How should your company configure logging to retain all logs for seven years while reducing complexity?

The choice to use Cloud Logging to create an aggregated sink for Cloud Storage with a retention policy is particularly sound because it meets multiple key requirements: retaining logs for a set duration of seven years while also simplifying the process of managing those logs.

When logs are sent to Cloud Storage, they can be stored as objects, and by setting a retention policy, the company can ensure that these logs are retained for exactly the period required without needing to actively manage their deletion. This approach minimizes the complexity often associated with log management because the retention policy automates the process of compliance and eliminates the need for manual interventions.

Using an aggregated sink for Cloud Storage also consolidates logs from multiple sources into a single storage location. This aggregation simplifies access and analysis of the logs, enabling efficient retrieval without dealing with multiple storage instances or complex data querying systems.

In contrast, using BigQuery for log storage, while powerful for analysis, introduces additional complexity due to its structure and potential costs associated with retaining large volumes of data over long periods. Each project-level export approach increases the management overhead and could complicate compliance and access to logs if they are dispersed across multiple projects.

Thus, by utilizing Cloud Logging with Cloud Storage and a specific retention policy, the solution optimally achieves the dual goals of