Google PCA Ensure solution and operations reliability Practice Question
This PCA practice question tests your understanding of ensure solution and operations reliability. 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 uses Cloud Interconnect to connect on-premises network to GCP. They want to ensure that if one interconnect link fails, traffic is automatically rerouted to another link. Which configuration should they implement?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Create a second interconnect in a different metro and use BGP with MED.
Option D is correct because using a second interconnect in a different metro with BGP MED (Multi-Exit Discriminator) allows you to influence inbound traffic path selection and provides true geographic redundancy. If one interconnect link fails, BGP withdraws the routes, and traffic automatically fails over to the remaining interconnect via the alternate path, ensuring high availability without relying on a single point of failure.
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.
✗
Configure BGP sessions with equal-cost multi-path (ECMP) over multiple interconnect links.
Why it's wrong here
ECMP works within same interconnect but not if entire link fails.
✗
Use a VPN as backup for the interconnect.
Why it's wrong here
VPN is a backup but not automatically rerouted via BGP.
✗
Use a single VLAN attachment with multiple interconnect links.
Why it's wrong here
Single VLAN attachment is a single point of failure.
✓
Create a second interconnect in a different metro and use BGP with MED.
Why this is correct
Two interconnects in different metro areas with BGP MED provide automatic failover.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Use multiple VLAN attachments with the same interconnect.
Why it's wrong here
Same interconnect still single point of failure.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse link-level redundancy (e.g., ECMP or multiple VLAN attachments on the same interconnect) with true geographic redundancy, failing to recognize that a single interconnect location is a single point of failure regardless of how many links or VLANs are used.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
BGP MED is an optional, non-transitive attribute used to influence inbound traffic by suggesting a preferred entry point into an AS. In a multi-homed interconnect scenario, you can set different MED values on each BGP session to prefer one link over another, but if the preferred link fails, BGP withdraws the routes and the backup link automatically takes over. This design aligns with the principle of using diverse physical paths to achieve carrier-grade reliability, often requiring separate metro locations to protect against regional outages.
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 startup's cloud architect reviews their monthly bill and notices costs are higher than expected for a long-running batch job. Switching from on-demand instances to Reserved Instances — or using Spot/Preemptible VMs — can reduce compute costs by up to 72 %. Questions like this test whether you understand the tradeoffs between commitment, flexibility, and cost across cloud pricing models.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this PCA question in full detail.
Ensure solution and operations reliability — This question tests Ensure solution and operations reliability — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Create a second interconnect in a different metro and use BGP with MED. — Option D is correct because using a second interconnect in a different metro with BGP MED (Multi-Exit Discriminator) allows you to influence inbound traffic path selection and provides true geographic redundancy. If one interconnect link fails, BGP withdraws the routes, and traffic automatically fails over to the remaining interconnect via the alternate path, ensuring high availability without relying on a single point of failure.
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.
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Question Discussion
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