- A
Use Istio VirtualService to split traffic between two subsets of the same Service
Why wrong: While Istio can do this, the question does not mention Istio being installed. GKE Autopilot does not natively include Istio.
- B
Use a Kubernetes Service with label selectors pointing to two Deployments (stable and canary) and scale the number of replicas to achieve 10% traffic
This is a standard Kubernetes canary pattern: a Service routes traffic to pods matching labels from both Deployments. By scaling replicas, you can approximate traffic percentage.
- C
Deploy the canary version using a separate Service with a different DNS name and configure the application to split traffic
Why wrong: This requires application-level traffic splitting, which is more complex and not a standard Kubernetes canary approach.
- D
Use Cloud Deploy with a rollout strategy that sets traffic percentage to 10% for the canary
Why wrong: Cloud Deploy is a CI/CD tool that can orchestrate canary deployments, but it typically works with GKE and can use native Kubernetes features. However, the simplest and most direct answer is the Kubernetes-native approach without assuming extra tools.
Google PCA Practice Question: Managing Implementation and Ensuring Solution and Operations Reliability
This PCA practice question tests your understanding of managing implementation and ensuring solution and operations reliability. 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 company runs a microservices application on GKE Autopilot. They want to implement canary deployments where a new version of a service receives 10% of traffic. Which approach should they use?
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 Kubernetes Service with label selectors pointing to two Deployments (stable and canary) and scale the number of replicas to achieve 10% traffic
GKE Autopilot supports canary deployments using Kubernetes native features like multiple Deployments with a Service selector using a common label, and adjusting replica counts to control traffic. Istio or Traffic Director are not required. Cloud Deploy can be used but the simplest approach is to use a single Kubernetes Service with label selectors pointing to both Deployments and scaling replicas.
Key principle: NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
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 Istio VirtualService to split traffic between two subsets of the same Service
Why it's wrong here
While Istio can do this, the question does not mention Istio being installed. GKE Autopilot does not natively include Istio.
- ✓
Use a Kubernetes Service with label selectors pointing to two Deployments (stable and canary) and scale the number of replicas to achieve 10% traffic
Why this is correct
This is a standard Kubernetes canary pattern: a Service routes traffic to pods matching labels from both Deployments. By scaling replicas, you can approximate traffic percentage.
Related concept
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
- ✗
Deploy the canary version using a separate Service with a different DNS name and configure the application to split traffic
Why it's wrong here
This requires application-level traffic splitting, which is more complex and not a standard Kubernetes canary approach.
- ✗
Use Cloud Deploy with a rollout strategy that sets traffic percentage to 10% for the canary
Why it's wrong here
Cloud Deploy is a CI/CD tool that can orchestrate canary deployments, but it typically works with GKE and can use native Kubernetes features. However, the simplest and most direct answer is the Kubernetes-native approach without assuming extra tools.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: NAT rules depend on direction and matching traffic
NAT is not only about the public address. The inside/outside interface roles and the ACL or rule that matches traffic are just as important.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
NAT questions usually test address translation, overload/PAT behaviour, static mappings and whether the right traffic is being translated. Read the interface direction and address terms carefully.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
- PAT allows many inside hosts to share one public address using ports.
- Inside local and inside global describe the private and translated addresses.
- NAT ACLs identify traffic for translation, not always security filtering.
TExam Day Tips
- Identify inside and outside interfaces first.
- Check whether the scenario needs static NAT, dynamic NAT or PAT.
- Do not confuse NAT matching ACLs with normal packet-filtering intent.
Key takeaway
NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
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.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related PCA NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this PCA question test?
Managing Implementation and Ensuring Solution and Operations Reliability — This question tests Managing Implementation and Ensuring Solution and Operations Reliability — Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Use a Kubernetes Service with label selectors pointing to two Deployments (stable and canary) and scale the number of replicas to achieve 10% traffic — GKE Autopilot supports canary deployments using Kubernetes native features like multiple Deployments with a Service selector using a common label, and adjusting replica counts to control traffic. Istio or Traffic Director are not required. Cloud Deploy can be used but the simplest approach is to use a single Kubernetes Service with label selectors pointing to both Deployments and scaling replicas.
What should I do if I get this PCA question wrong?
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related PCA NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
This PCA 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 PCA exam.
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