- A
The order-service is deployed in a different region than the Redis instance.
Why wrong: The order-service uses the same VPC connector as user-service and was working before; region mismatch would have caused issues from the start.
- B
The order-service code now attempts to connect to Redis on port 6380.
A port mismatch would cause connection refused only for the affected service, while the firewall rule only permits port 6379.
- C
The VPC connector is out of memory.
Why wrong: If the connector were out of memory, both services would be affected, but user-service still works.
- D
The Redis instance has reached its maximum number of connections.
Why wrong: This would cause 'connection refused' for both services if the limit is reached, but user-service still works.
Google PCA Manage implementation of cloud architecture Practice Question
This PCA practice question tests your understanding of manage implementation of cloud architecture. 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 company runs multiple microservices on Cloud Run. Each service uses a Serverless VPC Access connector to connect to a shared Cloud Memorystore for Redis instance (standard tier) in a VPC network. The Redis instance is configured with a firewall rule that allows TCP connections on port 6379 from the VPC connector's subnet (10.8.0.0/28). After a recent code update, the order-service fails to connect to Redis, while the user-service continues to work. The error logs in order-service show 'connection refused'. The engineer verifies that both services use the same VPC connector, the same Redis instance IP, and the same service account. The VPC connector's metrics show no errors. What is the most likely cause?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"most likely"Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
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
The order-service code now attempts to connect to Redis on port 6380.
The order-service successfully connects to the same Redis instance before the code update. After the update, it fails with 'connection refused', while the user-service still works. Since both services share the same networking configuration and the firewall only allows port 6379, the most likely cause is that the order-service code now attempts to connect on a different port (e.g., 6380) that is not allowed by the firewall. Other options would affect both services or are inconsistent with the symptoms.
Key principle: Count usable hosts — not total addresses — and remember that the network and broadcast addresses are not available to hosts in standard IPv4 subnets.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
The order-service is deployed in a different region than the Redis instance.
Why it's wrong here
The order-service uses the same VPC connector as user-service and was working before; region mismatch would have caused issues from the start.
- ✓
The order-service code now attempts to connect to Redis on port 6380.
- ✗
The VPC connector is out of memory.
Why it's wrong here
If the connector were out of memory, both services would be affected, but user-service still works.
- ✗
The Redis instance has reached its maximum number of connections.
Why it's wrong here
This would cause 'connection refused' for both services if the limit is reached, but user-service still works.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: usable hosts are not the same as total addresses
Subnetting questions often tempt you into counting all addresses. In normal IPv4 subnets, the network and broadcast addresses are not usable host addresses.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Subnetting questions test whether you can identify the network, broadcast address, usable range, mask and correct subnet. Slow down enough to calculate the block size correctly.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- CIDR notation defines the prefix length.
- Block size helps identify subnet boundaries.
- Network and broadcast addresses are not usable hosts in normal IPv4 subnets.
- The required host count determines the smallest suitable subnet.
TExam Day Tips
- Write the block size before choosing the subnet.
- Check whether the question asks for hosts, subnets or a specific address range.
- Do not confuse /24, /25, /26 and /27 host counts.
Key takeaway
Count usable hosts — not total addresses — and remember that the network and broadcast addresses are not available to hosts in standard IPv4 subnets.
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.
Review block sizes, usable host formulas (2^n − 2), and how to find network and broadcast addresses for /24 through /30. Then practise related PCA subnetting questions on CIDR, address ranges, and subnet selection.
- →
Manage implementation of cloud architecture — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
- →
Manage implementation of cloud architecture practice questions
Targeted practice on this topic area only
- →
All PCA questions
509 questions across all exam domains
- →
Google Professional Cloud Architect study guide
Full concept coverage aligned to exam objectives
- →
PCA practice test guide
How to use practice tests most effectively before exam day
Related practice questions
Related PCA practice-question pages
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
Design and plan a cloud solution architecture practice questions
Practise PCA questions linked to Design and plan a cloud solution architecture.
Manage and provision cloud infrastructure practice questions
Practise PCA questions linked to Manage and provision cloud infrastructure.
Design for security and compliance practice questions
Practise PCA questions linked to Design for security and compliance.
Analyze and optimize technical and business processes practice questions
Practise PCA questions linked to Analyze and optimize technical and business processes.
Manage implementation of cloud architecture practice questions
Practise PCA questions linked to Manage implementation of cloud architecture.
Ensure solution and operations reliability practice questions
Practise PCA questions linked to Ensure solution and operations reliability.
PCA fundamentals practice questions
Practise PCA questions linked to PCA fundamentals.
PCA scenario practice questions
Practise PCA questions linked to PCA scenario.
PCA troubleshooting practice questions
Practise PCA questions linked to PCA troubleshooting.
Practice this exam
Start a free PCA practice session
Short sessions build daily habit. Longer sessions build exam-day stamina. Try a timed session to simulate real conditions.
FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this PCA question test?
Manage implementation of cloud architecture — This question tests Manage implementation of cloud architecture — CIDR notation defines the prefix length..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The order-service code now attempts to connect to Redis on port 6380. — The order-service successfully connects to the same Redis instance before the code update. After the update, it fails with 'connection refused', while the user-service still works. Since both services share the same networking configuration and the firewall only allows port 6379, the most likely cause is that the order-service code now attempts to connect on a different port (e.g., 6380) that is not allowed by the firewall. Other options would affect both services or are inconsistent with the symptoms.
What should I do if I get this PCA question wrong?
Review block sizes, usable host formulas (2^n − 2), and how to find network and broadcast addresses for /24 through /30. Then practise related PCA subnetting questions on CIDR, address ranges, and subnet selection.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
What is the key concept behind this question?
CIDR notation defines the prefix length.
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 →
Keep practising
More PCA practice questions
- Which THREE factors should be considered when choosing a Google Cloud region for deploying a low-latency application ser…
- A company has a requirement to store application logs for 7 years for compliance. They are using Cloud Logging. What is…
- A company is migrating a legacy monolithic application to Google Cloud. The application runs on a single VM and uses a l…
- A financial services company is designing a multi-tier application on Google Cloud. The application must meet PCI DSS co…
- A company is migrating its on-premises workloads to Google Cloud. They have strict compliance requirements that all data…
- A company wants to optimize their cloud spending on Google Cloud. They have a mix of workloads including batch processin…
Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
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.