- A
readinessProbe: httpGet: path: /healthz port: 8080 initialDelaySeconds: 30 periodSeconds: 10 failureThreshold: 3
Why wrong: A readinessProbe controls traffic routing — if it fails, the Pod is removed from the Service endpoints but is NOT restarted. Only livenessProbe triggers restarts.
- B
livenessProbe: httpGet: path: /healthz port: 8080 initialDelaySeconds: 30 periodSeconds: 10 failureThreshold: 3
livenessProbe with the correct httpGet, timing, and failureThreshold configuration will restart the container after 3 consecutive failures — exactly the described behavior.
- C
startupProbe: httpGet: path: /healthz port: 8080 failureThreshold: 3
Why wrong: startupProbe is used to delay other probes until the application has started — it's not designed for ongoing health monitoring and restart triggering.
- D
lifecycle: postStart: httpGet: path: /healthz port: 8080
Why wrong: Lifecycle hooks (postStart/preStop) run once at container events — they don't provide continuous health monitoring or trigger restarts.
Quick Answer
The answer is a livenessProbe configured with httpGet, path: /healthz, port: 8080, initialDelaySeconds: 30, periodSeconds: 10, and failureThreshold: 3. This configuration is correct because a liveness probe is specifically designed to determine if a container is still running; when the kubelet detects three consecutive failures—as defined by the failureThreshold—it automatically restarts the Pod, directly fulfilling the requirement to restart on failure. On the Google Associate Cloud Engineer exam, this tests your understanding of probe types and their parameters, with a common trap being confusion between liveness and readiness probes—remember that only liveness probes trigger restarts, while readiness probes control traffic routing. A helpful memory tip is “Liveness = Life or Death (restart), Readiness = Ready for Traffic (no restart).”
Google ACE Practice Question: Ensuring successful operation of a cloud solution
This ACE practice question tests your understanding of ensuring successful operation of a cloud solution. 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 wants to automatically restart any GKE Pod that fails a liveness probe three consecutive times. The probe should check HTTP GET /healthz on port 8080, starting after 30 seconds and checking every 10 seconds. Which Pod spec configuration implements this?
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
livenessProbe: httpGet: path: /healthz port: 8080 initialDelaySeconds: 30 periodSeconds: 10 failureThreshold: 3
Option B is correct because a livenessProbe with an HTTP GET on /healthz at port 8080, configured with initialDelaySeconds: 30, periodSeconds: 10, and failureThreshold: 3, will cause the kubelet to restart the Pod after three consecutive failed checks. This directly matches the requirement to restart on liveness probe failures, as liveness probes are specifically designed to determine if a container should be restarted.
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.
- ✗
readinessProbe: httpGet: path: /healthz port: 8080 initialDelaySeconds: 30 periodSeconds: 10 failureThreshold: 3
Why it's wrong here
A readinessProbe controls traffic routing — if it fails, the Pod is removed from the Service endpoints but is NOT restarted. Only livenessProbe triggers restarts.
- ✓
livenessProbe: httpGet: path: /healthz port: 8080 initialDelaySeconds: 30 periodSeconds: 10 failureThreshold: 3
Why this is correct
livenessProbe with the correct httpGet, timing, and failureThreshold configuration will restart the container after 3 consecutive failures — exactly the described behavior.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
startupProbe: httpGet: path: /healthz port: 8080 failureThreshold: 3
Why it's wrong here
startupProbe is used to delay other probes until the application has started — it's not designed for ongoing health monitoring and restart triggering.
- ✗
lifecycle: postStart: httpGet: path: /healthz port: 8080
Why it's wrong here
Lifecycle hooks (postStart/preStop) run once at container events — they don't provide continuous health monitoring or trigger restarts.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Google Cloud often tests the distinction between readinessProbe and livenessProbe, trapping candidates who confuse 'restart on failure' with 'stop sending traffic on failure'.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, the kubelet runs liveness probes at the configured periodSeconds interval, and if the probe fails failureThreshold times consecutively, the kubelet kills the container and restarts it according to the Pod's restartPolicy (default Always). The initialDelaySeconds gives the application time to start before the first probe, preventing premature restarts. In real-world scenarios, a common pitfall is setting the failureThreshold too low (e.g., 1) causing flapping restarts during transient network issues, or too high delaying recovery from actual failures.
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 cloud solutions architect for a retail company is evaluating services for a new workload. The correct answer here reflects best practice for the specific scenario described — not a general cloud recommendation. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Cloud exam questions reward reading the constraint carefully: the same technology can be right or wrong depending on the use case.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this ACE question test?
Ensuring successful operation of a cloud solution — This question tests Ensuring successful operation of a cloud solution — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: livenessProbe: httpGet: path: /healthz port: 8080 initialDelaySeconds: 30 periodSeconds: 10 failureThreshold: 3 — Option B is correct because a livenessProbe with an HTTP GET on /healthz at port 8080, configured with initialDelaySeconds: 30, periodSeconds: 10, and failureThreshold: 3, will cause the kubelet to restart the Pod after three consecutive failed checks. This directly matches the requirement to restart on liveness probe failures, as liveness probes are specifically designed to determine if a container should be restarted.
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.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 30, 2026
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