Google PCA Manage implementation of cloud architecture Practice Question
Your team is deploying a stateful web application on Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE). The application requires each replica to have a stable network identity and its own persistent disk that survives pod restarts. You also need to ensure that the persistent disk is automatically provisioned and attached. Which GKE feature should you use?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is assuming that a Deployment with a PersistentVolumeClaim can provide stable network identities and per-replica storage, but Deployments are designed for stateless workloads and do not offer these guarantees.
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
✓
StatefulSet with a PersistentVolumeClaim template
StatefulSets are the correct choice for stateful applications on GKE because they provide stable network identities and persistent storage per replica. The volumeClaimTemplates automatically create PVCs, which dynamically provision persistent disks. Deployments, DaemonSets, and CronJobs lack these features, making them unsuitable for this scenario.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
DaemonSet with hostPath volumes
Why it's wrong here
DaemonSets run a pod on each node, which is not suitable for a scalable web application with multiple replicas per node. hostPath volumes use the node's local storage, which is not persistent if the pod is rescheduled to another node. This approach does not provide stable network identities or automatically provisioned persistent disks that survive node failures.
- ✗
Deployment with a PersistentVolumeClaim
Why it's wrong here
Deployments are suitable for stateless applications. While you can attach a PersistentVolumeClaim to a Deployment, all replicas would share the same volume if using a single PVC, or you would need multiple PVCs manually. Deployments do not provide stable network identities; pod names and IPs change on restart, which violates the requirement for stable identity.
- ✓
StatefulSet with a PersistentVolumeClaim template
Why this is correct
StatefulSets are designed for stateful applications, providing stable network identities and persistent storage. The volumeClaimTemplates automatically create a PersistentVolumeClaim for each replica, which dynamically provisions a PersistentVolume (e.g., a Compute Engine persistent disk) and attaches it to the pod. This meets the requirement for stable identity and persistent storage that survives pod restarts.
- ✗
CronJob with a PersistentVolumeClaim
Why it's wrong here
CronJobs are for scheduled tasks, not for running a continuously available web application. They do not provide stable network identities or persistent storage across pod restarts. The ephemeral nature of CronJob pods makes them unsuitable for stateful workloads that require stable identity and persistent disks.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Identity and Access Management (IAM)
Key term
Persistent Disk
Persistent Disk is a durable, high-performance block storage service for Google Cloud virtual machines that retains data even after the VM is shut down or deleted.
Key term
Anthos
Anthos is a Google Cloud platform that lets you run applications consistently across different computing environments, like on-premises data centers and multiple public clouds.
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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.