mediumMultiple Choice
Google PCA Practice Question: A team is migrating a stateful application to GKE
A team is migrating a stateful application to GKE. The application requires persistent storage with ReadWriteMany (RWX) access across multiple pods. Which Kubernetes volume type should they use to meet this requirement on GKE?
⚠ Common exam trap
PCA often tests the confusion between Persistent Disk (RWO block storage) and Filestore (RWX NFS), so candidates who see 'persistent storage' and reflexively pick Persistent Disk miss the RWX requirement.
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
✓
Filestore
Filestore is Google Cloud's fully managed NFS file service, and the Filestore CSI driver on GKE exposes it as a ReadWriteMany (RWX) PersistentVolume that many pods can mount simultaneously. Persistent Disk is block storage attached to a single node, so it can only support ReadWriteOnce (RWO) or ReadOnlyMany (ROX), not RWX. Cloud Storage FUSE is object storage mounted as a filesystem and is not a native Kubernetes RWX volume type for stateful workloads.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Persistent Disk (Compute Engine persistent disks)
Why it's wrong here
Compute Engine persistent disks attach to a single node, so they support ReadWriteOnce or ReadOnlyMany, never ReadWriteMany across pods. They are the right choice for single-writer stateful workloads, which is why the option is tempting here.
- ✗
Cloud Storage FUSE
Why it's wrong here
Cloud Storage FUSE mounts a bucket as a file system, but it is an object-store interface without POSIX semantics or the RWX PersistentVolume access mode Kubernetes requires. It suits read-heavy access to GCS objects, not a stateful database needing concurrent read-write block storage.
- ✓
Filestore
Why this is correct
Filestore provides a managed NFS share, which natively supports ReadWriteMany access so multiple pods can mount the same volume concurrently. GKE's persistent disk options (Compute Engine persistent disks) only offer ReadWriteOnce or ReadOnlyMany, so they cannot satisfy the RWX constraint this stateful application requires.
- ✗
ConfigMap
Why it's wrong here
ConfigMaps hold configuration key-value data, not persistent block or file storage, and cannot satisfy a PersistentVolumeClaim. They are correct for injecting non-confidential settings and files into pods, which is why storage-adjacent wording makes the option tempting.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Cloud SQL and Managed Data Stores
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.
Key term
GKE
GKE is Google's managed Kubernetes service that automates deploying, scaling, and managing containerized applications in the cloud.
About these practice questions
This PCA question is part of Courseiva's 807-question bank — original exam-style content with full explanations and wrong-answer analysis, never real exam questions or exam dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
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.