The answer is that the image family does not exist in the specified project. This error occurs because when you reference a custom image from another project using an image family, the family name must be present in that exact project; if it is missing, Compute Engine cannot resolve the image to a specific disk version. On the Google Professional Cloud Security Engineer exam, this scenario tests your understanding of cross-project image sharing and the distinction between image families and specific image names—a common trap is confusing this with a permissions issue, but a missing family produces a clear “does not exist” error, whereas insufficient IAM roles would trigger an access denied message. Remember that image families are project-scoped labels, so even if the source project contains the underlying image, the family itself must be explicitly created there. A useful memory tip: “Family first, then permissions—if it’s missing, you’ll see ‘does not exist,’ not ‘denied.’”
PCSE Practice Question: Managing operations in a cloud solution environment
This PCSE practice question tests your understanding of managing operations in a cloud solution environment. 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.
Exhibit
ERROR: (gcloud.compute.instances.create) Could not fetch resource:
- Invalid value for field 'resource.disks[0].initializeParams.sourceImage': 'projects/other-project/global/images/family/my-image'. The referenced image family does not exist in project 'other-project'.
Refer to the exhibit. A user tries to create a Compute Engine instance using a custom image from another project. What is the most likely cause of the error?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "most likely"
Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
ERROR: (gcloud.compute.instances.create) Could not fetch resource:
- Invalid value for field 'resource.disks[0].initializeParams.sourceImage': 'projects/other-project/global/images/family/my-image'. The referenced image family does not exist in project 'other-project'.
A
The user does not have permission to use images from the other project.
Why wrong: A permission error would be different, e.g., 'Permission denied'.
B
The image family does not exist in the specified project.
The error message directly indicates that the image family does not exist in the project.
C
The user specified the wrong project ID.
Why wrong: The project ID is part of the path; if it were wrong, the error would indicate an invalid project.
D
The image family name is misspelled.
Why wrong: While possible, the error message states the image family does not exist, not that it is misspelled.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The image family does not exist in the specified project.
Option C is correct. The error message explicitly states that the image family does not exist in the specified project. Option A is possible, but the error specifically says the image family does not exist. Option B would result in a permission denied error, not this error. Option D is incorrect because the project ID is specified in the image path; if it were wrong, the error would indicate an invalid project.
Key principle: NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
The user does not have permission to use images from the other project.
Why it's wrong here
A permission error would be different, e.g., 'Permission denied'.
✓
The image family does not exist in the specified project.
Why this is correct
The error message directly indicates that the image family does not exist in the project.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
✗
The user specified the wrong project ID.
Why it's wrong here
The project ID is part of the path; if it were wrong, the error would indicate an invalid project.
✗
The image family name is misspelled.
Why it's wrong here
While possible, the error message states the image family does not exist, not that it is misspelled.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: NAT rules depend on direction and matching traffic
NAT is not only about the public address. The inside/outside interface roles and the ACL or rule that matches traffic are just as important.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
NAT questions usually test address translation, overload/PAT behaviour, static mappings and whether the right traffic is being translated. Read the interface direction and address terms carefully.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
PAT allows many inside hosts to share one public address using ports.
Inside local and inside global describe the private and translated addresses.
NAT ACLs identify traffic for translation, not always security filtering.
TExam Day Tips
→Identify inside and outside interfaces first.
→Check whether the scenario needs static NAT, dynamic NAT or PAT.
→Do not confuse NAT matching ACLs with normal packet-filtering intent.
Key takeaway
NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
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.
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related PCSE NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
Managing operations in a cloud solution environment — This question tests Managing operations in a cloud solution environment — Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The image family does not exist in the specified project. — Option C is correct. The error message explicitly states that the image family does not exist in the specified project. Option A is possible, but the error specifically says the image family does not exist. Option B would result in a permission denied error, not this error. Option D is incorrect because the project ID is specified in the image path; if it were wrong, the error would indicate an invalid project.
What should I do if I get this PCSE question wrong?
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related PCSE NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
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