Google Cloud Certified Associate Cloud Engineer Practice

You're using Deployment Manager to deploy your application to an autoscaled, managed instance group on Compute Engine. The application is a single binary, What is the fastest way to get the binary onto the instance, without introducing undue complexity?

1. When creating the instance template use the startup script metadata key to bootstrap the application.

2. Use a "golden image" that contains everything you need.

3. When creating the instance template, use the startup script metadata key to install Ansible. Have the instance run the play-book at startup to install the application.

4. Once the instance starts up, connect over SSH and install the application.

The correct answer is: When creating the instance template use the startup script metadata key to bootstrap the application.

Using a "golden image" (B) would involve creating a separate instance, installing the application, and then saving that instance as a template. This would add unnecessary steps and increase complexity. Installing Ansible (C) would also add an extra layer of tools that would require additional configuration and maintenance. Connecting over SSH (D) to manually install the application would be slower and not scalable as it would have to be done for each individual instance. Using the startup script in the instance template (A) allows for a simple, fast, and scalable solution as the script will automatically run when the instance starts up, ensuring that the application is installed on each instance.