PCSE Practice Question: Configuring Access Within a Cloud Solution Environment
A company uses Active Directory (AD) on-premises and wants to synchronize user accounts to Google Cloud Identity for SSO with SAML 2.0. They require automatic user provisioning and de-provisioning. Which Google Cloud tool should they use?
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
✓
Cloud Directory Sync (CDS)
Cloud Directory Sync (CDS) is the tool that synchronizes users from Active Directory or LDAP to Google Cloud Directory. It handles automatic provisioning and de-provisioning based on AD changes. SAML SSO is configured separately, but CDS is for directory sync.
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 Identity Platform
Why it's wrong here
Cloud Identity Platform is a customer identity and access management (CIAM) product for applications, not for syncing corporate directories.
- ✗
Google Workspace Admin SDK
Why it's wrong here
The Admin SDK allows programmatic management but is not a sync tool. CDS is purpose-built.
- ✗
Cloud Identity-Aware Proxy (IAP)
Why it's wrong here
IAP controls access to applications based on identity, not directory synchronization.
- ✓
Cloud Directory Sync (CDS)
Why this is correct
CDS synchronizes users and groups from AD/LDAP to Google Cloud Directory automatically.
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
One of 960 original PCSE practice questions on Courseiva, each with a full explanation and wrong-answer analysis — not exam dumps or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This PCSE 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 PCSE exam.