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Google PCA Practice Question: Migrating a legacy monolithic application to…
A company is migrating a legacy monolithic application to Google Cloud. They want to minimise changes while taking advantage of cloud benefits. Which TWO migration strategies are most appropriate? (Choose TWO.)
⚠ Common exam trap
PCA often tests the misconception that any cloud migration must involve modernization or refactoring — candidates overlook that rehost and replatform are valid, lower-effort strategies when the question emphasizes minimal change.
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
✓
Lift-and-shift (rehost) to Compute Engine
Option B (Lift-and-shift/rehost to Compute Engine) is correct because it moves the legacy monolith to Google Cloud with minimal code or architectural changes, typically via VM migration tools, letting the company gain cloud benefits like scalability and reduced data-center overhead without a costly rewrite. Option E (Replatform, e.g., using Cloud SQL instead of self-managed MySQL) is correct because it makes targeted, low-effort changes—such as swapping a self-managed database for a managed service—to capture cloud operational benefits while preserving the application's core architecture, which aligns with minimizing changes. Option A (Re-architect into microservices) is not appropriate here because it requires substantial redesign and development effort, contradicting the goal of minimizing changes. Option C (Retire the application) is wrong because the company is migrating the application, not decommissioning it. Option D (Replace with SaaS) is wrong because repurchasing a SaaS solution would mean abandoning the legacy application rather than migrating it with minimal changes.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Re-architect (refactor) into microservices
Why it's wrong here
Re-architecting into microservices rewrites the application's internal structure, directly contradicting the requirement to minimise changes. It is tempting because refactoring unlocks maximum cloud-native benefit, and would be correct where the business accepts substantial redevelopment to gain scalability and resilience.
- ✓
Lift-and-shift (rehost) to Compute Engine
Why this is correct
Rehosting moves the workload unchanged onto Compute Engine virtual machines, satisfying the stem's constraint of minimising code changes while still gaining cloud elasticity and reduced data-centre overhead. Because no refactoring occurs, the legacy monolith runs as-is, making this the fastest path to cloud benefits during migration.
- ✗
Retire the application
Why it's wrong here
Retirement removes the workload entirely, so no cloud benefits accrue and the application's function is lost; the stem requires continued operation with minimal change. It is tempting because decommissioning unused applications is a legitimate migration strategy, and would be correct for a redundant system no longer needed by the business.
- ✗
Replace (repurchase) with SaaS
Why it's wrong here
Repurchasing discards the application in favour of a vendor SaaS product, replacing rather than migrating it and abandoning existing customisations. It is tempting because SaaS removes operational overhead, and would be correct where a commercially available product meets the business requirements and the legacy application holds no unique value.
- ✓
Replatform (e.g., use Cloud SQL instead of self-managed MySQL)
Why this is correct
Replatform swaps self-managed MySQL for Cloud SQL while preserving the application's core code, so the monolith moves with minimal rework yet gains managed backups, patching and scaling. This directly satisfies the stem's constraint of minimising changes while still capturing cloud benefits.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Virtual Machine Instances in Compute Engine
Key term
Data
Data is raw, unprocessed information, like numbers, words, or measurements, that can be stored, processed, and analyzed by computers.
Key term
Microservices
Microservices is an architectural style where a software application is built as a collection of small, independent services, each handling a specific business function and communicating over a network.
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Google Cloud exam blueprint
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.