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ACE Practice Question: Your application runs on GKE and needs to call…
This ACE practice question tests your understanding of your application runs on gke and needs to call…. 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.
Your application runs on GKE and needs to call the Cloud Translation API. You want to follow Google's recommended security practice for service-to-cloud-API authentication within GKE. Which approach should you use?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Good practice is not just finding the correct option. The wrong answers often show the exact trap the exam wants you to fall into.
A
Best answer
Configure Workload Identity to bind the pod's Kubernetes Service Account to a Google Service Account with Translation API access.
Workload Identity is the recommended GKE authentication mechanism. No SA keys are created — pods automatically receive short-lived credentials via the mapped Google SA, following least-privilege and eliminating key management.
B
Distractor review
Use the GOOGLE_APPLICATION_CREDENTIALS environment variable pointing to a mounted key file.
This is the same as option A (SA key in a Secret) — requires key management and is not recommended when Workload Identity is available.
C
Distractor review
Download a service account key JSON and mount it as a Kubernetes Secret in the pod.
While functional, SA key files are long-lived credentials that require rotation and management. Google explicitly recommends Workload Identity as the preferred alternative for GKE.
D
Distractor review
Grant the GKE node pool's service account `roles/cloudtranslate.user`.
Granting the node SA API access means all pods on those nodes can call the API — it violates least privilege. Workload Identity enables per-workload SA binding.
Common exam trap
Common exam trap: authentication is not authorization
Logging in proves the user can authenticate. It does not automatically mean the user is allowed to enter privileged or configuration mode. Watch for AAA authorization, privilege level and command authorization details.
Technical deep dive
How to think about this question
This kind of question is testing the difference between identity and permission. A user may successfully log in to a router because authentication is working, but still fail to enter configuration mode because authorization is missing, misconfigured or mapped to a lower privilege level.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Authentication checks who the user is.
- Authorization controls what the user is allowed to do after login.
- Privilege levels affect access to EXEC and configuration commands.
- AAA, TACACS+ and RADIUS can separate login success from command access.
TExam Day Tips
- Do not assume successful login means full administrative access.
- Look for words such as cannot enter configuration mode, privilege level, authorization or command access.
- Separate login problems from permission problems before choosing the answer.
Key takeaway
Authentication proves identity; authorization controls what that identity can do after login. Both must work for full privileged access.
Related practice questions
Related ACE practice-question pages
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More questions from this exam
Keep practising from the same exam bank, or move into a focused topic page if this question exposed a weak area.
Question 1
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Question 2
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Question 3
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Question 4
A team wants to receive an email alert when the average CPU utilization of VMs in a managed instance group exceeds 80% for more than 5 minutes. What should they create in Cloud Monitoring?
Question 5
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Question 6
A startup creates its first Google Cloud project. Before deploying any paid resources, what must be linked to the project?
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this ACE question test?
Authentication checks who the user is.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Configure Workload Identity to bind the pod's Kubernetes Service Account to a Google Service Account with Translation API access. — Workload Identity is Google's recommended way for GKE workloads to access Google Cloud APIs. It maps a Kubernetes Service Account (KSA) to a Google Service Account (GSA). Pods authenticate using the KSA token, which is automatically exchanged for a short-lived GSA credential by the Workload Identity mechanism. No SA keys are created or stored, following the principle of least privilege and eliminating key management overhead.
What should I do if I get this ACE question wrong?
Review Cisco AAA concepts — authentication, authorization, and accounting. Study privilege levels (0–15), command authorization under TACACS+, and how RADIUS differs. Then practise related ACE questions on access control and AAA configuration.
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