- A
Deploy the application on Compute Engine with Windows Server
Why wrong: This is a possible alternative but not the recommended approach for Cloud Run; the question asks for deploying to Cloud Run.
- B
Use Cloud Run for Anthos on a Windows node pool
Why wrong: Cloud Run for Anthos also requires Linux containers.
- C
Port the application to .NET Core/.NET 6+ and run on Linux
This is the recommended approach to make the application compatible with Cloud Run.
- D
Use a Windows base image and deploy to Cloud Run
Why wrong: Cloud Run only supports Linux containers.
Question 396 of 999
Port .NET Framework Apps to .NET Core for Cloud Run
This PCD practice question tests your understanding of building and testing applications. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. 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.
A team is migrating a monolithic .NET application to Cloud Run. The application uses .NET Framework 4.8 and depends on Windows-specific libraries. What is the recommended approach to containerize and deploy this application?
Quick Answer
The answer is to port the .NET Framework application to .NET Core/.NET 6+ and run it on Linux. This is correct because Cloud Run only supports Linux containers, and .NET Framework 4.8 is tightly coupled to Windows-specific libraries and the Windows kernel, making direct containerization impossible. By migrating to a cross-platform version like .NET 8 or 9, you eliminate those Windows dependencies and can build a lightweight Linux container that Cloud Run can execute natively. On the Google Professional Cloud Developer exam, this question tests your understanding of Cloud Run’s container constraints and the modernization path for legacy .NET workloads—a common trap is assuming you can simply containerize the existing Framework app with Windows containers, but Cloud Run has no Windows runtime. Remember the key constraint: Cloud Run is Linux-only, so any Windows-specific code must be refactored. Memory tip: “No Windows, no Framework—port to Core for the score.”
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
✓
Port the application to .NET Core/.NET 6+ and run on Linux
Cloud Run only supports Linux containers, so a .NET Framework 4.8 application that depends on Windows-specific libraries cannot be directly deployed. The recommended approach is to port the application to .NET Core/.NET 6+ (now .NET 8/9), which is cross-platform and can run on Linux containers, enabling deployment to Cloud Run. This aligns with Google's guidance for modernizing legacy .NET applications to leverage serverless platforms.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Deploy the application on Compute Engine with Windows Server
Why it's wrong here
This is a possible alternative but not the recommended approach for Cloud Run; the question asks for deploying to Cloud Run.
- ✗
Use Cloud Run for Anthos on a Windows node pool
Why it's wrong here
Cloud Run for Anthos also requires Linux containers.
- ✓
Port the application to .NET Core/.NET 6+ and run on Linux
Why this is correct
This is the recommended approach to make the application compatible with Cloud Run.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Use a Windows base image and deploy to Cloud Run
Why it's wrong here
Cloud Run only supports Linux containers.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The PCD exam often tests the misconception that Cloud Run can run any container image, including Windows-based ones, but the platform strictly supports only Linux containers, making option D a common trap for candidates unfamiliar with Cloud Run's runtime constraints.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Cloud Run executes containers in a sandboxed environment based on gVisor, which only supports Linux syscalls. .NET Framework 4.8 relies on Windows-specific APIs (e.g., System.Drawing, Registry access) that have no Linux equivalent, making direct containerization impossible. Porting to .NET Core/.NET 6+ allows the application to use the cross-platform .NET runtime, which can run on Linux containers and leverage Cloud Run's auto-scaling and pay-per-use model.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
- Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
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
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
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.
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 |
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
- →
Building and testing applications — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
- →
Building and testing applications practice questions
Targeted practice on this topic area only
- →
All PCD questions
999 questions across all exam domains
- →
Google Professional Cloud Developer study guide
Full concept coverage aligned to exam objectives
- →
PCD practice test guide
How to use practice tests most effectively before exam day
Related practice questions
Related PCD practice-question pages
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
Manage a Solution that Can Span Multiple Database Systems practice questions
Practise PCD questions linked to Manage a Solution that Can Span Multiple Database Systems.
Deploy Scalable and Highly Available Databases in Google Cloud practice questions
Practise PCD questions linked to Deploy Scalable and Highly Available Databases in Google Cloud.
Design Scalable and Highly Available Cloud Database Solutions practice questions
Practise PCD questions linked to Design Scalable and Highly Available Cloud Database Solutions.
Migrate Data Solutions practice questions
Practise PCD questions linked to Migrate Data Solutions.
Designing highly scalable, available, and reliable cloud-native applications practice questions
Practise PCD questions linked to Designing highly scalable, available, and reliable cloud-native applications.
Building and testing applications practice questions
Practise PCD questions linked to Building and testing applications.
Deploying applications practice questions
Practise PCD questions linked to Deploying applications.
Integrating Google Cloud services practice questions
Practise PCD questions linked to Integrating Google Cloud services.
Managing application performance monitoring practice questions
Practise PCD questions linked to Managing application performance monitoring.
PCD fundamentals practice questions
Practise PCD questions linked to PCD fundamentals.
PCD scenario practice questions
Practise PCD questions linked to PCD scenario.
PCD troubleshooting practice questions
Practise PCD questions linked to PCD troubleshooting.
Practice this exam
Start a free PCD practice session
Short sessions build daily habit. Longer sessions build exam-day stamina. Try a timed session to simulate real conditions.
FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this PCD question test?
Building and testing applications — This question tests Building and testing applications — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Port the application to .NET Core/.NET 6+ and run on Linux — Cloud Run only supports Linux containers, so a .NET Framework 4.8 application that depends on Windows-specific libraries cannot be directly deployed. The recommended approach is to port the application to .NET Core/.NET 6+ (now .NET 8/9), which is cross-platform and can run on Linux containers, enabling deployment to Cloud Run. This aligns with Google's guidance for modernizing legacy .NET applications to leverage serverless platforms.
What should I do if I get this PCD question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Keep practising
More PCD practice questions
- A company is deploying a microservices architecture on GKE. They need to expose a set of related microservices under a s…
- You need to monitor the CPU usage of a Compute Engine instance and trigger an alert when it exceeds 80% for 5 minutes. W…
- A Cloud Bigtable instance has a single cluster. To improve availability and read throughput, the team decides to add a s…
- A developer wants to enable IAM database authentication for Cloud SQL for PostgreSQL. Which IAM role must be granted to…
- A company is using Cloud Bigtable for a time-series workload. They want to monitor performance and identify hot spots. W…
- A company wants to run hybrid transactional/analytical processing (HTAP) workloads on a PostgreSQL-compatible database w…
Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
This PCD 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 PCD exam.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.