- A
Cloud Interconnect
Why wrong: Cloud Interconnect provides dedicated network connectivity between on-prem and Google Cloud but does not enforce configuration consistency.
- B
GKE on-prem
GKE on-prem enables running Kubernetes clusters on-premises with the same API and tooling as GKE, enabling consistent workload management.
- C
Cloud Build
Why wrong: Cloud Build is a CI/CD platform for building, testing, and deploying; it does not directly manage runtime configuration consistency.
- D
Config Sync
Config Sync continuously synchronizes configurations from a source of truth (e.g., Git repo) to all clusters, ensuring consistent policies and application manifests.
- E
Cloud Load Balancing
Why wrong: Cloud Load Balancing distributes traffic but does not ensure configuration or policy consistency across environments.
Google PCA Design and plan a cloud solution architecture Practice Question
This PCA practice question tests your understanding of design and plan a cloud solution architecture. 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 company is planning a hybrid cloud architecture using Anthos to manage workloads across on-premises data centers and Google Cloud. They need to select two key components that enable consistent configuration, policy, and security across environments. Which two should they choose?
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
GKE on-prem
GKE on-prem (now Anthos clusters on bare metal or VMware) is correct because it provides a consistent Kubernetes platform that runs on-premises, enabling the same container orchestration, policy enforcement, and security controls as GKE in Google Cloud. Config Sync is correct because it continuously reconciles the desired state of cluster configurations from a Git repository, ensuring that policies, RBAC, and security settings remain identical across all Anthos clusters, whether on-prem or in the cloud.
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.
- ✗
Cloud Interconnect
Why it's wrong here
Cloud Interconnect provides dedicated network connectivity between on-prem and Google Cloud but does not enforce configuration consistency.
- ✓
GKE on-prem
Why this is correct
GKE on-prem enables running Kubernetes clusters on-premises with the same API and tooling as GKE, enabling consistent workload management.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Cloud Build
Why it's wrong here
Cloud Build is a CI/CD platform for building, testing, and deploying; it does not directly manage runtime configuration consistency.
- ✓
Config Sync
Why this is correct
Config Sync continuously synchronizes configurations from a source of truth (e.g., Git repo) to all clusters, ensuring consistent policies and application manifests.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Cloud Load Balancing
Why it's wrong here
Cloud Load Balancing distributes traffic but does not ensure configuration or policy consistency across environments.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse connectivity services (Cloud Interconnect) or traffic management (Cloud Load Balancing) with configuration and policy consistency, failing to recognize that Anthos relies on GitOps-based tools like Config Sync and the on-prem Kubernetes runtime (GKE on-prem) to achieve unified management.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Config Sync uses the open-source Nomos (Anthos Config Management) tool to pull configuration from a Git repository and apply it to clusters via a reconciler loop, using the same Kubernetes custom resource definitions (CRDs) for Policy Controller (based on OPA/Gatekeeper) and hierarchy controller. This ensures that any drift from the desired state is automatically corrected, and changes are auditable through Git history. In a real-world scenario, a financial institution might use Config Sync to enforce PCI-DSS security policies across 50+ clusters globally, preventing misconfigurations that could lead to compliance violations.
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.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this PCA question test?
Design and plan a cloud solution architecture — This question tests Design and plan a cloud solution architecture — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: GKE on-prem — GKE on-prem (now Anthos clusters on bare metal or VMware) is correct because it provides a consistent Kubernetes platform that runs on-premises, enabling the same container orchestration, policy enforcement, and security controls as GKE in Google Cloud. Config Sync is correct because it continuously reconciles the desired state of cluster configurations from a Git repository, ensuring that policies, RBAC, and security settings remain identical across all Anthos clusters, whether on-prem or in the cloud.
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
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Last reviewed: Jun 25, 2026
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