Google PCA Manage implementation of cloud architecture Practice Question
A startup wants to deploy a containerized application with minimal operational overhead. They expect variable traffic. Which compute option should they choose?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many candidates confuse Cloud Run with App Engine Flexible Environment, assuming both are fully managed, but App Engine Flexible Environment does not scale to zero and requires VM-level management, making Cloud Run the only option that truly minimizes operational overhead for variable traffic.
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 correct choice because it is a fully managed serverless compute platform that automatically scales from zero based on traffic, charges only for resources used during request processing, and eliminates all infrastructure management. This aligns perfectly with the startup's requirement for minimal operational overhead and handling variable traffic patterns without provisioning or scaling concerns.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
App Engine Flexible Environment
Why it's wrong here
Requires configuration and has more overhead than Cloud Run.
- ✓
Cloud Run
Why this is correct
Fully managed serverless container platform that auto-scales.
- ✗
Compute Engine single VM
Why it's wrong here
Requires manual scaling and management of the VM.
- ✗
Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE)
Why it's wrong here
Requires cluster management and 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 |
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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.