- A
DNS peering
Why wrong: Peering is for cross-project resolution within GCP.
- B
Cloud DNS public zones
Why wrong: Public zones are for internet-facing DNS.
- C
DNS forwarding (inbound and outbound)
Inbound forwarding allows on-prem to forward queries to Cloud DNS; outbound forwards GCP queries to on-prem.
- D
Split-horizon DNS
Why wrong: Split-horizon serves different answers based on source, but doesn't forward queries to on-prem.
Question 11 of 1,000
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. 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.
You are designing DNS resolution for a hybrid cloud. On-premises DNS servers must resolve GCP private VM hostnames, and GCP VMs must resolve on-premises hostnames. Which Cloud DNS feature should you use?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
DNS forwarding (inbound and outbound)
DNS forwarding with inbound and outbound policies is the correct choice because it enables bidirectional resolution between on-premises and GCP VMs. Outbound forwarding sends queries from GCP to on-premises DNS servers, while inbound forwarding allows on-premises clients to resolve GCP private VM hostnames by forwarding queries to Cloud DNS. This creates a seamless hybrid DNS namespace without exposing private zones to the internet.
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.
- ✗
DNS peering
Why it's wrong here
Peering is for cross-project resolution within GCP.
- ✗
Cloud DNS public zones
Why it's wrong here
Public zones are for internet-facing DNS.
- ✓
DNS forwarding (inbound and outbound)
Why this is correct
Inbound forwarding allows on-prem to forward queries to Cloud DNS; outbound forwards GCP queries to on-prem.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Split-horizon DNS
Why it's wrong here
Split-horizon serves different answers based on source, but doesn't forward queries to on-prem.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse DNS peering (which only works between GCP VPCs) with the forwarding capabilities needed for hybrid on-premises-to-cloud resolution, leading them to select option A instead of C.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Cloud DNS inbound server policies create a VPC-internal IP address that on-premises DNS servers can target via a forwarding rule, while outbound server policies define a list of on-premises DNS server IPs and a resolver endpoint in a VPC. Under the hood, these policies use Google Cloud's global anycast DNS infrastructure and support both TCP and UDP on port 53, with optional DNSSEC validation. A real-world scenario is when on-premises applications need to resolve GCP VM names like 'web-server-1.c.myproject.internal' without hardcoding IPs, and GCP VMs need to resolve on-premises names like 'db.corp.example.com' via the outbound policy.
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.
Visual reference
Quick reference
Common DNS Record Types
| Record | Purpose | Example |
|---|---|---|
| A | IPv4 address mapping | example.com → 93.184.216.34 |
| AAAA | IPv6 address mapping | example.com → 2606:2800::1 |
| CNAME | Alias to another hostname | www → example.com |
| MX | Mail server for domain | example.com → mail.example.com (priority 10) |
| TXT | Text data (SPF, DKIM, verification) | v=spf1 include:_spf.example.com ~all |
| NS | Authoritative name servers | example.com NS ns1.example.com |
| PTR | Reverse DNS (IP → hostname) | 34.216.184.93.in-addr.arpa → example.com |
| SOA | Zone authority record | Primary NS, admin email, serial, TTL defaults |
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.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this PCNE question test?
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: DNS forwarding (inbound and outbound) — DNS forwarding with inbound and outbound policies is the correct choice because it enables bidirectional resolution between on-premises and GCP VMs. Outbound forwarding sends queries from GCP to on-premises DNS servers, while inbound forwarding allows on-premises clients to resolve GCP private VM hostnames by forwarding queries to Cloud DNS. This creates a seamless hybrid DNS namespace without exposing private zones to the internet.
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.
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 →
Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
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.
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