Discuss Google Associate Cloud Engineer Exam Topic 3 Question 117

(You are managing a stateful application deployed on Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE) that can only have one replica. You recently discovered that the application becomes unstable at peak times. You have identified that the application needs more CPU than what has been configured in the manifest at these peak times. You want Kubernetes to allocate the application sufficient CPU resources during these peak times, while ensuring cost efficiency during off-peak periods. What should you do?)

AEnable cluster autoscaling on the GKE cluster.

BConfigure a Vertical Pod Autoscaler on the Deployment.

CConfigure a Horizontal Pod Autoscaler on the Deployment.

DEnable node auto-provisioning on the GKE cluster.

Suggested Answer: B

The Vertical Pod Autoscaler (VPA) in Kubernetes automatically adjusts the CPU and memory requests and limits of the containers within a pod based on historical and real-time resource usage. In this scenario, where a single-replica stateful application needs more CPU during peak times, VPA can dynamically increase the CPU allocated to the pod when needed and potentially decrease it during off-peak periods to optimize resource utilization and cost efficiency.

Option A: Cluster autoscaling adds or removes nodes in your GKE cluster based on the resource requests of your pods. While it can help with overall cluster capacity, it oesn't directly address the need for more CPU for a specific pod.

Option C: Horizontal Pod Autoscaler (HPA) scales the number of pod replicas based on observed CPU utilization or other select metrics. Since the application can only have one replica, HPA is not suitable.

Option D: Node auto-provisioning is similar to cluster autoscaling, automatically creating and deleting node pools based on workload demands. It doesn't directly manage the resources of individual pods.

Reference to Google Cloud Certified - Associate Cloud Engineer Documents:

The functionality and use cases of the Vertical Pod Autoscaler (VPA) are detailed in the Google Kubernetes Engine documentation, specifically within the resource management and autoscaling sections. Understanding how VPA can dynamically adjust pod resources is relevant to the Associate Cloud Engineer certification.

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26 comments · newest first

Chun 1 month ago

D sounds good for future growth, but not for this immediate issue.

Alverta 1 month ago

But with only one replica, B is more efficient. It targets the specific pod.

Art 2 months ago

I disagree, A could work too. Cluster autoscaling helps with overall resource management.

Micah 2 months ago

I think B is the best choice. Vertical Pod Autoscaler adjusts resources as needed.

Casey 2 months ago

D is interesting, but we need to focus on the pod's CPU needs first.

Truman 2 months ago

A won't help with CPU allocation directly. B is more efficient.

Sunny 2 months ago

But what about A? Cluster autoscaling could help too.

Dorthy 2 months ago

I think B is the best choice. Vertical Pod Autoscaler can adjust CPU limits.

Ilene 3 months ago

D is more about nodes, not the pod itself. B seems right for CPU needs.

Mary 3 months ago

C won't work since we only have one replica.

Muriel 3 months ago

Agreed, but A could help with overall cluster resources too.

Janessa 3 months ago

I think B is the best choice. Vertical Pod Autoscaler can adjust CPU limits.

Ben 3 months ago

D sounds interesting too, but not sure if it’s necessary here.

Marleen 4 months ago

Totally agree with B! It’s perfect for handling peak loads efficiently.

Dierdre 5 months ago

Wait, can you really use Vertical Pod Autoscaler with only one replica?

Chandra 5 months ago

I disagree, A might be better for overall cluster management.

Lai 5 months ago

B is the way to go! Vertical Pod Autoscaler can adjust CPU as needed.

Jonell 6 months ago

D is more about nodes, not the pod's CPU needs. B is the best choice!

Susana 6 months ago

C is not an option since we can only have one replica, right?

Vashti 6 months ago

Wait, can we really trust autoscalers to manage peak loads? Sounds risky!

Veda 6 months ago

I think A could work too, but it might not be as efficient.

Jeanice 6 months ago

Definitely go with B, Vertical Pod Autoscaler is the way to handle CPU needs!

Michel 6 months ago

I’m leaning towards the Vertical Pod Autoscaler too, but I wonder if there are any cost implications during those peak times that I might be missing.

Murray 7 months ago

Enabling cluster autoscaling sounds like a good option, but I feel like it might not directly address the CPU needs of a single pod.

Honey 7 months ago

I remember practicing a question about autoscalers, and I think the Horizontal Pod Autoscaler is more for scaling out replicas, which we can't do here.

Fletcher 7 months ago

I think the Vertical Pod Autoscaler might be the right choice since it adjusts the resources for the pod itself, but I'm not entirely sure how it works with stateful applications.

Google Associate Cloud Engineer Exam - Topic 3 Question 117 Discussion