The answer is to use Cloud Run's built-in autoscaling to handle traffic bursts, along with designing for statelessness and avoiding local disk writes for persistent data. This is correct because Cloud Run instances are ephemeral and the local filesystem is not persisted across requests or instance restarts, meaning any data written to disk for a single request is lost when the instance is recycled—a fundamental characteristic of serverless container platforms. On the Google Professional Cloud Developer exam, this tests your understanding of Cloud Run best practices stateless design and autoscaling, often appearing in scenario-based questions where a candidate must choose between scaling configurations or stateful patterns like sticky sessions. A common trap is assuming you can rely on local storage for caching or session data, but Cloud Run’s architecture demands external services like Cloud Storage or Firestore. Remember the mnemonic “No Disk, No Stick”—never write to disk and never rely on sticky sessions for stateless autoscaling.
PCD Deploying applications Practice Question
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 THREE practices should be followed when deploying a containerized application to Cloud Run?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Avoid writing to the local filesystem for data that must persist across requests.
Option A is correct because Cloud Run instances are ephemeral and the local filesystem is not persisted across requests or instance restarts. Writing to local disk for data that must survive beyond a single request will cause data loss when the instance is recycled, which is a fundamental characteristic of serverless container platforms.
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.
✓
Avoid writing to the local filesystem for data that must persist across requests.
Why this is correct
Local filesystem is ephemeral; use external storage for persistent data.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Set a maximum request timeout of 10 minutes to avoid cold starts.
Why it's wrong here
Maximum timeout is 60 minutes; cold starts are unrelated to timeout setting.
✗
Hardcode port 8080 in the container.
Why it's wrong here
The container must listen on the port provided by the PORT environment variable.
✓
Design the application to be stateless, storing session data externally (e.g., Firestore).
Why this is correct
Stateless design ensures scalability and reliability.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✓
Use Cloud Run's built-in autoscaling to handle traffic bursts.
Why this is correct
Cloud Run automatically scales from 0 to N instances.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Cisco often tests the misconception that cold starts can be eliminated by adjusting timeout settings, when in fact cold starts are related to instance lifecycle and can only be mitigated with min instances or traffic shaping, not by changing the request timeout.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Cloud Run containers run in a sandboxed environment where the filesystem is writable but ephemeral — any data written to local disk is lost when the container instance is shut down (typically after 15 minutes of inactivity). For stateless design, session data should be stored in external services like Firestore, Memorystore, or Cloud SQL, which provide durability and can be accessed by any instance. The PORT environment variable is injected by Cloud Run at runtime, and best practice is to use it (e.g., process.env.PORT in Node.js) to ensure the container works correctly regardless of the assigned port.
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.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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: Avoid writing to the local filesystem for data that must persist across requests. — Option A is correct because Cloud Run instances are ephemeral and the local filesystem is not persisted across requests or instance restarts. Writing to local disk for data that must survive beyond a single request will cause data loss when the instance is recycled, which is a fundamental characteristic of serverless container platforms.
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.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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