Google PCA Manage implementation of cloud architecture Practice Question
A startup is migrating a monolithic application to Google Cloud. They want to minimize operational overhead and auto-scale based on HTTP request load. Which compute solution should they choose?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many exam-takers choose GKE or Compute Engine for 'auto-scaling' without recognizing that serverless options like Cloud Run offer the same capability with significantly less operational overhead for HTTP-based workloads.
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
✓
Cloud Run
Cloud Run is the best choice because it is a fully managed serverless platform that automatically scales from zero based on HTTP request load, minimizing operational overhead. It abstracts away infrastructure management, supports containerized applications, and charges only for resources used during request processing, aligning perfectly with the requirement to auto-scale based on HTTP traffic.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Compute Engine managed instance groups with autoscaling
Why it's wrong here
Requires instance management and configuration, more overhead than serverless.
- ✗
Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE)
Why it's wrong here
GKE requires cluster management, adding operational overhead.
- ✗
Cloud Functions
Why it's wrong here
Better for event-driven, not monolithic applications; has request timeout limits.
- ✓
Cloud Run
Why this is correct
Fully managed, auto-scales based on HTTP requests, minimal overhead.
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
HTTP
HTTP stands for Hypertext Transfer Protocol, the set of rules web browsers and servers use to communicate and transfer web pages over the internet.
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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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.