Google PCA Practice Question: Managing and Provisioning a Solution Infrastructure
A cloud architect needs to implement a CI/CD pipeline for a team developing a Python-based microservice. The team uses GitHub as their source repository. The pipeline should automatically run unit tests and deploy the service to Cloud Run when changes are pushed to the main branch. Which THREE Google Cloud services should they use?
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
✓
Artifact Registry
Cloud Build can connect to GitHub via triggers to run tests and build a container image. Artifact Registry stores the image. Cloud Run deploys the container. Cloud Deploy is for GKE and other platforms, not Cloud Run directly. Cloud Functions is serverless but not for containers. Cloud Source Repositories is Google's own git, not GitHub.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Artifact Registry
Why this is correct
Artifact Registry stores the container image built by Cloud Build.
- ✓
Cloud Run
Why this is correct
Cloud Run deploys the container image as a serverless service.
- ✗
Cloud Deploy
Why it's wrong here
Cloud Deploy is for continuous delivery to GKE, Anthos, etc., not directly to Cloud Run.
- ✗
Cloud Source Repositories
Why it's wrong here
Source Repositories is not GitHub; the team uses GitHub, so no need for CSR.
- ✓
Cloud Build
Why this is correct
Cloud Build can run tests and build containers triggered by GitHub pushes.
Quick reference
Cloud Service Model Comparison
| Model | You Manage | Provider Manages | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| IaaS | OS, runtime, apps, data | Hardware, hypervisor, networking | EC2, Azure VMs, GCP Compute Engine |
| PaaS | Apps and data | OS, runtime, middleware, hardware | Elastic Beanstalk, Azure App Service |
| SaaS | Data and settings only | Everything else | Microsoft 365, Salesforce, Workday |
| FaaS / Serverless | Function code only | Infra, scaling, runtime | Lambda, Azure Functions, Cloud Run |
| CaaS | Containers and apps | Kubernetes, OS, hardware | EKS, AKS, GKE |
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Introduction to Google Cloud Platform
Key term
Artifact Registry
Artifact Registry is a managed service for storing, managing, and securing container images and other software packages in a centralized repository.
Key term
Service
A service is a software component or system that performs a specific function and is available to be used by other programs or users over a network.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
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This PCA 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 PCA exam.