- A
Cloud NAT gateway
Why wrong: Cloud NAT provides outbound internet access, not private connectivity to services.
- B
VPN tunnel
Why wrong: VPN tunnels connect networks but are not the PSC approach for service consumption.
- C
Producer endpoint (service attachment)
Why wrong: The producer creates a service attachment, not an endpoint.
- D
Consumer endpoint (forwarding rule with PSC backend)
Consumers create PSC endpoints to connect to the published service.
Question 772 of 1,000
PCSE Configuring Network Security Practice Question
This PCSE practice question tests your understanding of configuring network security. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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 has multiple VPCs in different projects that need to privately connect to a common internal service (e.g., a managed database) running in a central project. They want to expose this service via Private Service Connect. Which type of PSC endpoint should the consumer VPCs create?
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
✓
Consumer endpoint (forwarding rule with PSC backend)
Consumers create Private Service Connect endpoints (forwarding rules with PSC backends) to connect to a published service. The producer publishes the service via a service attachment.
Key principle: NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Cloud NAT gateway
Why it's wrong here
Cloud NAT provides outbound internet access, not private connectivity to services.
- ✗
VPN tunnel
Why it's wrong here
VPN tunnels connect networks but are not the PSC approach for service consumption.
- ✗
Producer endpoint (service attachment)
Why it's wrong here
The producer creates a service attachment, not an endpoint.
- ✓
Consumer endpoint (forwarding rule with PSC backend)
Why this is correct
Consumers create PSC endpoints to connect to the published service.
Related concept
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: NAT rules depend on direction and matching traffic
NAT is not only about the public address. The inside/outside interface roles and the ACL or rule that matches traffic are just as important.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
NAT questions usually test address translation, overload/PAT behaviour, static mappings and whether the right traffic is being translated. Read the interface direction and address terms carefully.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
- PAT allows many inside hosts to share one public address using ports.
- Inside local and inside global describe the private and translated addresses.
- NAT ACLs identify traffic for translation, not always security filtering.
TExam Day Tips
- Identify inside and outside interfaces first.
- Check whether the scenario needs static NAT, dynamic NAT or PAT.
- Do not confuse NAT matching ACLs with normal packet-filtering intent.
Key takeaway
NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A healthcare organisation deploys an application with a public-facing web tier and a private database tier. The database subnet has no public IP and only accepts connections from the web tier's security group. Questions like this test whether you can design cloud network isolation using VNets/VPCs, subnets, and security group rules.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related PCSE NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
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Configuring Network Security — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this PCSE question test?
Configuring Network Security — This question tests Configuring Network Security — Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Consumer endpoint (forwarding rule with PSC backend) — Consumers create Private Service Connect endpoints (forwarding rules with PSC backends) to connect to a published service. The producer publishes the service via a service attachment.
What should I do if I get this PCSE question wrong?
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related PCSE NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
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