200-901 Application Deployment and Security Practice Question
A Kubernetes pod needs to run a database that requires persistent storage. Which volume type should be used to store data that persists beyond the pod lifecycle?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
PersistentVolumeClaim
PersistentVolumeClaim requests persistent storage that survives pod restarts. emptyDir is ephemeral, hostPath ties to a node, configMap is for configuration.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
emptyDir
Why it's wrong here
emptyDir is created when a pod is scheduled and deleted permanently when that pod is removed, so data cannot persist beyond the pod lifecycle. It is tempting because it is the simplest volume to declare and works for scratch space or temporary caches, and would be correct for ephemeral files shared between containers in one pod.
- ✓
PersistentVolumeClaim
Why this is correct
A PersistentVolumeClaim binds to a PersistentVolume, decoupling storage lifecycle from the pod so data survives pod deletion and rescheduling. This satisfies the stem's requirement for storage persisting beyond the pod lifecycle, unlike emptyDir or hostPath, which are tied to the pod or node.
- ✗
configMap
Why it's wrong here
configMap volumes expose configuration data as files and are read-only from the API's perspective, so they cannot store database writes that must survive pod deletion. It is tempting because it mounts key-value data into pods cleanly, and would be correct for injecting application settings or environment files.
- ✗
hostPath
Why it's wrong here
hostPath binds a directory on the node's filesystem, so data is lost or inaccessible when the pod is rescheduled to another node, failing persistence beyond the pod lifecycle. It is tempting because it is the simplest way to mount node-local storage, and would suit daemonsets reading node logs or configs.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This 200-901 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Cisco certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the 200-901 exam.