Google PCA Manage and provision cloud infrastructure Practice Question
This PCA practice question tests your understanding of manage and provision cloud infrastructure. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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 Cloud Function fails to connect to a Cloud SQL instance. The Cloud SQL instance has a private IP. What should the developer check?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Ensure either Cloud SQL Proxy is running or a VPC connector is configured, and IAM permissions are correct.
Option C is correct because a Cloud Function with a private IP Cloud SQL instance requires either the Cloud SQL Proxy (which uses the Cloud SQL Auth proxy to establish an encrypted connection via the public IP, but if the instance has only a private IP, the proxy must be run within the same VPC) or a VPC connector to enable private networking. Additionally, proper IAM permissions (e.g., Cloud SQL Client role) are necessary for the proxy or connector to authenticate and connect. Without both the network path and IAM permissions, the connection will fail.
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.
✗
Ensure the Cloud SQL Proxy is running and configured.
Why it's wrong here
Cloud SQL Proxy is not required for private IP; VPC connector is needed.
✗
Verify the Cloud Function's network settings.
Why it's wrong here
Too vague.
✓
Ensure either Cloud SQL Proxy is running or a VPC connector is configured, and IAM permissions are correct.
Why this is correct
Both connectivity and authorization must be in place.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Configure a VPC connector for the Cloud Function.
Why it's wrong here
While necessary, it's not the only thing to check; also need IAM.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Google Cloud often tests the misconception that either a VPC connector or the Cloud SQL Proxy alone is sufficient, when in fact both the network path (via VPC connector or proxy in the VPC) and correct IAM permissions are required for private IP connectivity.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, Cloud SQL private IP instances are only accessible from resources within the same VPC network or via VPC peering. The Cloud SQL Auth proxy uses the Cloud SQL Admin API to authorize connections, requiring the `cloudsql.instances.connect` permission, and it can be deployed as a sidecar in Cloud Run or as a separate service in a VPC. A common real-world scenario is when a developer forgets that the proxy must be deployed within the same VPC as the Cloud SQL instance, leading to timeout errors even with correct IAM roles.
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 company's IT admin needs to give a contractor read-only access to production logs without sharing account credentials. Using role-based access control (RBAC) and temporary scoped permissions — not a permanent shared password — is the correct pattern. Questions like this test whether you can apply least-privilege access across cloud identity services.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this PCA question in full detail.
Manage and provision cloud infrastructure — This question tests Manage and provision cloud infrastructure — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Ensure either Cloud SQL Proxy is running or a VPC connector is configured, and IAM permissions are correct. — Option C is correct because a Cloud Function with a private IP Cloud SQL instance requires either the Cloud SQL Proxy (which uses the Cloud SQL Auth proxy to establish an encrypted connection via the public IP, but if the instance has only a private IP, the proxy must be run within the same VPC) or a VPC connector to enable private networking. Additionally, proper IAM permissions (e.g., Cloud SQL Client role) are necessary for the proxy or connector to authenticate and connect. Without both the network path and IAM permissions, the connection will fail.
What should I do if I get this PCA question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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 →
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
This PCA 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 PCA exam.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.