Google ACE Practice Question: Ensuring Successful Operation of a Cloud Solution
You need to drain a GKE node for maintenance. The node runs DaemonSet pods and pods using emptyDir volumes. Which kubectl drain command correctly handles these pods without causing disruption to critical system components?
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
✓
kubectl drain NODE --ignore-daemonsets --delete-emptydir-data
The kubectl drain command evicts pods from a node. To handle DaemonSet pods (which should be ignored because they are managed by the DaemonSet controller) and pods with emptyDir volumes (which may need --delete-emptydir-data to force eviction), you use --ignore-daemonsets and --delete-emptydir-data.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
kubectl drain NODE --force
Why it's wrong here
--force is used to bypass checks that would otherwise prevent drain, but it does not automatically handle DaemonSet pods or emptyDir volumes. Using --force alone may cause disruption to critical system components.
- ✗
kubectl drain NODE --ignore-daemonsets
Why it's wrong here
Omitting --delete-emptydir-data leaves pods with emptyDir volumes undrained, so the command fails or stalls. The flag is tempting because --ignore-daemonsets is genuinely required for DaemonSet pods, and it would be correct if only DaemonSet pods were present.
- ✗
kubectl drain NODE --delete-emptydir-data
Why it's wrong here
Without --ignore-daemonsets, drain refuses to evict DaemonSet-managed pods and aborts, leaving the node undrained. It is tempting because --delete-emptydir-data addresses the emptyDir pods, but that flag alone does not handle DaemonSet pods, so the command fails on this node.
- ✓
kubectl drain NODE --ignore-daemonsets --delete-emptydir-data
Why this is correct
Draining with `--ignore-daemonsets` leaves DaemonSet pods running, preserving node-level system components, while `--delete-emptydir-data` permits eviction of pods holding emptyDir volumes that would otherwise block the drain. Both flags together satisfy the stem's requirement to handle these pods without disrupting critical components.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This ACE practice question is part of Courseiva's free Google Cloud 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 ACE exam.