- A
VPC Peering between the two projects' VPCs
Why wrong: VPC Peering connects separate VPCs and allows private IP communication, but each project manages its own VPC. It doesn't provide centralized network management.
- B
Shared VPC (XPN) with the shared services project as the host
Shared VPC centralizes network management in the host project while allowing service project VMs to use shared subnets with private IPs — ideal for organization-wide network governance.
- C
Cloud VPN between the two projects' default VPCs
Why wrong: Cloud VPN connects networks over an encrypted tunnel — it adds latency and complexity for two projects in the same organization where direct private IP connectivity is possible.
- D
Using external IPs with TLS — private IP communication isn't necessary between GCP projects
Why wrong: Using external IPs adds unnecessary exposure, egress costs, and latency. Private IP communication between projects is a standard requirement addressed by Shared VPC or VPC Peering.
Quick Answer
The answer is Shared VPC (XPN) with the shared services project as the host. This is correct because Shared VPC enables centralized network management by designating one project as the host, which owns and administers the VPC network, while other projects—like the application project—can attach their VMs to that same network as service projects. This allows VMs in both the shared services and application projects to communicate using private IPs without requiring VPC peering or VPN tunnels, since they all reside within the same VPC under a single, centrally managed routing and firewall policy. On the Google Associate Cloud Engineer exam, this scenario tests your understanding of how to enforce consistent network governance across multiple projects in the same organization. A common trap is choosing VPC peering, which creates separate administrative domains and lacks centralized policy control. Memory tip: think of Shared VPC as a “parent network” where the host project is the single source of truth for all networking rules.
Google ACE Planning and configuring a cloud solution Practice Question
This ACE practice question tests your understanding of planning and configuring 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 designing a system where two GCP projects — a shared services project and an application project — need their VMs to communicate using private IPs. Both projects are in the same organization. Which networking option best enables this with centralized network management?
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.
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
Shared VPC (XPN) with the shared services project as the host
Shared VPC (XPN) allows an organization to centrally manage networking across multiple projects from a single host project, enabling VMs in the shared services project and the application project to communicate via private IPs without needing separate peering or VPN configurations. This is the best option because it provides centralized network administration and policy enforcement, which aligns with the requirement for centralized network management.
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.
- ✗
VPC Peering between the two projects' VPCs
Why it's wrong here
VPC Peering connects separate VPCs and allows private IP communication, but each project manages its own VPC. It doesn't provide centralized network management.
- ✓
Shared VPC (XPN) with the shared services project as the host
Why this is correct
Shared VPC centralizes network management in the host project while allowing service project VMs to use shared subnets with private IPs — ideal for organization-wide network governance.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Cloud VPN between the two projects' default VPCs
Why it's wrong here
Cloud VPN connects networks over an encrypted tunnel — it adds latency and complexity for two projects in the same organization where direct private IP connectivity is possible.
- ✗
Using external IPs with TLS — private IP communication isn't necessary between GCP projects
Why it's wrong here
Using external IPs adds unnecessary exposure, egress costs, and latency. Private IP communication between projects is a standard requirement addressed by Shared VPC or VPC Peering.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often choose VPC Peering (Option A) because it seems simpler for connecting two projects, but they overlook the explicit requirement for centralized network management, which Shared VPC uniquely provides by design.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Shared VPC uses a host project to define a common VPC network, and service projects can attach subnets from that host, allowing VMs to communicate using internal IPs within the same VPC. Under the hood, this leverages Google Cloud's global VPC routing and firewall rules, which are centrally managed in the host project, ensuring consistent policy enforcement across all attached projects. In a real-world scenario, this is ideal for multi-tier applications where a shared services project (e.g., for Active Directory or monitoring) must be accessed by multiple application projects without complex peering or VPN overhead.
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
An e-commerce site experiences heavy traffic on Black Friday and near-zero traffic during off-peak weeks. Rather than provisioning permanent large VMs, the team uses auto-scaling groups that add capacity automatically under load and reduce it overnight. Questions like this test whether you understand elasticity, availability zones, and cloud compute scaling patterns.
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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Planning and configuring a cloud solution — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this ACE question test?
Planning and configuring a cloud solution — This question tests Planning and configuring a cloud solution — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Shared VPC (XPN) with the shared services project as the host — Shared VPC (XPN) allows an organization to centrally manage networking across multiple projects from a single host project, enabling VMs in the shared services project and the application project to communicate via private IPs without needing separate peering or VPN configurations. This is the best option because it provides centralized network administration and policy enforcement, which aligns with the requirement for centralized network management.
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.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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.
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