- A
Whitelist the GKE node external IPs in Cloud SQL authorized networks.
Why wrong: Node IPs are shared among pods, reducing security.
- B
Use a Cloud SQL read replica with a public IP.
Why wrong: Public IP is less secure than private connectivity.
- C
Use Private Service Connect to connect privately.
Private Service Connect offers secure private connectivity.
- D
Configure Cloud SQL to allow all traffic from the VPC.
Why wrong: Allowing all VPC traffic is overly permissive.
Question 154 of 999
GKE to Cloud SQL Private Connectivity — Private Service Connect | Google Professional Cloud Developer Explained
This PCD practice question tests your understanding of integrating google cloud services. 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.
An application running on GKE needs to access a Cloud SQL instance. The team wants to avoid using Cloud SQL Auth Proxy to reduce complexity. What is the most secure alternative?
Quick Answer
The answer is Private Service Connect, as it provides the most secure method for GKE to Cloud SQL private connectivity without proxy. This approach establishes a direct, private connection between your GKE cluster and Cloud SQL instance using an internal IP address, completely bypassing the public internet and eliminating the need for the Cloud SQL Auth Proxy. On the Google Professional Cloud Developer exam, this scenario tests your understanding of secure networking patterns within Google Cloud, often appearing as a trap where less secure options like IP whitelisting or public read replicas seem simpler but introduce vulnerabilities. The key exam insight is that Private Service Connect leverages VPC-native service controls, ensuring traffic never traverses the public internet while maintaining granular access policies. Remember the mnemonic "PSC for Private, Secure, Clean" — Private Service Connect keeps your database traffic private, secure, and clean of proxy overhead.
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 Private Service Connect to connect privately.
Option C is correct because Private Service Connect (PSC) allows your GKE cluster to connect to Cloud SQL privately using internal IPs within the same VPC, without exposing traffic to the public internet or requiring the Cloud SQL Auth Proxy. PSC creates a private endpoint that routes traffic through Google's internal network, providing secure, low-latency connectivity while reducing operational overhead.
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.
- ✗
Whitelist the GKE node external IPs in Cloud SQL authorized networks.
Why it's wrong here
Node IPs are shared among pods, reducing security.
- ✗
Use a Cloud SQL read replica with a public IP.
Why it's wrong here
Public IP is less secure than private connectivity.
- ✓
Use Private Service Connect to connect privately.
Why this is correct
Private Service Connect offers secure private connectivity.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Configure Cloud SQL to allow all traffic from the VPC.
Why it's wrong here
Allowing all VPC traffic is overly permissive.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often assume whitelisting IPs (Option A) is sufficient for security, but they overlook that private connectivity via PSC or VPC peering is the most secure method because it avoids public internet exposure entirely.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Private Service Connect uses a managed endpoint in your VPC that connects to a Cloud SQL instance via a private service attachment, leveraging Google's internal backbone without traversing the public internet. Under the hood, PSC creates a Private Service Connect endpoint (a forwarding rule) that maps to a Cloud SQL instance's private IP, enabling traffic to flow through VPC-native routing. In real-world scenarios, this eliminates the need for Cloud SQL Auth Proxy's sidecar container, reducing resource usage and simplifying pod security policies in GKE.
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 company's IT admin needs to give a contractor read-only access to production logs without sharing account credentials. Using role-based access control (RBAC) and temporary scoped permissions — not a permanent shared password — is the correct pattern. Questions like this test whether you can apply least-privilege access across cloud identity services.
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?
Integrating Google Cloud services — This question tests Integrating Google Cloud services — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Use Private Service Connect to connect privately. — Option C is correct because Private Service Connect (PSC) allows your GKE cluster to connect to Cloud SQL privately using internal IPs within the same VPC, without exposing traffic to the public internet or requiring the Cloud SQL Auth Proxy. PSC creates a private endpoint that routes traffic through Google's internal network, providing secure, low-latency connectivity while reducing operational overhead.
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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