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Cloud Digital Leader Practice Question: A financial services firm is migrating a legacy…

A financial services firm is migrating a legacy application to Google Cloud. The application requires static IP addresses that must not change during migration. The network team wants to minimize downtime. Which migration strategy should they use?

⚠ Common exam trap

Candidates often confuse connectivity solutions (like Cloud Interconnect or VPN) with IP address preservation, mistakenly thinking that a dedicated connection alone solves the static IP requirement, when in fact the VPN's ability to extend the same subnet is the key enabler.

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

✓

Set up a Cloud VPN tunnel and migrate using the same IP addresses

A Cloud VPN tunnel can extend the on-premises network into Google Cloud, allowing the legacy application to retain its existing static IP addresses during migration. By establishing a VPN tunnel, traffic can be routed seamlessly between environments, minimizing downtime as the application is migrated without requiring IP address changes.

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 a global load balancer and update DNS

    Why it's wrong here

    A global load balancer fronts the application with a single anycast IP and updates DNS to that new address, but this fundamentally changes the entry point that clients and partners connect to. The original server IP is no longer reachable; instead, traffic terminates at the load balancer, breaking any client-side allowlist rules, callback URLs, or peer configurations tied to the original IP. Additionally, global load balancers are designed for HTTP(S) or L4 traffic and do not natively preserve the source IP or support stateful protocols common in legacy apps.

  • ✗

    Lift and shift the application to Compute Engine with new IP addresses

    Why it's wrong here

    Lift-and-shift to Compute Engine requires assigning new internal or external IPs because the VM is placed in a different network. This violates the requirement to preserve IP addresses, as numerous dependencies such as hardcoded configs, database connection strings, and partner whitelists rely on the original IP. Reconfiguring these dependencies introduces significant risk and downtime, whereas the goal is to migrate with no IP changes.

  • ✗

    Use Cloud Interconnect to extend the on-premises network

    Why it's wrong here

    Cloud Interconnect provides a dedicated physical or virtual low-latency connection between on-premises and Google Cloud, but it does not automatically extend your on-premises IPv4 subnets into the VPC. To reuse the same IPs, you must still configure BGP sessions and routing to advertise the same ranges on both sides, which involves the same type of reconfiguration and potential overlapping-route handling as any hybrid connectivity solution. It also requires setup of VLAN attachments and carrier agreements, making it a heavier and more complex option than necessary.

  • ✓

    Set up a Cloud VPN tunnel and migrate using the same IP addresses

    Why this is correct

    A Cloud VPN tunnel can extend the on-premises network into Google Cloud by establishing a secure, encrypted connection over the internet. With the tunnel in place, you can advertise the original IP ranges through BGP and create matching VPC subnets, allowing the migrated VM to keep the exact same IP address. During migration, traffic to that IP is routed through the tunnel until cutover, after which you can remove on-prem resources, ensuring a seamless transition without changing any dependent IP references.

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JA

Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security

Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva

This GCDL 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 GCDL exam.