The correct approach is to configure a Cloud DNS inbound server policy and set up forwarding from on-premises DNS to the Cloud DNS inbound endpoint. This works because the inbound server policy creates a VPC-wide inbound DNS endpoint with an internal IP address, allowing on-premises servers to send DNS queries for GCP private zone records—such as VM instances using RFC 1918 addresses—over the Cloud VPN connection. On the Google Professional Cloud Network Engineer exam, this scenario tests your understanding of hybrid DNS resolution, specifically how to bridge on-premises and GCP private DNS without exposing public endpoints. A common trap is confusing inbound policies (for on-premises queries into GCP) with outbound policies (for GCP queries to on-premises); remember that inbound means traffic coming *into* Cloud DNS from outside. For a quick memory tip, think “inbound for on-prem to GCP, outbound for GCP to on-prem”—the direction tells you which side initiates the forwarding.
PCNE Practice Question: Designing, planning, and prototyping a GCP network
This PCNE practice question tests your understanding of designing, planning, and prototyping a gcp network. 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.
An organization needs to allow on-premises servers to resolve DNS names of GCP VM instances using RFC 1918 addresses. They have a Cloud VPN connection. Which DNS resolution approach 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
✓
Configure Cloud DNS inbound server policy and set up forwarding from on-premises DNS to the Cloud DNS inbound endpoint
Option D is correct because the on-premises servers need to resolve DNS names of GCP VM instances using RFC 1918 addresses over a Cloud VPN connection. Configuring a Cloud DNS inbound server policy creates a VPC-wide inbound DNS endpoint (using an internal IP address) that on-premises DNS servers can forward queries to. This allows the on-premises DNS to send DNS requests for GCP private zone records (e.g., `vm-instance.c.example.internal`) directly to the Cloud DNS inbound endpoint, which then resolves the private RFC 1918 addresses of the VM instances.
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.
✗
Set up a public zone and use the instance's external IP for DNS
Why it's wrong here
Does not use RFC 1918 addresses, requires external IPs.
✗
Configure Cloud DNS outbound server policy and forward from Cloud DNS to on-premises DNS
Why it's wrong here
Outbound is for Cloud DNS forwarding to on-premises, opposite direction.
✗
Use DNS peering with a private zone in the on-premises DNS
Configure Cloud DNS inbound server policy and set up forwarding from on-premises DNS to the Cloud DNS inbound endpoint
Why this is correct
Enables on-premises to query Cloud DNS for private zones.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse inbound and outbound server policies, often selecting Option B (outbound) because they think 'forwarding to on-premises' is needed, but the requirement is for on-premises to query GCP, which requires an inbound endpoint.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Cloud DNS inbound server policy creates a regional internal load balancer (ILB) that listens on a specific IP address within the VPC. On-premises DNS servers must be configured with a conditional forwarder (or stub zone) pointing to this inbound endpoint IP. The Cloud DNS inbound endpoint can handle up to 10,000 queries per second per VPC and supports both TCP and UDP on port 53. This setup is critical for hybrid cloud scenarios where on-premises applications need to resolve GCP private DNS names without traversing the public internet.
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
An e-commerce site experiences heavy traffic on Black Friday and near-zero traffic during off-peak weeks. Rather than provisioning permanent large VMs, the team uses auto-scaling groups that add capacity automatically under load and reduce it overnight. Questions like this test whether you understand elasticity, availability zones, and cloud compute scaling patterns.
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.
Designing, planning, and prototyping a GCP network — This question tests Designing, planning, and prototyping a GCP network — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Configure Cloud DNS inbound server policy and set up forwarding from on-premises DNS to the Cloud DNS inbound endpoint — Option D is correct because the on-premises servers need to resolve DNS names of GCP VM instances using RFC 1918 addresses over a Cloud VPN connection. Configuring a Cloud DNS inbound server policy creates a VPC-wide inbound DNS endpoint (using an internal IP address) that on-premises DNS servers can forward queries to. This allows the on-premises DNS to send DNS requests for GCP private zone records (e.g., `vm-instance.c.example.internal`) directly to the Cloud DNS inbound endpoint, which then resolves the private RFC 1918 addresses of the VM instances.
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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Question Discussion
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