Google PCA Practice Question: Managing and Provisioning a Solution Infrastructure
A Cloud Run service needs to connect to a Cloud SQL MySQL instance privately without using public IP. What must be configured?
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 a VPC connector and attach it to the Cloud Run service
To privately connect Cloud Run to Cloud SQL, you need a Serverless VPC Access connector in the same VPC as the Cloud SQL instance, and then use the private IP of Cloud SQL. Private Google Access is for on-prem, not Cloud Run. Direct VPC is not available for Cloud Run.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Set up VPC Network Peering between Cloud Run and Cloud SQL
Why it's wrong here
VPC peering is not supported for Cloud Run; Cloud Run uses a managed VPC.
- ✗
Enable Private Google Access on the VPC subnet
Why it's wrong here
Private Google Access allows VMs without external IPs to access Google APIs; it does not help Cloud Run connect to Cloud SQL.
- ✗
Use Cloud SQL Proxy as a sidecar container
Why it's wrong here
Cloud SQL Proxy is typically used with Compute Engine or GKE, not directly with Cloud Run; a VPC connector is the standard approach.
- ✓
Deploy a VPC connector and attach it to the Cloud Run service
Why this is correct
The VPC connector enables Cloud Run to send traffic to internal IP addresses in the VPC, such as Cloud SQL private IP.
Quick reference
Cloud Service Model Comparison
| Model | You Manage | Provider Manages | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| IaaS | OS, runtime, apps, data | Hardware, hypervisor, networking | EC2, Azure VMs, GCP Compute Engine |
| PaaS | Apps and data | OS, runtime, middleware, hardware | Elastic Beanstalk, Azure App Service |
| SaaS | Data and settings only | Everything else | Microsoft 365, Salesforce, Workday |
| FaaS / Serverless | Function code only | Infra, scaling, runtime | Lambda, Azure Functions, Cloud Run |
| CaaS | Containers and apps | Kubernetes, OS, hardware | EKS, AKS, GKE |
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Introduction to Google Cloud Platform
Key term
Service
A service is a software component or system that performs a specific function and is available to be used by other programs or users over a network.
Key term
Private Google Access
Private Google Access lets virtual machines in a Google Cloud VPC reach Google APIs and services using private IP addresses, without needing public internet access.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This PCA 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 PCA exam.