)?
• Cloud CDN accelerates content delivery by caching content at Google's globally distributed edge caches.
24. What is Identity-Aware Proxy (IAP)?
• IAP provides secure access to your VMs and applications by verifying user identity before granting access.
25. How can you connect on-premises networks to GCP?
• You can establish a VPN (Virtual Private Network) or use Dedicated Interconnect to connect on-premises networks with GCP.

Storage:

26. What is Google Cloud Storage?
• Cloud Storage is a scalable and durable object storage service that allows you to store and retrieve data.
27. What are the storage classes in Google Cloud Storage?
• Cloud Storage offers different storage classes like Standard, Nearline, Coldline, and Archive, each with varying performance and cost characteristics.
28. How does Google Cloud Storage ensure data durability?
• Data durability is achieved through replication and distribution across multiple locations within a region.
29. What is Google Cloud SQL?
• Cloud SQL is a fully managed relational database service that supports MySQL, PostgreSQL, and SQL Server.
30. What is Google Cloud Bigtable?
• Cloud Bigtable is a NoSQL database service designed for large analytical and operational workloads.

Big Data and Analytics:

31. What is Google BigQuery?
• BigQuery is a fully managed data warehouse and analytics platform for analyzing large datasets using SQL-like queries.
32. How does BigQuery process queries quickly?
• BigQuery uses a columnar storage format and a distributed architecture to process queries in parallel.
33. What is Google Dataflow?
• Dataflow is a fully managed stream and batch data processing service for building data pipelines.
34. What is Google Dataproc?
• Dataproc is a managed Spark and Hadoop service that simplifies the deployment of big data frameworks for processing large datasets.
35. What is Google Pub/Sub?
• Pub/Sub is a messaging service that enables real-time event-driven communication between applications.

Machine Learning and AI:

36. What is Google Cloud AI Platform?
• AI Platform provides tools and services for building, training, and deploying machine learning models on GCP.
37. What is AutoML on Google Cloud?
• AutoML allows developers to build custom machine learning models without requiring extensive machine learning expertise.
38. What is TensorFlow on Google Cloud?
• TensorFlow is an open-source machine learning framework, and GCP provides support for deploying and managing TensorFlow models.
39. What is Dialogflow?
• Dialogflow is a natural language understanding platform that enables developers to build conversational applications and chatbots.
40. What is Vision AI on Google Cloud?
• Vision AI is a service that enables image analysis using machine learning, allowing you to classify and extract information from images.

Security:

41. How does GCP ensure security of data at rest?
• GCP uses encryption to protect data at rest, and customers can manage their own encryption keys or use Google's default encryption.
42. What is Cloud Identity and Access Management (IAM)?
• IAM is GCP's access control system that allows you to manage who has access to your resources and what actions they can perform.
43. What is Google Cloud Security Scanner?
• Security Scanner scans your App Engine app for vulnerabilities and provides recommendations for securing your application.
44. What is VPC Service Controls?
• VPC Service Controls allow you to define a security perimeter around Google Cloud resources to prevent data exfiltration.
45. What is the Google Cloud Security Command Center?
• Security Command Center provides a unified dashboard to manage and monitor security across GCP resources.

DevOps and Management:

46. What is Google Cloud Deployment Manager?
• Deployment Manager is an infrastructure deployment service that allows you to create, manage, and modify cloud resources using declarative templates.
47. What is Google Cloud Monitoring?
• Cloud Monitoring provides insights into the performance, uptime, and health of your applications and infrastructure.
48. What is Google Cloud Logging?
• Cloud Logging allows you to collect, view, and analyze logs from GCP services, VM instances, and applications.
49. What is Google Cloud Trace?
• Cloud Trace helps you identify performance bottlenecks and optimize latency in your applications.
50. What is Google Cloud Debugger?
• Cloud Debugger allows you to inspect and debug your applications in real-time without affecting their behavior.

Hybrid and Multi-cloud:

51. What is Google Anthos?
• Anthos is a hybrid and multi-cloud platform that enables you to build and manage applications across different cloud providers and on-premises environments.
52. How does Anthos support Kubernetes?
• Anthos provides a consistent Kubernetes experience across environments, allowing you to manage and deploy applications seamlessly.
53. What is Google Cloud Interconnect?
• Cloud Interconnect provides dedicated, low-latency connections between your on-premises network and GCP resources.
54. What is Google Cloud Marketplace?
• Cloud Marketplace offers pre-configured solutions and services from various partners that can be easily deployed on GCP.
55. What is Google Cloud DNS?
• Cloud DNS is a scalable and reliable Domain Name System (DNS) service that translates domain names to IP addresses.

Migration and Transfer:

56. How can you migrate virtual machines to GCP?
• You can use tools like Google Cloud Migrate for Compute Engine or manually recreate VMs on GCP.
57. What is Google Transfer Appliance?
• Transfer Appliance is a physical device that enables fast and secure data transfer to GCP.
58. What is Google Transfer Service?
• Transfer Service allows you to migrate data from on-premises or other cloud storage providers to Google Cloud Storage.
59. What is Google Cloud Database Migration Service?
• Database Migration Service simplifies database migration to GCP by providing a managed solution for moving databases to Cloud SQL.
60. How does Google Cloud Data Transfer work?
• Data Transfer offers APIs and tools to move data between different GCP services and regions.

Governance and Compliance:

61. What is the Google Cloud Resource Manager?
• Resource Manager allows you to organize and manage your GCP resources hierarchically and control access with IAM policies.
62. How does Google Cloud Identity help with user management?
• Cloud Identity provides identity and access management services for GCP, allowing centralized user provisioning and access control.
63. What is Google Cloud Policy Intelligence?
• Policy Intelligence helps you understand and manage your organization's GCP resource policies to ensure compliance and security.
64. What is the Shared Responsibility Model on GCP?
• The Shared Responsibility Model clarifies the division of security responsibilities between Google and its customers when using GCP services.
65. What is Google Cloud Audit Logging?
• Audit Logging provides detailed logs of activities in your GCP environment for security and compliance purposes.

Cost Management:

66. How can you estimate costs before using GCP services?
• Google Cloud Pricing Calculator allows you to estimate costs based on the services and resources you plan to use.
67. What are Google Cloud Billing Accounts?
• Billing Accounts are used to organize and manage your GCP billing information and control costs.
68. How can you control GCP costs effectively?
• You can set up budget alerts, use resource quotas, and optimize resource usage to manage costs efficiently.
69. What is Google Cloud Cost Explorer?
• Cost Explorer provides insights into your GCP spending, allowing you to analyze and visualize costs over time.
70. What is the "Sustained Use" discount on GCP?
• The Sustained Use discount automatically applies as your usage of certain resources increases, providing cost savings.

Certifications and Training:

71. What are the Google Cloud certification options?
• Google Cloud offers certifications for various roles, including Associate Cloud Engineer, Professional Cloud Architect, and Professional Data Engineer.
72. How can I prepare for Google Cloud certifications?
• Google Cloud provides exam guides, documentation, and online training resources to help you prepare for certification exams.
73. What is the Google Cloud Training Platform?
• The Training Platform offers online courses and labs to help individuals and organizations learn about GCP services and best practices.
74. Is there a free tier available for GCP?
• Yes, GCP offers a free tier with limited resources and usage, allowing you to explore and learn about the platform.
75. What is the Google Cloud Learning Pathway?
• The Learning Pathway provides a curated set of resources to help you build your skills and knowledge on GCP.

Case Studies and Use Cases:

76. What are some real-world use cases for GCP?
• GCP is used for a wide range of purposes, including application development, data analytics, machine learning, IoT, and more.
77. Can you provide examples of companies using GCP?
• Companies like Spotify, Twitter, PayPal, and 20th Century Fox use GCP for various aspects of their operations.
78. How did GCP help with COVID-19 research?
• GCP provided resources for researchers to collaborate and analyze COVID-19 data, accelerating the research process.
79. What is the advantage of using GCP for game development?
• GCP's scalability and global infrastructure make it suitable for hosting online games and ensuring low-latency experiences.
80. How does GCP support media and entertainment industries?
• GCP provides solutions for content delivery, media processing, and data analytics for media and entertainment companies.

Best Practices and Tips:

81. What are some best practices for managing GCP resources?
• Use proper naming conventions, implement proper IAM controls, and regularly audit your resources for security and cost optimization.
82. How can you ensure high availability in GCP?
• Distribute resources across multiple zones and regions, use load balancing, and implement redundancy and failover strategies.
83. What are some security best practices for GCP?
• Enforce strong IAM policies, use encryption for data at rest and in transit, and regularly update and patch your resources.
84. What are some ways to optimize costs on GCP?
• Rightsize your resources, use committed use contracts for sustained workloads, and leverage autoscaling to match demand.
85. How can you improve application performance on GCP?
• Use content delivery networks (CDNs), optimize database queries, and cache frequently accessed data to reduce latency.

Limitations and Considerations:

86. What are the limitations of GCP's Free Tier?
• The Free Tier has usage limits for resources, and some services and features are not available in the Free Tier.
87. How does data residency affect GCP usage?
• GCP allows you to select the region where your data is stored, which can have legal and performance implications.
88. What is the vendor lock-in concern with GCP?
• Using proprietary GCP services might lead to vendor lock-in, so consider using open standards and APIs to ensure portability.
89. What is the potential impact of service outages on GCP?
• While GCP aims for high availability, service outages can still occur, so it's important to design applications with redundancy and failover in mind.
90. How can you manage compliance and regulatory requirements on GCP?
• GCP offers various compliance certifications, and you can use encryption and access controls to meet regulatory requirements.

Future Trends:

91. What are some emerging trends in cloud computing on GCP?
• Trends include increased focus on serverless computing, AI-driven solutions, multi-cloud strategies, and enhanced security measures.
92. How is GCP likely to evolve in terms of services and capabilities?
• GCP is likely to continue expanding its offerings in areas like AI, machine learning, data analytics, and hybrid cloud solutions.
93. What impact might quantum computing have on GCP's services?
• Quantum computing could revolutionize certain computations, potentially affecting cryptography and optimization algorithms used in GCP services.
94. What is the role of edge computing in GCP's future?
• Edge computing is likely to become more important as IoT and real-time processing requirements grow, enabling more localized data processing.
95. How is GCP addressing sustainability and environmental concerns?
• Google has committed to using 100% renewable energy and is working on sustainable data center designs to reduce its environmental impact.

Community and Support:

96. What resources are available for learning GCP from the community?
• You can join GCP's official community forums, attend meetups, and engage with online tutorials and open-source projects.
97. What is Google Cloud's official support program?
• Google Cloud offers different support tiers ranging from Basic to Enterprise, providing various levels of technical support and assistance.
98. How can you get help during technical issues with GCP services?
• You can contact Google Cloud Support, access documentation and tutorials, and consult the community forums for assistance.
99. What is the Google Cloud Customer Reliability Engineering (CRE) program?
• The CRE program offers expertise and guidance to help customers design and operate reliable applications on GCP.
100. Where can you find GCP's official documentation and learning resources?
• You can find GCP's official documentation, tutorials, and learning paths on the Google Cloud website.