PCNE Configuring network services Practice Question
This PCNE practice question tests your understanding of configuring network services. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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 migrating on-premises DNS to Google Cloud. They have a hybrid network using Cloud VPN and want to resolve on-premises hostnames from Compute Engine instances without custom scripts. Which service should they use?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Use Cloud DNS inbound server policy to forward queries to on-premises DNS.
Cloud DNS inbound server policy allows on-premises DNS servers to receive DNS queries from Compute Engine instances by creating a VPC-scoped policy that forwards queries to the IP addresses of on-premises DNS resolvers over Cloud VPN. This enables hybrid name resolution without custom scripts, as the policy automatically handles the forwarding of DNS requests from Google Cloud resources to the on-premises DNS infrastructure.
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.
✓
Use Cloud DNS inbound server policy to forward queries to on-premises DNS.
Why this is correct
Cloud DNS inbound server policy enables DNS queries from GCP to be forwarded to on-premises DNS servers via VPN or Interconnect.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Create a forwarding zone in Cloud DNS and associate it with the VPC.
Why it's wrong here
Forwarding zones resolve from GCP to other DNS servers; inbound server policy is needed for the reverse direction (GCP querying on-prem).
✗
Enable Private Google Access on the VPC subnet.
Why it's wrong here
Private Google Access allows instances to reach Google APIs and services, not on-premises DNS.
✗
Configure Cloud NAT to forward DNS queries to on-premises DNS servers.
Why it's wrong here
Cloud NAT does not support DNS forwarding; it provides outbound internet connectivity.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Google Cloud often tests the distinction between inbound and outbound DNS policies; the trap here is confusing the direction of DNS resolution, leading candidates to choose a forwarding zone (outbound) when the requirement is for Compute Engine to resolve on-premises hostnames (inbound).
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The inbound server policy works by creating a VPC-level configuration that instructs Cloud DNS to forward queries for specified domains (e.g., on-premises zones) to target name servers reachable via Cloud VPN or Interconnect. Under the hood, Cloud DNS uses the VPC network's internal DNS resolver to intercept DNS queries and forward them based on the policy, leveraging standard DNS forwarding (RFC 1035) without requiring agents or scripts on Compute Engine instances. In a real-world scenario, this is critical for hybrid deployments where applications in GCP need to resolve on-premises hostnames for database connections or service discovery, and the policy ensures low-latency resolution without manual configuration per instance.
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.
Configuring network services — This question tests Configuring network services — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Use Cloud DNS inbound server policy to forward queries to on-premises DNS. — Cloud DNS inbound server policy allows on-premises DNS servers to receive DNS queries from Compute Engine instances by creating a VPC-scoped policy that forwards queries to the IP addresses of on-premises DNS resolvers over Cloud VPN. This enables hybrid name resolution without custom scripts, as the policy automatically handles the forwarding of DNS requests from Google Cloud resources to the on-premises DNS infrastructure.
What should I do if I get this PCNE 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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This PCNE 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 PCNE exam.
Question Discussion
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