- A
Deploy the model to Vertex AI Prediction endpoints in multiple regions and use a global external HTTP(S) load balancer to route traffic to the nearest region.
Multi-region endpoints with global load balancer provide HA and low latency.
- B
Use Cloud Run with multi-region deployment and a global HTTP(S) load balancer.
Cloud Run supports multi-region deployments and global load balancing.
- C
Use Cloud Functions with a global HTTP(S) load balancer.
Why wrong: Cloud Functions is region-specific and not optimized for real-time inference across regions.
- D
Use a single Vertex AI Prediction endpoint with multiple replicas across zones in the same region.
Why wrong: Zone-level HA does not protect against regional failure.
- E
Deploy the model to a Vertex AI Prediction endpoint in a single region and use a global external HTTP(S) load balancer.
Why wrong: Single region cannot survive regional outage.
Quick Answer
The correct answer is to use Cloud Run with multi-region deployment and a global HTTP(S) load balancer, or to deploy Vertex AI Prediction endpoints across multiple regions behind a global load balancer. Both approaches achieve multi-region high availability for Vertex AI prediction by distributing inference traffic across geographically separate endpoints, ensuring that if one region fails, the load balancer automatically routes requests to a healthy region. On the Google Professional Machine Learning Engineer exam, this question tests your understanding of stateless, latency-sensitive inference architectures; the common trap is choosing a single-region option like Cloud Functions, which cannot survive a regional outage and lacks cross-region failover. Remember that for real-time, stateless models, you need a global frontend paired with regional backends—think “global in, regional out.” Memory tip: “GLB + multi-region = HA for stateless inference.”
PMLE Serving and scaling models Practice Question
This PMLE practice question tests your understanding of serving and scaling models. 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 wants to deploy a model for real-time inference with high availability across multiple Google Cloud regions. The model is small and stateless. Which two steps should they take? (Choose two.)
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
Deploy the model to Vertex AI Prediction endpoints in multiple regions and use a global external HTTP(S) load balancer to route traffic to the nearest region.
Options B and C are correct. B deploys the model to Vertex AI Prediction endpoints in multiple regions behind a global load balancer, providing regional failover. C uses Cloud Run with multi-region deployment and a global load balancer, which also offers multi-region HA. Option A is insufficient as a single region does not survive a regional outage. Option D is wrong because Cloud Functions is region-specific and not designed for latency-sensitive inference across regions. Option E is wrong because a single region does not provide cross-region HA.
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.
- ✓
Deploy the model to Vertex AI Prediction endpoints in multiple regions and use a global external HTTP(S) load balancer to route traffic to the nearest region.
Why this is correct
Multi-region endpoints with global load balancer provide HA and low latency.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✓
Use Cloud Run with multi-region deployment and a global HTTP(S) load balancer.
Why this is correct
Cloud Run supports multi-region deployments and global load balancing.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Use Cloud Functions with a global HTTP(S) load balancer.
Why it's wrong here
Cloud Functions is region-specific and not optimized for real-time inference across regions.
- ✗
Use a single Vertex AI Prediction endpoint with multiple replicas across zones in the same region.
Why it's wrong here
Zone-level HA does not protect against regional failure.
- ✗
Deploy the model to a Vertex AI Prediction endpoint in a single region and use a global external HTTP(S) load balancer.
Why it's wrong here
Single region cannot survive regional outage.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
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.
- Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
- Underline the problem statement mentally.
- 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
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.
Identify which PMLE exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
- →
Serving and scaling models — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
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Serving and scaling models practice questions
Targeted practice on this topic area only
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PMLE practice test guide
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this PMLE question test?
Serving and scaling models — This question tests Serving and scaling models — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Deploy the model to Vertex AI Prediction endpoints in multiple regions and use a global external HTTP(S) load balancer to route traffic to the nearest region. — Options B and C are correct. B deploys the model to Vertex AI Prediction endpoints in multiple regions behind a global load balancer, providing regional failover. C uses Cloud Run with multi-region deployment and a global load balancer, which also offers multi-region HA. Option A is insufficient as a single region does not survive a regional outage. Option D is wrong because Cloud Functions is region-specific and not designed for latency-sensitive inference across regions. Option E is wrong because a single region does not provide cross-region HA.
What should I do if I get this PMLE question wrong?
Identify which PMLE exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
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 →
Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
This PMLE 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 PMLE exam.
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