This PCD practice question tests your understanding of deploying applications. 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 developer deploys a containerized application on Cloud Run. The application needs to access a Cloud SQL instance securely without exposing it to the internet. What is the best practice?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "best"
Why it matters: Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Use Cloud Run's VPC connector and configure private IP for Cloud SQL.
Option B is correct because Cloud Run services cannot directly connect to Cloud SQL using private IP without a VPC connector. The VPC connector allows Cloud Run to send traffic to a VPC network, where the Cloud SQL instance with a private IP resides, ensuring traffic never traverses the public internet. This is the recommended pattern for secure, low-latency access to Cloud SQL from serverless environments.
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.
✗
Whitelist the Cloud Run IP range in Cloud SQL authorized networks.
Why it's wrong here
This is less secure and does not prevent internet exposure.
✓
Use Cloud Run's VPC connector and configure private IP for Cloud SQL.
Why this is correct
This is the best practice for secure access.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Use a Cloud SQL proxy sidecar container in the same pod.
Why it's wrong here
Cloud Run does not support sidecar containers in the same revision.
✗
Use Cloud NAT to route traffic.
Why it's wrong here
Cloud NAT is for outbound traffic, not inbound to Cloud SQL.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Cisco often tests the misconception that Cloud SQL proxy can be run as a sidecar in Cloud Run, but Cloud Run's single-container-per-instance model means the proxy must be bundled into the same container image or deployed as a separate service, not as a sidecar in the Kubernetes sense.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The VPC connector creates a bridge between Cloud Run (serverless) and your VPC using a Serverless VPC Access connector, which uses a custom subnet and routes traffic via internal IPs. Cloud SQL private IP relies on a VPC peering connection to the Google-managed Cloud SQL service, and the VPC connector ensures Cloud Run traffic reaches that peering endpoint. In practice, you must also enable 'Private services access' for the Cloud SQL instance and ensure the VPC connector's subnet has sufficient IP addresses to avoid exhaustion under load.
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.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Deploying applications — This question tests Deploying applications — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Use Cloud Run's VPC connector and configure private IP for Cloud SQL. — Option B is correct because Cloud Run services cannot directly connect to Cloud SQL using private IP without a VPC connector. The VPC connector allows Cloud Run to send traffic to a VPC network, where the Cloud SQL instance with a private IP resides, ensuring traffic never traverses the public internet. This is the recommended pattern for secure, low-latency access to Cloud SQL from serverless environments.
What should I do if I get this PCD question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "best". Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
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 PCD 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 PCD 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.