- A
Enable Cloud Service Mesh for sidecar proxy injection.
Why wrong: Cloud Service Mesh is for GKE, not Cloud Run.
- B
Configure Cloud Run services to use internal load balancing.
Why wrong: Internal load balancing is not supported for Cloud Run.
- C
Use Cloud Run's direct VPC egress to access resources in a VPC network.
Direct VPC egress allows Cloud Run services to send traffic to VPC networks.
- D
Use service accounts with least privilege permissions for each service.
Least privilege service accounts are a security best practice.
- E
Enable VPC Connector for each Cloud Run service.
VPC Connector allows Cloud Run to access VPC resources securely.
Question 246 of 999
Secure Cloud Run Services: VPC Connector, Service Accounts, and Direct VPC Egress
This PCD practice question tests your understanding of deploying applications. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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 is deploying a microservices architecture on Google Cloud using Cloud Run. They need to ensure that services can communicate securely with each other and with other Google Cloud services, such as Cloud Storage and Secret Manager. Which three steps should they take? (Choose three.)
Quick Answer
The correct answer involves enabling a VPC Connector for each Cloud Run service, using service accounts with least privilege, and implementing Direct VPC egress. These three steps ensure secure communication with a VPC network and other Google Cloud services like Cloud Storage and Secret Manager by routing traffic through a private, isolated network path rather than the public internet. On the Google Professional Cloud Developer exam, this scenario tests your understanding of how Cloud Run integrates with VPCs for internal service-to-service calls and resource access, often appearing as a multi-select question where you must distinguish between Cloud Run and GKE-specific tools. A common trap is confusing Cloud Run’s networking with GKE features like internal load balancers or Cloud Service Mesh, which are not directly applicable here. Remember the mnemonic “VPC, SA, DVE” — VPC Connector, Service Accounts, Direct VPC Egress — to recall the three pillars of secure Cloud Run communication.
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
✓
Use Cloud Run's direct VPC egress to access resources in a VPC network.
To securely communicate with other Google Cloud services like Cloud Storage and Secret Manager, Cloud Run services can use direct VPC egress to route traffic through your VPC. Additionally, to access resources in a VPC, you can use a VPC connector. Using service accounts with least privilege ensures secure access control. These three steps together provide secure communication.
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.
- ✗
Enable Cloud Service Mesh for sidecar proxy injection.
Why it's wrong here
Cloud Service Mesh is for GKE, not Cloud Run.
- ✗
Configure Cloud Run services to use internal load balancing.
Why it's wrong here
Internal load balancing is not supported for Cloud Run.
- ✓
Use Cloud Run's direct VPC egress to access resources in a VPC network.
Why this is correct
Direct VPC egress allows Cloud Run services to send traffic to VPC networks.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✓
Use service accounts with least privilege permissions for each service.
Why this is correct
Least privilege service accounts are a security best practice.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✓
Enable VPC Connector for each Cloud Run service.
Why this is correct
VPC Connector allows Cloud Run to access VPC resources securely.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap in this question is that candidates may believe only one method (direct VPC egress or VPC connector) is correct, but on Google Cloud both are valid options for achieving secure communication with VPC resources. Additionally, candidates might mistakenly think that sidecar proxies (Cloud Service Mesh) or internal load balancing are required for secure communication between Cloud Run services and other Google Cloud services.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Direct VPC egress in Cloud Run uses a serverless VPC access feature that bypasses the need for a VPC connector, reducing latency and cost. It works by assigning a VPC network to the Cloud Run service, allowing it to send traffic to resources like Cloud SQL or Compute Engine instances using internal IPs, while still being managed by Cloud Run's autoscaling. This is particularly useful for workloads that require low-latency access to VPC-hosted databases or services.
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 media company stores terabytes of video archives that are accessed once a year for audit purposes. Moving these objects to a cold storage tier (Azure Archive, S3 Glacier, or Google Nearline) costs a fraction of hot storage. Questions like this test whether you understand storage tiers, access frequency tradeoffs, and retrieval latency requirements.
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 PCD question test?
Deploying applications — This question tests Deploying applications — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Use Cloud Run's direct VPC egress to access resources in a VPC network. — To securely communicate with other Google Cloud services like Cloud Storage and Secret Manager, Cloud Run services can use direct VPC egress to route traffic through your VPC. Additionally, to access resources in a VPC, you can use a VPC connector. Using service accounts with least privilege ensures secure access control. These three steps together provide secure communication.
What should I do if I get this PCD question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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
This PCD 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 PCD exam.
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