Storage commands (gsutil) in GCP - Practice Problems & Coding Challenges

Challenge - 5 Problems

❓ service_behavior

intermediate

Understanding gsutil cp behavior with directories

You run the command gsutil cp -r ./localdir gs://my-bucket/backup/. What will be the result in the bucket?

A Only the files in the root of <code>localdir</code> will be copied, subfolders will be ignored.

B All files inside <code>localdir</code> will be copied directly into <code>backup/</code> without creating a <code>localdir</code> folder.

C A new folder named <code>localdir</code> will be created inside <code>backup/</code> with all files copied inside it.

D The command will fail because <code>gsutil cp</code> does not support recursive copying.

💡 Hint

Think about how gsutil cp -r handles directory structures when copying.

The -r flag copies directories recursively, preserving the directory name. So localdir becomes a folder inside backup/.

❓ Configuration

intermediate

Setting ACLs with gsutil

You want to make all objects in gs://my-bucket/data/ publicly readable using gsutil. Which command achieves this?

A gsutil acl set public-read gs://my-bucket/data/**

B gsutil iam ch allUsers:objectViewer gs://my-bucket/data

C gsutil set-acl public-read gs://my-bucket/data

D gsutil acl ch -u AllUsers:R gs://my-bucket/data/**

💡 Hint

Consider the difference between ACLs and IAM policies in gsutil.

gsutil acl ch -u AllUsers:R gs://my-bucket/data/** uses the ** wildcard to recursively add read permission for all users on all objects matching the data/ prefix. The acl set public-read command replaces the ACL and is not recursive by default. IAM policies apply at the bucket level to all objects.

❓ Architecture

advanced

Optimizing gsutil for large data transfers

You need to upload 10 TB of data to a bucket quickly. Which gsutil option helps maximize upload speed?

A Use <code>gsutil cp -m</code> to enable multi-threaded uploads.

B Use <code>gsutil cp --quiet</code> to reduce output and speed up uploads.

C Use <code>gsutil rsync</code> without any flags for faster transfer.

D Use <code>gsutil cp -r</code> to recursively upload files in parallel.

💡 Hint

Think about how gsutil can upload multiple files at once.

The -m flag enables parallel (multi-threaded/multi-processing) uploads, which speeds up large data transfers significantly.

❓ security

advanced

Preventing accidental deletion with gsutil

You want to prevent accidental deletion of objects in your bucket using gsutil. Which feature should you enable?

A Enable Object Versioning on the bucket.

B Use <code>gsutil rm -n</code> to simulate deletions.

C Set bucket IAM policy to deny delete permissions.

D Use <code>gsutil cp -n</code> to prevent overwriting.

💡 Hint

Think about how to recover deleted objects.

Object Versioning keeps old versions of objects, so if deleted accidentally, you can restore them.

✅ Best Practice

expert

Efficiently syncing local and cloud storage with gsutil

You want to keep a local directory and a bucket folder in sync, copying only changed files and deleting removed files in the bucket. Which gsutil command and flags achieve this?

A gsutil cp -m -r ./localdir gs://my-bucket/folder

B gsutil rsync -d -r ./localdir gs://my-bucket/folder

C gsutil rsync -r ./localdir gs://my-bucket/folder

D gsutil cp -n -r ./localdir gs://my-bucket/folder

💡 Hint

Consider how to delete files in the destination that no longer exist in the source.

The gsutil rsync command with -d deletes extra files in the destination, and -r syncs recursively.

Practice

1. What does the gsutil ls gs://my-bucket command do?

easy

A. Lists all files and folders inside the bucket named 'my-bucket'.

B. Deletes the bucket named 'my-bucket'.

C. Creates a new bucket named 'my-bucket'.

D. Copies files from 'my-bucket' to your local machine.

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand the 'ls' command in gsutil

   The 'ls' command lists contents of a bucket or folder in Google Cloud Storage.

2. Step 2: Apply the command to the bucket 'my-bucket'

   Running gsutil ls gs://my-bucket shows all files and folders inside that bucket.

3. Final Answer:

   Lists all files and folders inside the bucket named 'my-bucket'. -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   gsutil ls lists bucket contents = C [OK]

Hint: Remember: 'ls' means list contents of bucket or folder [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing 'ls' with 'rm' which deletes files
• Thinking 'ls' creates buckets
• Assuming 'ls' copies files

2. Which of the following is the correct syntax to copy a local file named photo.jpg to a bucket gs://images-bucket using gsutil?

easy

A. gsutil copy photo.jpg gs://images-bucket

B. gsutil cp gs://images-bucket photo.jpg

C. gsutil cp photo.jpg gs://images-bucket

D. gsutil upload photo.jpg gs://images-bucket

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify the correct gsutil command for copying

   The command to copy files is gsutil cp, followed by source then destination.

2. Step 2: Place source and destination correctly

   Local file is source (photo.jpg), bucket is destination (gs://images-bucket), so syntax is gsutil cp photo.jpg gs://images-bucket.

3. Final Answer:

   gsutil cp photo.jpg gs://images-bucket -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   cp source destination = A [OK]

Hint: Copy command is 'cp' with source first, then destination [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Swapping source and destination order
• Using 'copy' instead of 'cp'
• Using 'upload' which is not a gsutil command

3. What will be the output of the command gsutil ls gs://my-bucket/folder/ if the folder contains files file1.txt and file2.txt?

medium

A. gs://my-bucket/folder/file1.txt\ngs://my-bucket/folder/file2.txt

B. file1.txt\nfile2.txt

C. gs://my-bucket/file1.txt\ngs://my-bucket/file2.txt

D. No output, command will fail

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand gsutil ls output format

   The 'gsutil ls' command lists full paths of files including bucket and folder names.

2. Step 2: Apply to files inside 'folder/'

   Files inside 'folder/' will be listed with full path prefix: gs://my-bucket/folder/file1.txt and gs://my-bucket/folder/file2.txt.

3. Final Answer:

   gs://my-bucket/folder/file1.txt gs://my-bucket/folder/file2.txt -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   gsutil ls shows full gs:// paths = B [OK]

Hint: gsutil ls shows full gs:// path, not just file names [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Expecting only file names without bucket path
• Confusing folder path with bucket root
• Assuming command fails if folder exists

4. You run gsutil rm gs://my-bucket/data.csv but get an error saying the file does not exist. What is the most likely cause?

medium

A. You need to add '-r' flag to remove a single file.

B. You used 'rm' instead of 'delete' command.

C. The bucket 'my-bucket' does not exist.

D. The file 'data.csv' is not in the bucket 'my-bucket'.

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand the error message about file not existing

   The error means the specified file path is not found in the bucket.

2. Step 2: Check command and flags correctness

   'rm' is the correct command to remove files; '-r' is only for recursive folder deletion, not needed for single files.

3. Final Answer:

   The file 'data.csv' is not in the bucket 'my-bucket'. -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   File missing causes error, not command or flags [OK]

Hint: Check file path exists before removing [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Thinking 'rm' is wrong command
• Adding '-r' unnecessarily for single files
• Assuming bucket missing causes file not found error

5. You want to delete an empty bucket named gs://temp-bucket. Which command should you use to safely remove it?

hard

A. gsutil cp gs://temp-bucket ./

B. gsutil rb gs://temp-bucket

C. gsutil delete gs://temp-bucket

D. gsutil rm gs://temp-bucket

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify the command to remove buckets

   The command to remove a bucket is gsutil rb (remove bucket).

2. Step 2: Confirm bucket is empty before removal

   Bucket must be empty to remove; if not, remove files first. Then run gsutil rb gs://temp-bucket.

3. Final Answer:

   gsutil rb gs://temp-bucket -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   Remove bucket = rb command [OK]

Hint: Use 'rb' to remove empty buckets safely [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using 'rm' which deletes files, not buckets
• Using 'delete' which is not a gsutil command
• Trying to copy bucket instead of removing