Google PCA Manage implementation of cloud architecture Practice Question
This PCA practice question tests your understanding of manage implementation of cloud architecture. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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 healthcare SaaS provider runs workloads in Google Cloud and needs to comply with HIPAA. They use Cloud SQL for PostgreSQL and want to encrypt data at rest with customer-managed encryption keys (CMEK). Which steps must they take?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Create a Cloud KMS key ring and key, then specify the key when creating the Cloud SQL instance
Option A is correct because Cloud SQL for PostgreSQL supports CMEK only at instance creation time. You must first create a Cloud KMS key ring and key in the same region as the instance, then specify that key when creating the Cloud SQL instance. This ensures that the data at rest is encrypted with a customer-managed key, meeting HIPAA compliance requirements for control over encryption keys.
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.
✓
Create a Cloud KMS key ring and key, then specify the key when creating the Cloud SQL instance
Why this is correct
This is the correct process for CMEK in Cloud SQL.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Use customer-supplied encryption keys (CSEK) by uploading your own key material
Why it's wrong here
Cloud SQL does not support CSEK; it supports CMEK via Cloud KMS.
✗
Enable CMEK in the Cloud SQL instance's settings after creation
Why it's wrong here
CMEK must be configured at instance creation; cannot be added later.
✗
Create a Cloud HSM key and grant the Cloud SQL service account access to it
Why it's wrong here
Cloud HSM can be used through Cloud KMS, but you need a key in Cloud KMS, not directly Cloud HSM.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often assume CMEK can be enabled after instance creation (like enabling encryption on a bucket) or confuse CMEK with CSEK, but Cloud SQL requires the key to be specified at creation time and does not support post-creation encryption changes.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, Cloud SQL uses envelope encryption: the CMEK key (key encryption key) wraps a data encryption key (DEK) that encrypts the database data. The DEK is stored alongside the data but is only accessible after decrypting with the CMEK key via Cloud KMS. A subtle behavior is that if you disable or destroy the CMEK key, the Cloud SQL instance becomes inaccessible, which is a critical consideration for disaster recovery planning. In a real-world scenario, if you need to rotate the CMEK key, you must create a new instance with the new key and migrate data, as Cloud SQL does not support in-place key rotation for CMEK.
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 implementation of cloud architecture — This question tests Manage implementation of cloud architecture — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Create a Cloud KMS key ring and key, then specify the key when creating the Cloud SQL instance — Option A is correct because Cloud SQL for PostgreSQL supports CMEK only at instance creation time. You must first create a Cloud KMS key ring and key in the same region as the instance, then specify that key when creating the Cloud SQL instance. This ensures that the data at rest is encrypted with a customer-managed key, meeting HIPAA compliance requirements for control over encryption keys.
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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