- A
Switch node pool machine type to a memory-optimized series (e.g., m2-ultramem) and ensure Pod memory requests are accurate
Memory-optimized machine types provide more RAM per vCPU, directly addressing the memory bottleneck. Accurate Pod requests let the scheduler pack Pods efficiently and let the autoscaler add the right type of capacity.
- B
Increase CPU limits for all Pods to use the available CPU capacity
Why wrong: The bottleneck is memory, not CPU — increasing CPU limits doesn't help OOMKills caused by insufficient RAM.
- C
Enable vertical pod autoscaling (VPA) set to Recreate mode as the only change
Why wrong: VPA can adjust resource requests, but Recreate mode restarts Pods to apply changes — not ideal for production. VPA is complementary to, not a replacement for, right-sizing the node type.
- D
Reduce the number of replica Pods to lower memory consumption
Why wrong: Reducing replicas reduces availability — it's not the right solution for a sizing problem. The cluster needs more memory capacity, not fewer workloads.
Quick Answer
The answer is to switch the node pool to a memory-optimized machine type like the m2-ultramem series and ensure Pod memory requests are accurate. This is correct because your workload is memory-bound—high memory utilization with low CPU and OOMKilled pods indicates a mismatch in the machine’s memory-to-CPU ratio. Memory-optimized series provide a much higher proportion of memory per vCPU, directly relieving memory pressure and preventing out-of-memory kills, while accurate requests let the scheduler avoid overcommitment. On the Google Associate Cloud Engineer exam, this scenario tests your understanding of GKE resource management and machine family selection; a common trap is choosing a general-purpose or compute-optimized machine, which would waste cost on unused CPU. Remember the memory tip: “High mem, low CPU? Go m2 or m3.”
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. 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 cost-conscious team notices their GKE cluster's node pools have consistently high memory utilization (>90%) while CPU remains at 30%. Pods are occasionally OOMKilled. What should they do to balance resource efficiency and stability?
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
Switch node pool machine type to a memory-optimized series (e.g., m2-ultramem) and ensure Pod memory requests are accurate
Option A is correct because the team has a memory-bound workload (high memory utilization, low CPU, OOMKills). Switching to a memory-optimized machine series (e.g., m2-ultramem) provides a higher memory-to-CPU ratio, directly addressing the memory pressure. Ensuring accurate Pod memory requests allows the scheduler to place Pods efficiently and prevents overcommitment, balancing resource efficiency with stability.
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.
- ✓
Switch node pool machine type to a memory-optimized series (e.g., m2-ultramem) and ensure Pod memory requests are accurate
Why this is correct
Memory-optimized machine types provide more RAM per vCPU, directly addressing the memory bottleneck. Accurate Pod requests let the scheduler pack Pods efficiently and let the autoscaler add the right type of capacity.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Increase CPU limits for all Pods to use the available CPU capacity
Why it's wrong here
The bottleneck is memory, not CPU — increasing CPU limits doesn't help OOMKills caused by insufficient RAM.
- ✗
Enable vertical pod autoscaling (VPA) set to Recreate mode as the only change
Why it's wrong here
VPA can adjust resource requests, but Recreate mode restarts Pods to apply changes — not ideal for production. VPA is complementary to, not a replacement for, right-sizing the node type.
- ✗
Reduce the number of replica Pods to lower memory consumption
Why it's wrong here
Reducing replicas reduces availability — it's not the right solution for a sizing problem. The cluster needs more memory capacity, not fewer workloads.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Google Cloud often tests the misconception that vertical scaling (VPA) alone can fix memory pressure without considering the node's physical resource ratio, leading candidates to pick Option C and overlook the need for a memory-optimized machine type.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Memory-optimized machine families like m2-ultramem use up to 12 TB of memory with a high memory-to-vCPU ratio (e.g., 24 GB per vCPU), which is ideal for in-memory databases or large caches. GKE's node auto-provisioning and cluster autoscaler can automatically select these machine types if Pod resource requests are properly set, but manual node pool selection gives more control. Accurate memory requests are critical because the Kubernetes scheduler uses them to determine node fit; underestimating requests leads to overcommitment and OOMKills, while overestimating wastes resources.
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.
- →
Ensuring successful operation of a cloud solution — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
- →
Ensuring successful operation of a cloud solution practice questions
Targeted practice on this topic area only
- →
All ACE questions
500 questions across all exam domains
- →
Google Associate Cloud Engineer study guide
Full concept coverage aligned to exam objectives
- →
ACE practice test guide
How to use practice tests most effectively before exam day
Related practice questions
Related ACE practice-question pages
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
Setting up a cloud solution environment practice questions
Practise ACE questions linked to Setting up a cloud solution environment.
Planning and configuring a cloud solution practice questions
Practise ACE questions linked to Planning and configuring a cloud solution.
Deploying and implementing a cloud solution practice questions
Practise ACE questions linked to Deploying and implementing a cloud solution.
Ensuring successful operation of a cloud solution practice questions
Practise ACE questions linked to Ensuring successful operation of a cloud solution.
Configuring access and security practice questions
Practise ACE questions linked to Configuring access and security.
ACE fundamentals practice questions
Practise ACE questions linked to ACE fundamentals.
ACE scenario practice questions
Practise ACE questions linked to ACE scenario.
ACE troubleshooting practice questions
Practise ACE questions linked to ACE troubleshooting.
Practice this exam
Start a free ACE 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 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: Switch node pool machine type to a memory-optimized series (e.g., m2-ultramem) and ensure Pod memory requests are accurate — Option A is correct because the team has a memory-bound workload (high memory utilization, low CPU, OOMKills). Switching to a memory-optimized machine series (e.g., m2-ultramem) provides a higher memory-to-CPU ratio, directly addressing the memory pressure. Ensuring accurate Pod memory requests allows the scheduler to place Pods efficiently and prevents overcommitment, balancing resource efficiency with stability.
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.
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 ACE practice questions
- A team's Cloud Build pipeline must: (1) run unit tests, (2) build a Docker image only if tests pass, (3) push the image…
- A team needs a database backup job to run every day at 2 AM UTC. The job calls an HTTP endpoint to trigger the backup. T…
- A team wants to receive an email alert when the average CPU utilization of VMs in a managed instance group exceeds 80% f…
- A Go service is consuming significantly more CPU than expected. The team suspects an inefficient function but doesn't kn…
- A network team is creating a new VPC and must decide between auto mode and custom mode. Why would they choose custom mod…
- A company organizes its GCP projects by business unit — Finance, Engineering, and Sales. Which resource is best suited t…
Last reviewed: Jun 30, 2026
This ACE 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 ACE 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.