Google Cloud Platform DevOps Certification Interview Questions [2025]

CI/CD Pipelines in GCP

1. What is Cloud Build and its role in CI/CD pipelines?

• Cloud Build is GCP’s serverless CI/CD platform.
• Automates build, test, and deployment workflows.
• Uses cloudbuild.yaml to define pipeline steps.
• Integrates with Cloud Source Repositories for version control.
• Ensures reliable deployments with networking stability.
• Supports Docker and custom build environments.

Cloud Build streamlines CI/CD pipelines, enabling automated deployments for certification readiness.

2. Why use Cloud Build for continuous integration?

Cloud Build offers serverless automation, integrating with GCP tools like Cloud Source Repositories and GKE. It scales dynamically, supports parallel builds, and ensures secure execution via IAM. Compared to Jenkins, it reduces infrastructure management, aligning with agile workflows. Validate pipelines in staging to ensure certification-grade CI/CD efficiency.

3. When do you configure Cloud Build triggers?

• Configure triggers for code commits or pull requests.
• Use GCP Console to set branch-specific triggers.
• Automate builds for agile development cycles.
• Validate triggers in staging environments.
• Monitor trigger execution with Cloud Logging.
• Ensure consistent pipeline automation.

Triggers enable automated CI/CD pipelines, critical for certification.

4. Where do you store sensitive pipeline variables?

Non-sensitive variables are stored in cloudbuild.yaml under env. For sensitive data like API keys, use Secret Manager and reference via secretEnv. Ensure the Cloud Build service account has secretmanager.secrets.access permissions. Validate in staging and monitor with Cloud Logging for secure CI/CD pipelines, meeting certification standards.

5. Who designs CI/CD pipelines in a DevOps team?

• DevOps engineer designs CI/CD pipelines.
• Collaborates with developers for requirements.
• Uses Cloud Build for automation.
• Validates pipelines in staging.
• Monitors performance with Cloud Monitoring.
• Ensures alignment with project goals.

This ensures efficient CI/CD pipelines for certification.

6. Which tools integrate with Cloud Build for automation?

Cloud Build integrates with Terraform for infrastructure, Spinnaker for multi-cloud deployments, and Ansible for configuration. Use Docker images to run these tools in build steps.

• Configure TerraformTask for IaC.
• Use Spinnaker for advanced deployments.
• Validate integrations in staging.
• Monitor with Cloud Monitoring.

This enhances CI/CD pipelines for certification.

7. How do you troubleshoot a failing Cloud Build pipeline?

• Check Cloud Build logs in GCP Console.
• Verify cloudbuild.yaml syntax and timeouts.
• Increase timeout for resource-heavy tasks.
• Inspect networking issues with VPC.
• Validate in staging environments.
• Monitor with Cloud Monitoring.

Scenario: A pipeline fails during testing. This ensures reliable CI/CD pipelines.

8. What are the benefits of Cloud Source Repositories?

Cloud Source Repositories provide version control integrated with GCP services like Cloud Build and IAM. They simplify authentication, reduce external dependencies, and support private repositories. Compared to GitHub, they suit GCP-centric workflows. Validate repository access in staging for certification-ready CI/CD pipelines.

9. Why implement canary deployments in Cloud Build?

• Release features to a small user subset.
• Minimize risk of production failures.
• Configure in Cloud Build for GKE pods.
• Monitor with Cloud Monitoring.
• Validate in staging environments.
• Support progressive delivery.

Scenario: A feature risks crashes. This ensures safe CI/CD pipelines.

10. When do you use substitutions in Cloud Build?

Use substitutions in cloudbuild.yaml for dynamic values like environment names, defined as _VARIABLE_NAME. They enhance reusability without hardcoding. For example: substitutions: _ENV: dev. Reference in steps like echo $_ENV. Validate in staging and monitor for consistent CI/CD pipelines, aligning with certification.

11. Where do you store build artifacts for accessibility?

• Use Cloud Storage with multi-region buckets.
• Configure permissions via IAM.
• Upload with gsutil cp post-build.
• Ensure low-latency global access.
• Validate in staging.
• Monitor bucket performance.

Scenario: Artifacts need global access. This supports CI/CD pipelines.

12. Who configures Cloud Build triggers for multi-team projects?

Scenario: Multiple teams share a project. The DevOps lead configures triggers in the GCP Console, aligning with branching strategies. They collaborate with developers for workflow consistency.

• Define triggers for specific branches.
• Restrict permissions via IAM.
• Validate in staging.
• Monitor trigger execution.

This ensures coordinated CI/CD pipelines.

13. Which metrics ensure a healthy Cloud Build pipeline?

• Monitor build success rate in Cloud Monitoring.
• Track average build time.
• Analyze failure frequency trends.
• Use RHCE scripts for metrics.
• Validate in staging.
• Ensure pipeline efficiency.

This supports certification readiness.

14. How do you handle resource exhaustion in Cloud Build?

Scenario: Builds fail with "insufficient CPU". Increase machine type in cloudbuild.yaml (e.g., machineType: N1_HIGHCPU_8). Monitor usage with Cloud Monitoring. Scale resources with Terraform. Ensure network bandwidth supports tasks. Validate in staging for reliable CI/CD pipelines, meeting certification standards.

15. What is the role of Cloud Build in hybrid cloud setups?

• Automate builds across GCP and AWS.
• Integrate with AWS via service accounts.
• Build images for GKE or ECS.
• Ensure VPC peering for communication.
• Validate in staging.
• Monitor cross-cloud performance.

Scenario: A hybrid cloud needs automation. This supports certification.

16. Why secure Cloud Build pipeline configurations?

Scenario: A pipeline exposes sensitive data. Use Secret Manager for secrets, referenced via secretEnv. Restrict service account permissions via IAM. Suppress sensitive logs with Cloud Logging filters. Secure networking with VPC firewall rules. Validate in staging for secure CI/CD pipelines, ensuring certification compliance.

17. How do you optimize Cloud Build performance?

• Use dependsOn for parallel build steps.
• Increase machine types for resource-heavy tasks.
• Cache dependencies in cloudbuild.yaml.
• Validate optimizations in staging.
• Monitor with Cloud Monitoring.
• Ensure network efficiency.

Scenario: Pipelines run slowly. This ensures efficient CI/CD pipelines.

18. Which strategies prevent pipeline failures?

Scenario: Pipelines fail intermittently. Use retry policies in cloudbuild.yaml and validate dependencies before builds. Monitor with Cloud Monitoring for trends.

• Configure retry policies in YAML.
• Validate dependencies in staging.
• Monitor failure patterns.
• Ensure robust networking.

This supports certification-grade CI/CD pipelines.

GKE and Containerization

19. What is GKE and its role in DevOps?

• GKE is GCP’s managed Kubernetes service.
• Automates cluster provisioning and scaling.
• Integrates with Cloud Build for deployments.
• Supports observability with Cloud Monitoring.
• Ensures secure networking with VPC.
• Aligns with certification requirements.

GKE streamlines Kubernetes management for DevOps workflows.

20. Why use GKE for container orchestration?

GKE provides managed Kubernetes, automating node upgrades, scaling, and repairs. It integrates with Cloud Build and Cloud Monitoring, ensuring CI/CD and observability. Compared to self-managed Kubernetes, it reduces overhead. Validate clusters in staging for certification-ready Kubernetes deployments.

21. When do you use GKE node pools?

• Create node pools for workload isolation.
• Use taints and tolerations for placement.
• Configure in GKE Console or gcloud.
• Ensure networking supports traffic.
• Validate in staging.
• Monitor node performance.

Scenario: Workloads need separation. This ensures efficient Kubernetes.

22. Where do you configure GKE security policies?

Configure PodSecurityPolicy in GKE to restrict privileged containers. Use kubectl apply to deploy policies, ensuring least privilege. Validate in staging to prevent unauthorized access. Monitor compliance with Cloud Monitoring, aligning with DevSecOps practices for certification.

23. Who manages GKE cluster upgrades?

• DevOps engineer plans cluster upgrades.
• Use GKE Console to schedule upgrades.
• Coordinate with developers for downtime.
• Validate upgrades in staging.
• Monitor cluster stability.
• Prepare rollback plans.

Scenario: Upgrades risk downtime. This ensures reliable Kubernetes.

24. Which GKE feature supports zero-downtime deployments?

Scenario: Deployments cause interruptions. Use rolling updates in GKE, configuring maxSurge and maxUnavailable in deployment YAML. Monitor with kubectl rollout status.

• Set rolling update strategy.
• Validate in staging.
• Monitor with Cloud Monitoring.
• Ensure network stability.

This ensures seamless Kubernetes deployments.

25. How do you troubleshoot a GKE pod failure?

• Check pod logs with kubectl logs.
• Verify pod spec for configuration errors.
• Inspect networking with VPC settings.
• Validate in staging.
• Monitor with Cloud Monitoring.
• Use diagnostic scripts.

Scenario: A pod shows "CrashLoopBackOff". This ensures reliable Kubernetes.

26. What causes GKE IP address exhaustion?

Scenario: Pods fail to start due to IP shortages. Subnet ranges are insufficient. Expand with gcloud compute networks subnets expand-ip-range. Use alias IPs for scalability. Validate in staging and monitor with Cloud Monitoring for reliable Kubernetes networking, meeting certification standards.

27. Why does a GKE workload fail to access APIs?

• Check VPC firewall rules for egress.
• Verify Cloud NAT configurations.
• Ensure service account permissions.
• Validate connectivity in staging.
• Monitor with Cloud Logging.
• Use diagnostic scripts.

Scenario: Workloads cannot reach APIs. This ensures Kubernetes connectivity.

28. When do you use GKE Workload Identity?

Use Workload Identity to bind pod service accounts to GCP IAM roles, avoiding static credentials. Configure in GKE Console and validate in staging. Monitor authentication with Cloud Logging for secure Kubernetes operations, ensuring certification compliance.

29. Where do you debug GKE networking issues?

• Use kubectl describe pod for errors.
• Check VPC firewall rules.
• Verify service and ingress settings.
• Validate networking in staging.
• Monitor with Cloud Monitoring.
• Use network diagnostics.

Scenario: Pods cannot communicate. This ensures reliable Kubernetes.

30. Who resolves GKE resource contention?

Scenario: Pods compete for CPU. The DevOps engineer adjusts resource requests and limits in pod specs with kubectl edit deployment. Monitor with Cloud Monitoring.

• Set resource limits in YAML.
• Validate in staging.
• Monitor resource allocation.
• Ensure scalability.

This meets certification standards.

31. Which tools enhance GKE observability?

• Use Cloud Monitoring for cluster metrics.
• Integrate Prometheus for pod metrics.
• Configure Cloud Logging for logs.
• Validate in staging.
• Monitor metrics and logs.
• Automate alerts.

Scenario: A team needs visibility. This ensures robust observability.

32. How do you automate GKE provisioning?

Scenario: Rapid cluster setup is needed. Use Terraform to provision GKE clusters, defining node pools in HCL. Run: terraform apply. Integrate with Cloud Build. Validate in staging and monitor with Cloud Monitoring for reliable Kubernetes provisioning, aligning with certification.

33. What causes a GKE cluster upgrade failure?

• Insufficient node resources cause failures.
• Check upgrade logs in GKE Console.
• Adjust node pool configurations.
• Validate upgrades in staging.
• Monitor with Cloud Monitoring.
• Ensure add-on compatibility.

Scenario: An upgrade stalls. This ensures stable Kubernetes.

34. Why use GKE Autopilot mode?

GKE Autopilot automates node provisioning, scaling, and management, reducing operational overhead. Configure via GKE Console or gcloud. It suits teams needing simplified Kubernetes management. Validate in staging and monitor with Cloud Monitoring for cost-efficient, certification-ready clusters.

35. When do you use GKE for stateful applications?

• Use StatefulSets for stateful applications.
• Configure persistent volumes in GKE.
• Ensure data consistency with backups.
• Validate in staging.
• Monitor with Cloud Monitoring.
• Support database workloads.

Scenario: A database needs Kubernetes. This ensures reliable deployments.

Networking and Security

36. What is a VPC in GCP?

• VPC provides isolated network environments.
• Configure subnets for resource segmentation.
• Support firewall rules for security.
• Enable networking with peering or VPN.
• Validate in staging.
• Monitor with Cloud Monitoring.

VPCs ensure secure networking for certification.

37. Why use Cloud Armor for security?

• Protects against DDoS attacks.
• Configures policies for load balancers.
• Blocks malicious traffic with rules.
• Validate in staging environments.
• Monitor with Cloud Monitoring.
• Aligns with DevSecOps practices.

Scenario: An app faces DDoS attacks. This ensures secure networking.

38. When do you configure VPC firewall rules?

Configure firewall rules when services need restricted access. Use gcloud compute firewall-rules create to define protocols and ports. Validate in staging and monitor with Cloud Logging for secure networking, ensuring certification compliance.

39. Where do you manage VPC configurations?

• Use GCP Console under VPC network.
• Configure subnets and firewall rules.
• Enable peering or Cloud VPN.
• Validate in staging.
• Monitor with Cloud Monitoring.
• Ensure network isolation.

Scenario: A VPC needs setup. This ensures robust networking.

40. Who manages IAM roles for VPC access?

The cloud architect assigns IAM roles like roles/compute.networkAdmin in the GCP Console. They ensure least privilege access for VPC resources. Validate in staging and monitor IAM logs with Cloud Logging, aligning with certification security standards.

41. Which tools troubleshoot VPC connectivity?

• Use gcloud compute networks describe.
• Run ping or traceroute for connectivity.
• Analyze with networking tools like tcpdump.
• Validate in staging.
• Monitor with Cloud Monitoring.
• Automate diagnostics.

Scenario: Services cannot communicate. This ensures reliable networking.

42. How do you secure a VPC with Private Google Access?

Scenario: A VPC exposes sensitive services. Enable Private Google Access to reach GCP APIs without public IPs. Configure in GCP Console under VPC network.

• Enable for subnets.
• Validate in staging.
• Monitor with Cloud Logging.
• Ensure firewall alignment.

This ensures secure networking.

43. What causes a load balancer failure?

• Health checks fail for backend services.
• Misconfigured load balancer settings.
• Firewall rules block traffic.
• Validate in staging.
• Monitor with Cloud Monitoring.
• Use diagnostic scripts.

Scenario: Users cannot access apps. This ensures reliable networking.

44. Why does a service account lack VPC permissions?

Scenario: A pipeline cannot access VPC resources. The service account lacks roles like roles/compute.networkUser. Assign roles in the GCP Console with gcloud iam service-accounts describe. Validate in staging and monitor with Cloud Logging for secure networking, meeting certification standards.

45. When do you use VPC peering?

• Use for cross-project communication.
• Configure in GCP Console.
• Ensure firewall rules allow traffic.
• Validate in staging.
• Monitor with Cloud Monitoring.
• Support project isolation.

Scenario: Projects need shared networking. This ensures efficient VPCs.

46. Where do you monitor VPC traffic anomalies?

Use Cloud Logging to monitor VPC flow logs, configured under VPC network > Flow logs. Analyze with BigQuery for patterns and set alerts in Cloud Monitoring. Validate in staging for secure networking, ensuring certification compliance.

47. Who resolves firewall rule conflicts?

• Cloud architect resolves conflicts.
• Check rule priorities in GCP Console.
• Update with gcloud compute firewall-rules update.
• Validate in staging.
• Monitor with Cloud Logging.
• Minimize rule overlap.

Scenario: Rules block traffic. This ensures secure networking.

48. Which steps secure a load balancer?

Scenario: A load balancer exposes vulnerabilities. Use Cloud Armor for DDoS protection and SSL policies for encryption. Configure in GCP Console under Load balancing.

• Apply Cloud Armor policies.
• Enable HTTPS with SSL certificates.
• Validate in staging.
• Monitor with Cloud Monitoring.

This ensures secure networking.

49. How do you handle VPC subnet IP exhaustion?

• Expand range with gcloud compute networks subnets expand-ip-range.
• Use alias IPs for scalability.
• Verify subnet settings in GCP Console.
• Validate in staging.
• Monitor IP usage.
• Plan subnet expansions.

Scenario: Pods fail due to IPs. This ensures scalable networking.

50. What causes a VPC peering failure?

Scenario: Services cannot communicate across peered VPCs. Check peering status with gcloud compute networks peerings list. Verify firewall rules and subnet overlaps. Reconfigure in GCP Console. Validate in staging and monitor with Cloud Logging for reliable networking, meeting certification standards.

51. Why use Cloud VPN for hybrid connectivity?

• Connect on-premises to GCP securely.
• Configure IPsec tunnels in GCP Console.
• Ensure networking encryption.
• Validate in staging.
• Monitor with Cloud Monitoring.
• Support hybrid strategies.

Scenario: On-premises apps need GCP. This ensures secure networking.

52. When do you implement network tags?

Use network tags to apply firewall rules to specific instances, configured in GCP Console. Validate in staging to ensure correct traffic flow. Monitor rule application with Cloud Logging, aligning with certification networking standards.

Observability and Monitoring

53. What is Cloud Monitoring in GCP?

• Cloud Monitoring tracks GCP resource metrics.
• Provides dashboards for CPU, memory, latency.
• Integrates with GKE and Cloud Build.
• Supports alerting for incidents.
• Validate in staging.
• Ensures observability for certification.

This enables robust monitoring for DevOps workflows.

54. Why does Cloud Monitoring miss metrics?

Scenario: Metrics are unavailable. The monitoring agent is missing or misconfigured. Install the Ops Agent on VMs or GKE with gcloud compute instances install-ops-agent. Verify service account permissions. Validate in staging and monitor for consistent observability, meeting certification standards.

55. When do you set up Cloud Monitoring alerts?

• Create alerts for CPU, memory, or latency.
• Configure in Cloud Monitoring under Alerting.
• Use notification channels like email.
• Validate in staging.
• Monitor alert triggers.
• Automate with scripts.

Scenario: Outages need notifications. This ensures robust observability.

56. Where do you analyze performance issues?

Use Cloud Trace for request latency and Cloud Profiler for bottlenecks. Configure in GCP Console and integrate with Cloud Monitoring. Validate in staging and monitor for consistent observability, ensuring certification readiness for performance troubleshooting.

57. Who configures Cloud Monitoring dashboards?

• DevOps engineer creates dashboards.
• Include metrics like CPU and latency.
• Share with team for visibility.
• Validate in staging.
• Monitor dashboard accuracy.
• Automate metric collection.

Scenario: A team needs visibility. This ensures effective observability.

58. Which tools enhance GKE observability?

Scenario: GKE lacks detailed metrics. Use Cloud Monitoring for cluster metrics, Prometheus for pod-level monitoring, and Cloud Logging for logs. Configure in GCP Console and validate in staging. Monitor with automated scripts for certification-ready observability.

59. How do you handle high latency in Cloud Monitoring?

• Check Cloud Trace for bottlenecks.
• Analyze resource usage in Cloud Monitoring.
• Optimize code or infrastructure.
• Validate in staging.
• Monitor latency improvements.
• Scale resources as needed.

Scenario: Users report slow responses. This ensures reliable observability.

60. What causes incomplete logs in Cloud Logging?

Scenario: Logs are missing. Check log sink configurations for correct filters. Verify service account permissions with roles/logging.logWriter. Update with gcloud logging sinks update.

• Validate sinks in staging.
• Monitor log exports.
• Ensure log reliability.

This meets observability standards.

61. Why use Prometheus with Cloud Monitoring?

• Prometheus provides pod-level metrics.
• Integrates with Cloud Monitoring.
• Configure via GKE Workload Metrics.
• Validate in staging.
• Monitor with alerts.
• Enhance GKE visibility.

Scenario: Detailed metrics are needed. This ensures robust observability.

62. When do you use log-based metrics?

Use log-based metrics in Cloud Logging to track error patterns or custom events. Configure under Metrics and set alerts in Cloud Monitoring. Validate in staging for consistent observability, ensuring certification readiness for error tracking.

63. Where do you store observability data?

• Export logs to BigQuery for analysis.
• Store metrics in Cloud Monitoring.
• Configure sinks in Cloud Logging.
• Validate in staging.
• Monitor data exports.
• Ensure retention policies.

Scenario: Historical data is needed. This ensures robust observability.

64. Who resolves missing logs in Cloud Logging?

The DevOps engineer checks log inclusion filters and permissions in Cloud Logging. Update with gcloud logging sinks update. Validate in staging for complete logging. Monitor with Cloud Monitoring to ensure observability, aligning with certification standards.

65. Which metrics track GKE performance?

• Monitor CPU/memory in Cloud Monitoring.
• Track pod restart rates.
• Analyze network throughput.
• Validate in staging.
• Set performance alerts.
• Automate with scripts.

Scenario: Cluster performance degrades. This ensures effective observability.

66. How do you automate observability alerts?

Scenario: Automated notifications are needed. Create alerts in Cloud Monitoring for key metrics, using channels like email or PagerDuty. Integrate with cloud scripts for custom alerts.

• Validate in staging.
• Monitor alert reliability.
• Integrate with incident response.

This ensures robust observability.

67. What causes false alerts in Cloud Monitoring?

• Incorrect alert thresholds cause false triggers.
• Check conditions in Cloud Monitoring.
• Adjust sensitivity for metrics.
• Validate in staging.
• Monitor alert accuracy.
• Use diagnostic scripts.

Scenario: Alerts trigger unnecessarily. This ensures reliable observability.

68. Why does a service lack observability metrics?

Scenario: No metrics appear in Cloud Monitoring. The Ops Agent is missing or misconfigured. Install with gcloud compute instances install-ops-agent. Verify permissions. Validate in staging and monitor for consistent observability, meeting certification requirements.

69. When do you use Cloud Logging for error tracking?

• Filter error logs in Cloud Logging.
• Create log-based metrics for alerts.
• Configure in Cloud Monitoring.
• Validate in staging.
• Monitor error patterns.
• Automate with scripts.

Scenario: Errors need tracking. This ensures robust observability.

Infrastructure Automation

70. What is Terraform’s role in GCP automation?

• Terraform provisions GCP resources as code.
• Defines GKE clusters, VPCs in HCL.
• Integrates with Cloud Build for automation.
• Validates in staging.
• Monitors with Cloud Monitoring.
• Ensures scalable infrastructure.

This supports certification-ready automation.

71. Why does a Terraform deployment fail?

• Check Terraform logs for errors.
• Verify service account permissions.
• Ensure Terraform state integrity.
• Validate in staging.
• Monitor with Cloud Monitoring.
• Fix syntax errors.

Scenario: A Terraform job fails. This ensures reliable automation.

72. When do you use Cloud Deployment Manager?

• Use for GCP-native infrastructure automation.
• Define templates in YAML or Jinja.
• Deploy with gcloud deployment-manager deployments create.
• Validate in staging.
• Monitor with Cloud Monitoring.
• Integrate with CI/CD.

Scenario: GCP-specific automation is needed. This aligns with certification.

73. Where do you store Terraform state files?

• Store in Cloud Storage for collaboration.
• Use backend block in HCL.
• Ensure bucket permissions via IAM.
• Validate in staging.
• Monitor state integrity.
• Lock state for consistency.

Scenario: Teams need shared state. This ensures reliable automation.

74. Who manages automation scripts?

• DevOps engineer creates automation scripts.
• Store in Cloud Source Repositories.
• Integrate with Cloud Build.
• Validate in staging.
• Monitor execution.
• Collaborate with developers.

Scenario: Scripts need maintenance. This ensures efficient automation.

75. Which tools automate GKE configuration?

• Use Terraform for cluster provisioning.
• Apply Ansible for node configuration.
• Integrate with Cloud Build.
• Validate in staging.
• Monitor with Cloud Monitoring.
• Ensure consistent setups.

Scenario: GKE needs automation. This meets certification standards.

76. How do you handle Terraform state corruption?

Scenario: A state file corrupts. Restore from Cloud Storage backups. Check with terraform state list and reconcile with terraform import. Validate in staging.

• Monitor state integrity.
• Implement state locking.
• Ensure backup reliability.

This ensures robust automation.

77. What causes an Ansible playbook failure?

• Syntax errors in playbook YAML.
• Check with ansible-playbook --syntax-check.
• Verify variable definitions.
• Validate in staging.
• Monitor with Cloud Logging.
• Fix dependency issues.

Scenario: A playbook fails in Cloud Build. This ensures reliable automation.

78. Why use Config Connector for automation?

• Manage GCP resources as Kubernetes objects.
• Configure with kubectl apply for CRDs.
• Integrate with GKE for automation.
• Validate in staging.
• Monitor with Cloud Monitoring.
• Ensure resource consistency.

Scenario: Kubernetes-native automation is needed. This aligns with certification.

79. When do you integrate Cloud Build with Terraform?

• Use for automated infrastructure deployment.
• Define Terraform steps in cloudbuild.yaml.
• Run: terraform plan and apply.
• Validate in staging.
• Monitor with Cloud Monitoring.
• Ensure pipeline integration.

Scenario: Infrastructure needs automation. This supports certification.

80. Where do you store Ansible playbooks?

• Store in Cloud Source Repositories.
• Use version control for collaboration.
• Integrate with Cloud Build.
• Validate in staging.
• Monitor with Cloud Logging.
• Ensure playbook security.

Scenario: Playbooks need management. This ensures robust automation.

81. Who resolves Terraform deployment failures?

• DevOps engineer debugs failures.
• Check logs with terraform output.
• Verify service account permissions.
• Validate in staging.
• Monitor with Cloud Monitoring.
• Fix configuration errors.

Scenario: A deployment fails. This ensures reliable automation.

82. Which steps optimize Ansible playbook performance?

• Use roles for modular playbooks.
• Cache facts to reduce execution time.
• Parallelize tasks with async.
• Validate in staging.
• Monitor with Cloud Logging.
• Optimize variable usage.

Scenario: Playbooks run slowly. This ensures efficient automation.

83. How do you handle Cloud Build automation failures?

Scenario: A Terraform job fails in Cloud Build. Check logs in GCP Console. Verify Terraform configuration and permissions. Re-run with terraform apply. Validate in staging and monitor with Cloud Monitoring for reliable automation, aligning with certification requirements.

84. What causes an Ansible playbook permission issue?

• Service account lacks IAM roles.
• Update playbook with correct credentials.
• Run: ansible-playbook --user for authentication.
• Validate in staging.
• Monitor with Cloud Logging.
• Ensure least privilege.

Scenario: A playbook cannot access resources. This ensures secure automation.

85. Why does a Cloud Deployment Manager job fail?

• Check YAML/Jinja syntax errors.
• Verify service account permissions.
• Run: gcloud deployment-manager deployments describe.
• Validate in staging.
• Monitor with Cloud Monitoring.
• Fix resource dependencies.

Scenario: A deployment fails. This ensures reliable automation.

DevSecOps and Compliance

86. What is DevSecOps in GCP?

• DevSecOps integrates security into DevOps.
• Use SAST/DAST in Cloud Build pipelines.
• Configure IAM for least privilege.
• Validate security in staging.
• Monitor with Cloud Monitoring.
• Ensure compliance with audits.

This aligns with certification standards.

87. Why does a pipeline fail security scans?

• Vulnerable dependencies cause failures.
• Add SAST tools like Trivy to Cloud Build.
• Verify scan configurations in YAML.
• Validate in staging.
• Monitor with Cloud Monitoring.
• Update dependencies regularly.

Scenario: Scans detect issues. This ensures secure CI/CD pipelines.

88. When do you rotate service account keys?

Use key rotation after breaches or expirations. Run: gcloud iam service-accounts keys create. Update Cloud Build configurations. Validate in staging for uninterrupted workflows. Monitor IAM logs with Cloud Logging, ensuring DevSecOps compliance for certification.

89. Where do you check unauthorized pipeline access?

• Review IAM roles in GCP Console.
• Check Cloud Audit Logs for attempts.
• Restrict permissions to least privilege.
• Validate in staging.
• Monitor with Cloud Logging.
• Automate access audits.

Scenario: Unauthorized access occurs. This ensures DevSecOps compliance.

90. Who handles compliance audit failures?

• Security engineer addresses failures.
• Add SAST/DAST to Cloud Build.
• Configure audit logs in Cloud Logging.
• Validate in staging.
• Monitor with Cloud Monitoring.
• Ensure regulatory alignment.

Scenario: A pipeline fails compliance. This meets certification standards.

91. Which steps fix a failed SAST scan?

• Check Trivy scan logs in Cloud Build.
• Update vulnerable dependencies.
• Re-run scans with cloudbuild.yaml.
• Validate in staging.
• Monitor with Cloud Monitoring.
• Automate dependency updates.

Scenario: Scans detect vulnerabilities. This ensures secure CI/CD pipelines.

92. How do you handle exposed pipeline logs?

Scenario: Sensitive data appears in logs. Use Secret Manager and mask with secretEnv in cloudbuild.yaml. Configure log filters in Cloud Logging. Validate in staging and monitor for secure logging, ensuring DevSecOps compliance for certification.

93. What is the role of IAM in DevSecOps?

• Assign least privilege roles.
• Configure in GCP Console.
• Monitor IAM logs with Cloud Logging.
• Validate in staging.
• Ensure compliance with audits.
• Automate role assignments.

Scenario: Pipelines need secure access. This ensures DevSecOps standards.

94. Why does a GKE cluster fail compliance?

• Missing PodSecurityPolicy configurations.
• Verify Workload Identity settings.
• Enable audit logging.
• Validate in staging.
• Monitor with Cloud Monitoring.
• Update security policies.

Scenario: A cluster fails audits. This ensures secure Kubernetes.

95. When do you integrate SAST in pipelines?

Add SAST tools like Trivy to Cloud Build pipelines for early vulnerability detection. Configure in cloudbuild.yaml. Validate in staging to catch issues. Monitor with Cloud Monitoring, ensuring DevSecOps compliance for certification.

96. Where do you manage service account security?

• Configure in GCP Console under IAM.
• Assign roles like roles/cloudbuild.builds.editor.
• Rotate keys with gcloud iam service-accounts keys create.
• Validate in staging.
• Monitor with Cloud Audit Logs.
• Ensure least privilege.

Scenario: A service account is compromised. This ensures DevSecOps compliance.

97. Who monitors security alerts in GCP?

• Security engineer monitors in Security Command Center.
• Configure alerts in Cloud Monitoring.
• Integrate with PagerDuty for notifications.
• Validate in staging.
• Monitor with Cloud Logging.
• Automate response scripts.

Scenario: Alerts indicate vulnerabilities. This ensures secure operations.

98. Which steps fix pipeline compliance failures?

Scenario: A pipeline fails GDPR compliance. Add audit logging in cloudbuild.yaml and enforce branch policies. Integrate SAST/DAST with Trivy. Validate in staging and monitor with Cloud Monitoring for compliance, ensuring DevSecOps certification readiness.

99. How do you implement zero-downtime deployments?

• Use rolling updates in GKE.
• Configure maxSurge and maxUnavailable in YAML.
• Validate in staging.
• Monitor with Cloud Monitoring.
• Ensure network stability.
• Integrate canary deployments.

Scenario: Deployments cause outages. This ensures seamless CI/CD pipelines.

100. What causes a security policy to block traffic?

Scenario: Cloud Armor blocks valid requests. Check policy rules in GCP Console and adjust filters for legitimate traffic. Validate in staging and monitor with Cloud Logging for traffic patterns, aligning with DevSecOps certification standards.

101. Why integrate DAST in CI/CD pipelines?

• DAST scans running applications for vulnerabilities.
• Add tools like OWASP ZAP to Cloud Build.
• Configure scans in cloudbuild.yaml.
• Validate in staging.
• Monitor with Cloud Monitoring.
• Ensure runtime security.

Scenario: Runtime issues arise. This ensures DevSecOps compliance.

102. When do you use Binary Authorization?

Use Binary Authorization to enforce image signatures in GKE, configured in GKE Console. Validate in staging to prevent unauthorized deployments. Monitor with Cloud Logging, ensuring secure Kubernetes operations for certification.

103. Where do you audit security configurations?

• Use Security Command Center for audits.
• Check IAM roles and firewall rules.
• Export logs to BigQuery.
• Validate in staging.
• Monitor with Cloud Monitoring.
• Ensure compliance alignment.

Scenario: Audits reveal gaps. This ensures DevSecOps compliance.