Google ACE Deploying and Implementing a Cloud Solution Practice Question
A company wants to deploy a microservice on GKE. The deployment requires 3 replicas, and the service must be accessible via a fixed public IP address. Which Kubernetes resource should be used to expose the deployment?
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
✓
Service of type LoadBalancer
A LoadBalancer service provisions a Google Cloud TCP/UDP Load Balancer with a public IP. NodePort exposes on node ports but not a fixed IP. ClusterIP is internal only. Ingress is a more advanced option but not the simplest for a fixed IP.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Service of type LoadBalancer
Why this is correct
A Service of type LoadBalancer in GKE creates an external passthrough Network Load Balancer in Google Cloud, provisioning an external forwarding rule with a stable public IP address from a regional pool. This IP remains fixed for the lifetime of the Service unless the Service is deleted or a reserved static IP is explicitly configured, making it the correct choice for a microservice that needs a durable public endpoint without additional configuration.
- ✗
Ingress resource
Why it's wrong here
An Ingress resource is not a native Service type; it is an API object that configures an L7 HTTP(S) load balancer through the GKE Ingress controller. While it can expose a public IP, that IP is not directly tied to a Service and is only static if you pre-reserve and attach a static IP address via annotations — otherwise, GCP may assign a new ephemeral IP. Ingress also requires a backend (typically a NodePort Service or a NEG) and extra routing rules, adding complexity beyond a simple fixed-IP requirement.
- ✗
Service of type ClusterIP
Why it's wrong here
A Service of type ClusterIP is the default in GKE and exposes the microservice only on a virtual cluster-internal IP address. This IP is reachable solely from within the cluster via DNS or direct connection, with no external public IP or load balancer provisioned, so it cannot serve traffic from the public internet. This option fails the requirement because it provides no external connectivity path at all.
- ✗
Service of type NodePort
Why it's wrong here
A Service of type NodePort exposes the microservice on a static high-number port (30000-32767) on each node's IP address, but those node IPs are typically ephemeral public addresses assigned to the underlying Compute Engine instances. The IP is tied to the node, not to the Service, and can change if the node is recreated or replaced, so it does not provide a reliable fixed public IP. Additionally, it requires you to manage firewall rules and access via node addresses, which is not a production-grade public endpoint.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Google Cloud Platform Overview
Key term
IP address
An IP address is a unique numerical label assigned to each device connected to a computer network that uses the Internet Protocol for communication.
Key term
Ingress
Ingress is a Kubernetes API object that manages external access to services within a cluster, typically via HTTP or HTTPS routing rules.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This ACE 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 ACE exam.