- A
Enable cluster autoscaling.
Why wrong: Autoscaling helps with capacity but not with availability during upgrades.
- B
Use StatefulSets instead of Deployments for all services.
Why wrong: StatefulSets are for stateful apps; not needed for all services.
- C
Use multiple node pools across different zones.
Spreading node pools across zones allows rolling upgrades zone by zone.
- D
Use node pools with multiple node types.
Why wrong: Different node types do not directly improve availability during upgrades.
- E
Set up a load balancer with health checks.
Health checks ensure traffic is only sent to ready pods.
- F
Configure PodDisruptionBudgets for each deployment.
PodsDisruptionBudgets ensure a minimum number of pods are always running.
Question 117 of 1,000
Google PCA PodDisruptionBudget (PDB) Practice Question
This PCA practice question tests your understanding of ensure solution and operations reliability. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. A key principle to apply: podDisruptionBudget (PDB). Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
An organization deploys a microservices application on Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE) with multiple Deployments. They want to ensure that the application remains available during a cluster-wide upgrade. Which three best practices should they follow? (Choose three.)
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"best"Why it matters: Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
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 multiple node pools across different zones.
To maintain availability during a GKE cluster upgrade, three best practices are: (1) Configure PodDisruptionBudgets (PDBs) for each deployment to limit the number of pods that can be disrupted simultaneously during voluntary disruptions like node upgrades. (2) Use multiple node pools across different zones to allow GKE to upgrade nodes one zone at a time, ensuring that replicas in other zones remain available. (3) Set up a load balancer with health checks so that traffic is only directed to healthy pods, automatically routing away from pods being terminated during the upgrade.
Key principle: PodDisruptionBudget (PDB)
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Enable cluster autoscaling.
Why it's wrong here
Autoscaling helps with capacity but not with availability during upgrades.
- ✗
Use StatefulSets instead of Deployments for all services.
Why it's wrong here
StatefulSets are for stateful apps; not needed for all services.
- ✓
Use multiple node pools across different zones.
Why this is correct
Spreading node pools across zones allows rolling upgrades zone by zone.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
PodDisruptionBudget (PDB)
- ✗
Use node pools with multiple node types.
Why it's wrong here
Different node types do not directly improve availability during upgrades.
- ✓
Set up a load balancer with health checks.
Why this is correct
Health checks ensure traffic is only sent to ready pods.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
PodDisruptionBudget (PDB)
- ✓
Configure PodDisruptionBudgets for each deployment.
Why this is correct
PodsDisruptionBudgets ensure a minimum number of pods are always running.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
PodDisruptionBudget (PDB)
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Candidates often think that cluster autoscaling or using multiple node types provides high availability during upgrades. However, autoscaling only adjusts capacity, not disruption, and node types are irrelevant to GKE's zone-based upgrade strategy. The correct practices are PodDisruptionBudgets, multi-zone node pools, and load balancer health checks.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
GKE cluster upgrades use a rolling update strategy where nodes are drained and recreated one by one within a node pool; when node pools span multiple zones, the upgrade proceeds zone by zone, minimizing the blast radius. PodDisruptionBudgets (PDBs) enforce a minimum number of available pods during voluntary disruptions like upgrades, and when combined with multi-zonal node pools, they ensure that the remaining replicas in other zones can serve traffic while one zone is being upgraded. In practice, setting a PDB with maxUnavailable: 1 and deploying at least 3 replicas across 3 zones guarantees zero downtime during a zonal upgrade.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- PodDisruptionBudget (PDB)
- Multi-zonal node pools
- Load balancer with health checks
- GKE upgrade strategy
TExam Day Tips
- Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
- Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
PodDisruptionBudget (PDB)
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
An e-commerce site experiences heavy traffic on Black Friday and near-zero traffic during off-peak weeks. Rather than provisioning permanent large VMs, the team uses auto-scaling groups that add capacity automatically under load and reduce it overnight. Questions like this test whether you understand elasticity, availability zones, and cloud compute scaling patterns.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Review podDisruptionBudget (PDB), then practise related PCA questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
- →
Ensure solution and operations reliability — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this PCA question test?
Ensure solution and operations reliability — This question tests Ensure solution and operations reliability — PodDisruptionBudget (PDB).
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Use multiple node pools across different zones. — To maintain availability during a GKE cluster upgrade, three best practices are: (1) Configure PodDisruptionBudgets (PDBs) for each deployment to limit the number of pods that can be disrupted simultaneously during voluntary disruptions like node upgrades. (2) Use multiple node pools across different zones to allow GKE to upgrade nodes one zone at a time, ensuring that replicas in other zones remain available. (3) Set up a load balancer with health checks so that traffic is only directed to healthy pods, automatically routing away from pods being terminated during the upgrade.
What should I do if I get this PCA question wrong?
Review podDisruptionBudget (PDB), then practise related PCA questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "best". Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
What is the key concept behind this question?
PodDisruptionBudget (PDB)
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Last reviewed: Jun 25, 2026
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