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Ensure solution and operations reliability →mediumMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped

Google PCA Ensure solution and operations reliability Practice Question

This PCA practice question tests your understanding of ensure solution and operations reliability. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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.

Exhibit

gcloud compute forwarding-rules describe my-https-rule --region=us-central1
...
IPAddress: 34.96.0.1
IPProtocol: TCP
portRange: 443-443
target: https://www.googleapis.com/compute/v1/projects/my-project/regions/us-central1/targetPools/my-target-pool
...
gcloud compute target-pools describe my-target-pool --region=us-central1
...
healthCheck: https://www.googleapis.com/compute/v1/projects/my-project/global/httpHealthChecks/my-health-check
instances:
- us-central1-a/instances/web-1
- us-central1-b/instances/web-2
...
gcloud compute http-health-checks describe my-health-check
...
requestPath: /health
port: 80
...

Refer to the exhibit. A load balancer forwards HTTPS traffic to a target pool with two instances. The health check is configured on port 80 with path /health. Some users report intermittent connection errors. What is the most likely cause?

Clue words in this question

Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.

  • Clue: "most likely"

    Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.

Exhibit

gcloud compute forwarding-rules describe my-https-rule --region=us-central1
...
IPAddress: 34.96.0.1
IPProtocol: TCP
portRange: 443-443
target: https://www.googleapis.com/compute/v1/projects/my-project/regions/us-central1/targetPools/my-target-pool
...
gcloud compute target-pools describe my-target-pool --region=us-central1
...
healthCheck: https://www.googleapis.com/compute/v1/projects/my-project/global/httpHealthChecks/my-health-check
instances:
- us-central1-a/instances/web-1
- us-central1-b/instances/web-2
...
gcloud compute http-health-checks describe my-health-check
...
requestPath: /health
port: 80
...

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

✓

The health check is using HTTP but the backend instances only serve HTTPS, causing them to be marked unhealthy.

The health check is configured to use HTTP on port 80, but the backend instances only serve HTTPS. When the load balancer sends an HTTP GET request to /health on port 80, the instances either reject the connection or fail to respond correctly, causing the health check to fail. This marks the instances as unhealthy, leading to intermittent connection errors as traffic is not forwarded to them.

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.

  • ✗

    The health check path /health does not exist on the backend instances.

    Why it's wrong here

    If the path did not exist, the health check would consistently fail, not intermittently.

  • ✓

    The health check is using HTTP but the backend instances only serve HTTPS, causing them to be marked unhealthy.

    Why this is correct

    The health check is configured on port 80 with HTTP, but the load balancer forwards HTTPS (port 443). If the instances only listen on HTTPS (port 443), the health check on port 80 will fail, marking instances unhealthy and causing connection errors.

    Clue confirmation

    The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.

    Related concept

    Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.

  • ✗

    The load balancer's IP address is not reachable from the internet.

    Why it's wrong here

    The forwarding rule has a public IP, and users can reach it; otherwise errors would be persistent.

  • ✗

    The instances are in different zones, causing latency.

    Why it's wrong here

    Target pools can include instances from multiple zones; this is a common configuration and not a cause of intermittent errors.

Common exam traps

Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword

Google PCA often tests the subtle distinction between the health check protocol and the backend serving protocol, where candidates assume that a health check on port 80 with HTTP will work regardless of whether the backend expects HTTPS, leading them to overlook the protocol mismatch.

Detailed technical explanation

How to think about this question

Google Cloud HTTP(S) load balancers use health checks to determine instance health; if the health check protocol (HTTP) does not match the backend's serving protocol (HTTPS), the health check probe will fail because the backend expects TLS handshake. Even if the backend has a TCP listener on port 80, it may not respond to plain HTTP requests if it is configured for HTTPS only, causing the health check to mark the instance as unhealthy. In real-world scenarios, this mismatch often leads to 502 errors or intermittent failures as traffic is routed away from unhealthy instances.

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.

TExam Day Tips

  • 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

A cloud solutions architect for a retail company is evaluating services for a new workload. The correct answer here reflects best practice for the specific scenario described — not a general cloud recommendation. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Cloud exam questions reward reading the constraint carefully: the same technology can be right or wrong depending on the use case.

What to study next

Got this wrong? Here's your next step.

Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.

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FAQ

Questions learners often ask

What does this PCA question test?

Ensure solution and operations reliability — This question tests Ensure solution and operations reliability — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..

What is the correct answer to this question?

The correct answer is: The health check is using HTTP but the backend instances only serve HTTPS, causing them to be marked unhealthy. — The health check is configured to use HTTP on port 80, but the backend instances only serve HTTPS. When the load balancer sends an HTTP GET request to /health on port 80, the instances either reject the connection or fail to respond correctly, causing the health check to fail. This marks the instances as unhealthy, leading to intermittent connection errors as traffic is not forwarded to them.

What should I do if I get this PCA question wrong?

Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.

Are there clue words in this question I should notice?

Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.

What is the key concept behind this question?

Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.

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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026

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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.