- A
Compute Engine managed instance group with autoscaling.
Why wrong: MIGs have slower autoscaling response (minutes) and require a minimum instance count; scaling from 10 to 50,000 RPS would have latency and idle cost.
- B
Cloud Run with concurrency and max-instances configured.
Cloud Run scales from zero to thousands of instances in seconds, handles 50,000 RPS with automatic provisioning, and costs nothing when idle at night.
- C
GKE cluster with Horizontal Pod Autoscaler.
Why wrong: GKE requires baseline node count (minimum cost even at night), and HPA scaling is slower than Cloud Run's request-based autoscaling.
- D
App Engine Standard environment with automatic scaling.
Why wrong: App Engine Standard also scales to zero but has language runtime constraints and less flexibility than Cloud Run for containerized workloads.
Quick Answer
The answer is Cloud Run with concurrency and max-instances configured. This is the correct choice because Cloud Run is a fully managed serverless platform that automatically scales from zero to thousands of instances, perfectly matching the extreme traffic swing from 10 to 50,000 requests per second without any provisioning overhead. By setting concurrency—typically 80 concurrent requests per container—and a max-instances cap, you control costs while Cloud Run’s autoscaling dynamically adds or removes stateless containers based on real-time demand, making it ideal for variable, unpredictable workloads. On the Google Associate Cloud Engineer exam, this scenario tests your understanding of serverless autoscaling versus provisioned services like GKE or Compute Engine; a common trap is choosing GKE for its scaling capabilities, but that introduces cluster management overhead. Remember the memory tip: “Serverless scales to zero, so your bill does too—just cap the max to stay in control.”
Google ACE Planning and configuring a cloud solution Practice Question
This ACE practice question tests your understanding of planning and configuring a cloud solution. 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.
A startup is building a mobile app backend. Traffic is highly variable: 10 requests/second at night, peaking to 50,000 requests/second during business hours. The backend is stateless. Which compute option best handles this traffic variability with minimal cost and operational effort?
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
Cloud Run with concurrency and max-instances configured.
Cloud Run is the best choice because it is a fully managed serverless platform that scales from zero to thousands of requests per second automatically, handling the extreme variability from 10 to 50,000 requests/second without provisioning overhead. By configuring concurrency (e.g., 80 concurrent requests per container) and max-instances, you cap costs while Cloud Run's autoscaling adds or removes container instances based on incoming traffic, making it ideal for stateless workloads with minimal operational effort.
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.
- ✗
Compute Engine managed instance group with autoscaling.
Why it's wrong here
MIGs have slower autoscaling response (minutes) and require a minimum instance count; scaling from 10 to 50,000 RPS would have latency and idle cost.
- ✓
Cloud Run with concurrency and max-instances configured.
Why this is correct
Cloud Run scales from zero to thousands of instances in seconds, handles 50,000 RPS with automatic provisioning, and costs nothing when idle at night.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
GKE cluster with Horizontal Pod Autoscaler.
Why it's wrong here
GKE requires baseline node count (minimum cost even at night), and HPA scaling is slower than Cloud Run's request-based autoscaling.
- ✗
App Engine Standard environment with automatic scaling.
Why it's wrong here
App Engine Standard also scales to zero but has language runtime constraints and less flexibility than Cloud Run for containerized workloads.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Google Cloud often tests the misconception that managed instance groups or GKE are more 'powerful' or 'flexible' for high traffic, but the trap here is ignoring the operational effort and cost of idle resources; candidates overlook that serverless options like Cloud Run can handle 50,000 req/s with proper concurrency tuning and are far simpler for stateless apps.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Cloud Run's autoscaling is based on the 'concurrency' setting, which determines how many requests each container instance can handle simultaneously; when all instances reach their concurrency limit, Cloud Run creates new instances, scaling up to the max-instances limit. Under the hood, Cloud Run uses Knative serving and gRPC-based health checks to rapidly detect traffic spikes, often scaling in under 10 seconds, and it bills only for request duration and CPU/memory used during request processing, not for idle time. A real-world scenario: a startup with a flash sale might see traffic jump from 10 to 50,000 req/s in seconds; Cloud Run can handle this burst by spinning up hundreds of instances quickly, while a managed instance group would lag due to startup scripts and health check 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.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this ACE question test?
Planning and configuring a cloud solution — This question tests Planning and configuring a cloud solution — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Cloud Run with concurrency and max-instances configured. — Cloud Run is the best choice because it is a fully managed serverless platform that scales from zero to thousands of requests per second automatically, handling the extreme variability from 10 to 50,000 requests/second without provisioning overhead. By configuring concurrency (e.g., 80 concurrent requests per container) and max-instances, you cap costs while Cloud Run's autoscaling adds or removes container instances based on incoming traffic, making it ideal for stateless workloads with minimal operational effort.
What should I do if I get this ACE 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.
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 →
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Last reviewed: Jun 30, 2026
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