Google PCA Practice Question: Analyze and optimize technical and business processes
Network Topology
Refer to the exhibit. A Cloud Run service is experiencing high latency and returns 502 errors when traffic spikes. What should the team adjust first?
⚠ Common exam trap
Google Cloud often tests the misconception that scaling out (increasing max instances) or scaling up (increasing CPU/memory) is the immediate fix for latency and errors, when the real issue is often the concurrency limit per container.
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
✓
Decrease containerConcurrency to 10
The 502 errors and high latency during traffic spikes indicate that the Cloud Run service is overwhelmed by concurrent requests. Decreasing `containerConcurrency` to 10 limits the number of simultaneous requests each container instance can handle, which reduces the likelihood of request timeouts and 502 errors by forcing Cloud Run to scale out more instances sooner. This directly addresses the root cause—excessive concurrency per container—without incurring additional cost or requiring code changes.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Decrease containerConcurrency to 10
Why this is correct
Lowering concurrency reduces the number of simultaneous requests per container, preventing overload and 502s.
- ✗
Increase the maximum number of instances
Why it's wrong here
More instances spread load but do not fix per-container concurrency issues.
- ✗
Increase the CPU limit to 2000m
Why it's wrong here
CPU may not be the bottleneck; concurrency is more likely.
- ✗
Increase the memory limit to 512Mi
Why it's wrong here
Memory may not be the bottleneck; concurrency is more likely.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Introduction to Google Cloud Platform
Key term
Container instance
A container instance is a running software package created from a container image that includes its own code, runtime, and dependencies, isolated from the host system.
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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JA
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.