Quick Answer
The answer is StatefulSet with volumeClaimTemplates. This is the correct choice because Cassandra is a stateful application that requires stable, unique network identities and dedicated persistent storage per pod to maintain cluster state and data consistency. A StatefulSet provides ordinal pod names and a headless Service for stable DNS entries, while volumeClaimTemplates dynamically create individual PersistentVolumeClaims for each replica, ensuring storage survives pod rescheduling. On the Google Professional Cloud Developer exam, this tests your understanding of workload types for stateful databases on GKE, often appearing as a scenario where a Deployment would fail because it treats pods as interchangeable and cannot guarantee stable identities or per-pod storage. A common trap is choosing a Deployment with a shared PersistentVolume, which breaks Cassandra’s replication and node discovery. Memory tip: think “StatefulSet = stable state” — if your app needs to remember its name and its data, use StatefulSet.
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.
You are deploying a Cassandra database on GKE. Which resource type should you use to ensure stable network identities and persistent storage per pod?
Job with persistent disk
Why wrong: Not designed for long-running services.
Deployment with persistent volume claims
Why wrong: Pods may get new identities on reschedule.
StatefulSet with volumeClaimTemplates
Provides stable identities and persistent storage.
DaemonSet with hostPath volumes
Why wrong: Runs one per node, not suitable for Cassandra.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
StatefulSet with volumeClaimTemplates
StatefulSet is the correct resource because it provides stable, unique network identities (via headless Service and ordinal pod names) and persistent storage per pod through volumeClaimTemplates, which dynamically create PersistentVolumeClaims for each replica. This is essential for Cassandra, which requires stable node identities and dedicated storage to maintain cluster state and data consistency.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Job with persistent disk
Why it's wrong here
Not designed for long-running services.
Deployment with persistent volume claims
Why it's wrong here
Pods may get new identities on reschedule.
StatefulSet with volumeClaimTemplates
Why this is correct
Provides stable identities and persistent storage.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
DaemonSet with hostPath volumes
Why it's wrong here
Runs one per node, not suitable for Cassandra.
Common exam traps
Cisco often tests the misconception that Deployments can handle stateful workloads by attaching PersistentVolumeClaims, but the trap is that Deployments lack stable network identities and per-pod storage binding, which are required for databases like Cassandra to maintain cluster membership and data integrity.
Detailed technical explanation
StatefulSet uses a headless Service (clusterIP: None) to create DNS records like cassandra-0.cassandra.default.svc.cluster.local, ensuring each pod has a stable hostname that persists across rescheduling. The volumeClaimTemplates field automatically generates PersistentVolumeClaims with unique names (e.g., data-cassandra-0), which are bound to PersistentVolumes, guaranteeing that each pod retains its data even after deletion or re-creation. This is critical for Cassandra's gossip protocol and hinted handoff, which rely on consistent node identifiers.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A media company stores terabytes of video archives that are accessed once a year for audit purposes. Moving these objects to a cold storage tier (Azure Archive, S3 Glacier, or Google Nearline) costs a fraction of hot storage. Questions like this test whether you understand storage tiers, access frequency tradeoffs, and retrieval latency requirements.
What to study next
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FAQ
Deploying applications — This question tests Deploying applications — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: StatefulSet with volumeClaimTemplates — StatefulSet is the correct resource because it provides stable, unique network identities (via headless Service and ordinal pod names) and persistent storage per pod through volumeClaimTemplates, which dynamically create PersistentVolumeClaims for each replica. This is essential for Cassandra, which requires stable node identities and dedicated storage to maintain cluster state and data consistency.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 25, 2026
This PCD 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 PCD exam.
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