- A
Use a minimal base image with only necessary dependencies.
Minimal images reduce attack surface and improve start time.
- B
Set min-instances to 0 to save costs when idle.
Why wrong: Min instances 0 can cause cold starts; set at least 1 for production.
- C
Set max-instances to unlimited to handle traffic spikes.
Why wrong: Unlimited instances can lead to high costs; set a reasonable max.
- D
Configure CPU to be always allocated to reduce latency.
CPU always allocated prevents cold starts.
- E
Always use the latest public image from Docker Hub for dependencies.
Why wrong: Public images may contain vulnerabilities; use trusted private registry.
Question 188 of 999
Top Best Practices for Deploying to Cloud Run in Production
This PCD practice question tests your understanding of deploying applications. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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.
Which TWO best practices should be followed when deploying a containerized application to Cloud Run for production?
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.
Quick Answer
The answer is to configure CPU to be always allocated and to use container images with minimal surface area. Always allocating CPU prevents the container from being throttled during idle periods, eliminating cold starts and ensuring consistent low latency for production traffic, which is critical for responsive APIs. Minimizing the image surface area reduces both security vulnerabilities and the time needed to pull and start the container, directly improving deployment speed and reducing attack vectors. On the Google Professional Cloud Developer exam, this question tests your understanding of Cloud Run’s scaling and cost trade-offs; a common trap is confusing “always allocated” with higher cost, but the latency benefit for production workloads justifies it, while limiting max instances prevents runaway costs. Remember the mnemonic “Always Allocated, Always Available” to pair CPU allocation with responsiveness, and “Smaller Image, Safer Start” for the security and speed benefit.
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 a minimal base image with only necessary dependencies.
Option A is correct because using a minimal base image (e.g., distroless or Alpine-based) reduces the attack surface, decreases image size, and speeds up cold starts. Cloud Run pulls the container image for each new instance, so a smaller image directly reduces startup latency and improves scaling responsiveness. This aligns with Google's best practices for production deployments on Cloud Run.
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.
- ✓
Use a minimal base image with only necessary dependencies.
Why this is correct
Minimal images reduce attack surface and improve start time.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Set min-instances to 0 to save costs when idle.
Why it's wrong here
Min instances 0 can cause cold starts; set at least 1 for production.
- ✗
Set max-instances to unlimited to handle traffic spikes.
Why it's wrong here
Unlimited instances can lead to high costs; set a reasonable max.
- ✓
Configure CPU to be always allocated to reduce latency.
Why this is correct
CPU always allocated prevents cold starts.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Always use the latest public image from Docker Hub for dependencies.
Why it's wrong here
Public images may contain vulnerabilities; use trusted private registry.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
A common misconception is that setting min-instances to 0 is always cost-effective, but in production, the trade-off between cost and latency often leads to setting min-instances to at least 1 to avoid cold starts.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
When CPU is always allocated (Option D), Cloud Run keeps the CPU active even during request idle periods, which eliminates cold start latency for subsequent requests and is critical for latency-sensitive applications. Under the hood, Cloud Run uses gVisor sandboxing, and CPU throttling can occur when the instance is not actively serving; always-on CPU prevents this throttling, ensuring consistent performance. In a real-world scenario, a microservice handling WebSocket connections or background tasks would require always-allocated CPU to avoid connection drops or task delays.
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
A startup's cloud architect reviews their monthly bill and notices costs are higher than expected for a long-running batch job. Switching from on-demand instances to Reserved Instances — or using Spot/Preemptible VMs — can reduce compute costs by up to 72 %. Questions like this test whether you understand the tradeoffs between commitment, flexibility, and cost across cloud pricing models.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this PCD question test?
Deploying applications — This question tests Deploying applications — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Use a minimal base image with only necessary dependencies. — Option A is correct because using a minimal base image (e.g., distroless or Alpine-based) reduces the attack surface, decreases image size, and speeds up cold starts. Cloud Run pulls the container image for each new instance, so a smaller image directly reduces startup latency and improves scaling responsiveness. This aligns with Google's best practices for production deployments on Cloud Run.
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.
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?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 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.
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