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GCPcloud~10 mins

Instance templates in GCP - Interactive Code Practice

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Practice - 5 Tasks
Answer the questions below
1fill in blank
easy

Complete the code to create an instance template with a specified machine type.

GCP
gcloud compute instance-templates create my-template --machine-type=[1]
Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'
Azone
Bus-central1-a
Cmy-instance
Dn1-standard-1
Attempts:
3 left
💡 Hint
Common Mistakes
Using a zone name instead of a machine type.
Using an instance name instead of a machine type.
2fill in blank
medium

Complete the code to specify the boot disk image when creating an instance template.

GCP
gcloud compute instance-templates create my-template --image=[1]
Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'
Adebian-11
Bn1-standard-1
Cus-central1-a
Dmy-instance
Attempts:
3 left
💡 Hint
Common Mistakes
Using a machine type instead of an image name.
Using a zone name instead of an image.
3fill in blank
hard

Fix the error in the command to create an instance template with a network tag.

GCP
gcloud compute instance-templates create my-template --tags=[1]
Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'
Aweb-server
Bn1-standard-1
Cus-central1-a
Dmy-instance
Attempts:
3 left
💡 Hint
Common Mistakes
Using a zone or machine type as a tag.
Using an instance name instead of a tag.
4fill in blank
hard

Fill both blanks to create an instance template with a specific machine type and network tag.

GCP
gcloud compute instance-templates create my-template --machine-type=[1] --tags=[2]
Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'
An1-standard-2
Bweb-server
Cus-central1-a
Dmy-instance
Attempts:
3 left
💡 Hint
Common Mistakes
Swapping machine type and tag values.
Using zone names instead of machine types or tags.
5fill in blank
hard

Fill all three blanks to create an instance template with a machine type, boot image, and network tag.

GCP
gcloud compute instance-templates create my-template --machine-type=[1] --image=[2] --tags=[3]
Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'
Ae2-medium
Bubuntu-2004-lts
Cbackend
Dus-central1-a
Attempts:
3 left
💡 Hint
Common Mistakes
Using zone names instead of machine types or images.
Mixing up the order of flags.

Practice

(1/5)
1. What is the main purpose of an instance template in Google Cloud Platform?
easy
A. To store data permanently for virtual machines
B. To manage user access to virtual machines
C. To monitor the performance of virtual machines
D. To save VM configuration settings for creating identical instances quickly

Solution

  1. Step 1: Understand what instance templates store

    Instance templates save the configuration details like machine type, disk image, and network settings.

  2. Step 2: Identify their main use

    They allow quick creation of many identical VM instances without repeating setup.

  3. Final Answer:

    To save VM configuration settings for creating identical instances quickly -> Option D

  4. Quick Check:

    Instance templates = VM settings saved [OK]
Hint: Instance templates store VM setup for easy reuse [OK]
Common Mistakes:
  • Confusing instance templates with storage or monitoring
  • Thinking instance templates manage user permissions
  • Assuming instance templates hold data permanently
2. Which of the following is the correct gcloud command to create an instance template named web-template with machine type e2-medium?
easy
A. gcloud compute instance-templates new web-template --type=e2-medium
B. gcloud compute instance-templates create web-template --machine-type=e2-medium
C. gcloud compute instances create web-template --machine-type=e2-medium
D. gcloud create instance-template web-template --machine e2-medium

Solution

  1. Step 1: Identify the correct gcloud command for instance templates

    The command to create instance templates starts with gcloud compute instance-templates create.

  2. Step 2: Check the machine type flag

    The correct flag is --machine-type= followed by the machine type.

  3. Final Answer:

    gcloud compute instance-templates create web-template --machine-type=e2-medium -> Option B

  4. Quick Check:

    Correct command syntax = gcloud compute instance-templates create web-template --machine-type=e2-medium [OK]
Hint: Use 'instance-templates create' with '--machine-type' flag [OK]
Common Mistakes:
  • Using 'instances create' instead of 'instance-templates create'
  • Wrong flag names like '--machine' or '--type'
  • Incorrect command order or missing 'compute'
3. Given this snippet:
gcloud compute instance-templates create my-template \
  --machine-type=n1-standard-1 \
  --image-family=debian-11 \
  --image-project=debian-cloud

What will be the machine type of instances created from my-template?
medium
A. debian-11
B. e2-medium
C. n1-standard-1
D. debian-cloud

Solution

  1. Step 1: Identify the machine type flag in the command

    The flag --machine-type=n1-standard-1 sets the machine type.

  2. Step 2: Understand other flags

    --image-family and --image-project specify the OS image, not machine type.

  3. Final Answer:

    n1-standard-1 -> Option C

  4. Quick Check:

    Machine type flag sets instance type [OK]
Hint: Look for '--machine-type' flag for VM size [OK]
Common Mistakes:
  • Confusing image family with machine type
  • Choosing project name as machine type
  • Ignoring the '--machine-type' flag
4. You tried to create an instance template with this command:
gcloud compute instance-templates create test-template --machine-type e2-small

But it failed. What is the likely error?
medium
A. Missing image or boot disk specification
B. Instance template name 'test-template' is invalid
C. Machine type 'e2-small' does not exist
D. Command should be 'gcloud create instance-template'

Solution

  1. Step 1: Check required arguments for instance-templates create

    Instance templates require a machine type AND a boot disk specification (e.g., --image-family and --image-project).

  2. Step 2: Validate other parts

    The instance template name and machine type are valid, and the command starts correctly with gcloud compute instance-templates create. Flag syntax with space is accepted.

  3. Final Answer:

    Missing image or boot disk specification -> Option A

  4. Quick Check:

    Instance templates need image spec [OK]
Hint: Include --image-family & --image-project flags [OK]
Common Mistakes:
  • Forgetting to specify image or boot disk flags
  • Wrong command order or missing 'compute'
  • Assuming machine type is invalid without checking
5. You want to create a managed instance group that automatically updates all VMs when the instance template changes. Which approach should you use?
hard
A. Create a managed instance group with the instance template and enable rolling updates
B. Manually delete and recreate each VM after changing the template
C. Use an unmanaged instance group with the new template
D. Create a new instance template but keep the old managed group unchanged

Solution

  1. Step 1: Understand managed instance groups and updates

    Managed instance groups can use instance templates and support rolling updates to replace VMs smoothly.

  2. Step 2: Identify the best method for automatic updates

    Enabling rolling updates on the managed group with the new template applies changes automatically.

  3. Final Answer:

    Create a managed instance group with the instance template and enable rolling updates -> Option A

  4. Quick Check:

    Managed groups + rolling updates = automatic VM updates [OK]
Hint: Use managed groups with rolling updates for auto changes [OK]
Common Mistakes:
  • Thinking unmanaged groups support automatic updates
  • Manually recreating VMs instead of using rolling updates
  • Ignoring instance template updates in managed groups