PCNE Configuring Network Services Practice Question
A multinational corporation has deployed a multi-region application on Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE) clusters in us-central1 and europe-west1. The application serves global users and requires low-latency access to a shared database hosted on Cloud SQL in us-central1. The network team has configured Cloud VPN tunnels between each region and the on-premises data center for administrative access. The application instances in europe-west1 are experiencing high latency when connecting to the Cloud SQL instance in us-central1. The team wants to reduce latency without migrating the database. The team has already verified that the Cloud SQL instance has private IP enabled and is peered to a shared VPC that spans both regions. The GKE clusters are in the same shared VPC. What should the team do?
⚠ Common exam trap
Google Cloud often tests the misconception that cross-region private connectivity must go through a VPN or on-premises network, when in fact Private Service Connect can provide direct, low-latency access within Google's network without additional infrastructure.
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
✓
Configure Private Service Connect to expose the Cloud SQL instance from us-central1 and access it via a service attachment from europe-west1.
Private Service Connect (PSC) allows the Cloud SQL instance in us-central1 to be accessed from europe-west1 via a service attachment and a private endpoint, enabling traffic to traverse Google's internal network without backhauling through the on-premises data center. This reduces latency by keeping the traffic within Google's backbone, avoiding the longer path through the Cloud VPN and on-premises network. PSC supports cross-region connectivity with private IP, which aligns with the requirement to not migrate the database.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Configure Private Service Connect to expose the Cloud SQL instance from us-central1 and access it via a service attachment from europe-west1.
Why this is correct
Private Service Connect provides low-latency, private cross-region access to Cloud SQL without traversing the internet or on-premises.
- ✗
Configure a global external HTTP(S) load balancer in front of the Cloud SQL instance.
Why it's wrong here
An external load balancer would use public IP, increasing latency and security risk, and does not leverage private connectivity.
- ✗
Create a Cloud Interconnect connection from europe-west1 to the on-premises data center and route traffic through the on-premises network to reach us-central1.
Why it's wrong here
This would force traffic through the on-premises network, likely increasing latency due to extra hops.
- ✗
Enable Cloud SQL public IP and allow the GKE nodes in europe-west1 to connect over the internet using Cloud NAT.
Why it's wrong here
Using public IP over the internet adds latency and security concerns, and Cloud NAT does not improve cross-region performance.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This PCNE 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 PCNE exam.