Google PCA Manage implementation of cloud architecture Practice Question
A company is migrating a monolithic application to Google Cloud. They want to minimize changes to the application code while taking advantage of Cloud Run for serverless containers. Which approach should they take?
⚠ Common exam trap
Google Cloud often tests the misconception that serverless containers require microservices architecture, but Cloud Run can run any containerized application, including a monolithic one, as long as it listens for HTTP requests.
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
✓
Use Cloud Run by packaging the existing application as a container and listening on a web server.
Cloud Run can run any containerized application that listens on HTTP requests on port 8080. By packaging the existing monolithic application as a container and adding a lightweight web server (e.g., Express, Flask, or Nginx), the company can deploy it to Cloud Run with minimal code changes, leveraging serverless scaling and pay-per-use pricing without refactoring into microservices.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Deploy the application to App Engine standard environment with automatic scaling.
Why it's wrong here
App Engine requires specific runtime environments and may need code changes.
- ✗
Lift and shift the application to Compute Engine instances behind a load balancer.
Why it's wrong here
No serverless benefits, and still requires managing servers.
- ✗
Refactor the application into microservices and deploy each as a separate Cloud Run service.
Why it's wrong here
This requires significant code changes, not minimal.
- ✓
Use Cloud Run by packaging the existing application as a container and listening on a web server.
Why this is correct
Minimal changes: containerize the existing app with a web server wrapper.
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
CAN
A CAN (Controller Area Network) is a robust vehicle bus standard designed to allow microcontrollers and devices to communicate with each other without a host computer.
Key term
Cloud Run
Cloud Run is a fully managed compute platform from Google Cloud that lets you run containerized applications in a serverless environment, automatically scaling from zero to thousands of requests.
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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.