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Question 269 of 500

Deploying and implementing a cloud solution →mediumMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped

Quick Answer

The correct choice is to store the key in Secret Manager and reference it as a secret environment variable in the function deployment. This approach follows GCP best practices because Secret Manager provides centralized, encrypted storage for sensitive data like API keys, and when you bind a secret version as an environment variable in your Cloud Function configuration, the platform automatically decrypts and injects the value at runtime—keeping the key out of source code, build artifacts, and plain-text configuration files. On the Google Associate Cloud Engineer exam, this scenario tests your understanding of secure secret injection versus less secure alternatives like hardcoding values or using unencrypted environment variables. A common trap is choosing to store the key in Cloud Storage or a config file, but Secret Manager is the only GCP-native service that enforces encryption at rest and in transit while supporting automatic runtime injection. Memory tip: think “Secret Manager = secure, automatic, and invisible at runtime.”

Google ACE Deploying and implementing a cloud solution Practice Question

This ACE practice question tests your understanding of deploying and implementing a cloud solution. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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 team is deploying a Cloud Function that requires a private environment variable containing an API key. They want the key stored securely and automatically injected at runtime. Which approach follows GCP best practices?

Clue words in this question

Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.

Clue: "best"
Why it matters: Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.

Question 1mediummultiple choice

Full question →

A
Hardcode the API key in the function source code
Why wrong: Hardcoding secrets in source code is a critical security anti-pattern — source code is often stored in version control accessible to many people.
B
Pass the API key as a plain-text environment variable in the function configuration
Why wrong: Plain-text environment variables in function configuration are visible to anyone with read access to the Cloud Functions configuration.
C
Store the key in Secret Manager and reference it as a secret environment variable in the function deployment
Cloud Functions support secret environment variables backed by Secret Manager. The secret value is injected at runtime, never stored in plain text in the function config.
D
Store the API key in a Cloud Storage bucket and download it at function startup
Why wrong: Fetching secrets from Cloud Storage at startup adds latency and still requires securing bucket access — Secret Manager is the purpose-built solution.

Full breakdown with real-world context →

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

✓

Store the key in Secret Manager and reference it as a secret environment variable in the function deployment

Option C is correct because Secret Manager is the GCP-native service designed to securely store API keys and other sensitive data. By referencing a secret as an environment variable in the Cloud Function deployment configuration, the key is automatically decrypted and injected at runtime without exposing it in source code or configuration files. This follows the principle of least privilege and ensures the secret is encrypted at rest and in transit.

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.

✗
Hardcode the API key in the function source code
Why it's wrong here
Hardcoding secrets in source code is a critical security anti-pattern — source code is often stored in version control accessible to many people.
✗
Pass the API key as a plain-text environment variable in the function configuration
Why it's wrong here
Plain-text environment variables in function configuration are visible to anyone with read access to the Cloud Functions configuration.
✓
Store the key in Secret Manager and reference it as a secret environment variable in the function deployment
Why this is correct
Cloud Functions support secret environment variables backed by Secret Manager. The secret value is injected at runtime, never stored in plain text in the function config.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Store the API key in a Cloud Storage bucket and download it at function startup
Why it's wrong here
Fetching secrets from Cloud Storage at startup adds latency and still requires securing bucket access — Secret Manager is the purpose-built solution.

Common exam traps

Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword

Google Cloud often tests the misconception that storing secrets in Cloud Storage with fine-grained ACLs is sufficient, but the trap here is that Secret Manager is the only service that provides automatic encryption, versioning, and audit logging for secrets without requiring custom code.

Detailed technical explanation

How to think about this question

When you reference a Secret Manager secret as an environment variable in a Cloud Function, the secret is resolved at deployment time and injected as an environment variable only when the function instance starts. The secret value is never stored in the function's configuration metadata; instead, the deployment stores a reference to the secret version. Under the hood, the Cloud Functions runtime uses the Secret Manager API to fetch the secret payload and set it as an environment variable, ensuring the key is never logged or exposed in the function's definition.

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 ACE question test?

Deploying and implementing a cloud solution — This question tests Deploying and implementing a cloud solution — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..

What is the correct answer to this question?

The correct answer is: Store the key in Secret Manager and reference it as a secret environment variable in the function deployment — Option C is correct because Secret Manager is the GCP-native service designed to securely store API keys and other sensitive data. By referencing a secret as an environment variable in the Cloud Function deployment configuration, the key is automatically decrypted and injected at runtime without exposing it in source code or configuration files. This follows the principle of least privilege and ensures the secret is encrypted at rest and in transit.

What should I do if I get this ACE question wrong?

Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.

Are there clue words in this question I should notice?

Yes — watch for: "best". Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.

What is the key concept behind this question?

Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.

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This ACE 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 ACE exam.