- A
Both VPN gateways must be in the same region.
Why wrong: Gateways can be in different regions for geographic redundancy.
- B
It uses IKEv1 by default.
Why wrong: HA VPN uses IKEv2.
- C
It supports both active-active and active-passive modes.
HA VPN can be configured in either mode depending on redundancy needs.
- D
It supports static routing as well as dynamic routing.
Why wrong: HA VPN only supports dynamic routing with BGP.
- E
It requires two Cloud VPN gateways.
HA VPN uses two gateways, each with two tunnels.
Question 885 of 1,000
mediumMultiple SelectObjective-mapped
HA VPN — Active-Active and Active-Passive Modes | Google Professional Cloud Network Engineer Explained
This PCNE practice question tests your understanding of which two statements about ha vpn are correct?. 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.
Which TWO statements about HA VPN are correct?
Quick Answer
The correct answer is that HA VPN supports both active-active and active-passive modes, and it requires two Cloud VPN gateways. In active-active mode, both tunnels forward traffic simultaneously, providing load balancing and full utilization of bandwidth, while in active-passive mode, one tunnel remains as a standby, only taking over if the primary tunnel fails. This distinction is critical for the Google Professional Cloud Network Engineer exam, which often tests your understanding of how HA VPN modes map to different high-availability requirements—active-active for throughput-sensitive workloads, active-passive for failover scenarios. A common trap is assuming a single gateway suffices, but HA VPN always mandates two gateways for redundancy. Remember the mnemonic: “Two gateways, two modes—both active for speed, one passive for need.”
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
✓
It supports both active-active and active-passive modes.
Option C is correct because HA VPN supports both active-active and active-passive modes. In active-active mode, both tunnels forward traffic simultaneously, while in active-passive mode, one tunnel is used as a standby. This flexibility allows HA VPN to meet different high-availability and load-balancing requirements.
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.
- ✗
Both VPN gateways must be in the same region.
Why it's wrong here
Gateways can be in different regions for geographic redundancy.
- ✗
It uses IKEv1 by default.
Why it's wrong here
HA VPN uses IKEv2.
- ✓
It supports both active-active and active-passive modes.
Why this is correct
HA VPN can be configured in either mode depending on redundancy needs.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
It supports static routing as well as dynamic routing.
- ✓
It requires two Cloud VPN gateways.
Why this is correct
HA VPN uses two gateways, each with two tunnels.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Google Cloud often tests the misconception that HA VPN requires both gateways in the same region or that it supports static routing, but the correct understanding is that HA VPN uses dynamic routing (BGP) and allows gateways in different regions.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
HA VPN uses two Cloud VPN gateways, each with two interfaces, to create two tunnels (active-active or active-passive) for redundancy. The gateways exchange BGP routes over the tunnels, and the active-active mode uses ECMP (Equal-Cost Multi-Path) to load-balance traffic across both tunnels. In a real-world scenario, if one tunnel fails, BGP withdraws the routes, and traffic automatically shifts to the remaining tunnel without manual intervention.
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.
Related practice questions
Related PCNE practice-question pages
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
Configuring Network Services practice questions
Practise PCNE questions linked to Configuring Network Services.
Implementing Hybrid Interconnectivity practice questions
Practise PCNE questions linked to Implementing Hybrid Interconnectivity.
Managing, Monitoring, and Optimising Network Operations practice questions
Practise PCNE questions linked to Managing, Monitoring, and Optimising Network Operations.
Designing, Planning, and Prototyping a GCP Network practice questions
Practise PCNE questions linked to Designing, Planning, and Prototyping a GCP Network.
Implementing VPC Instances practice questions
Practise PCNE questions linked to Implementing VPC Instances.
Implementing network security practice questions
Practise PCNE questions linked to Implementing network security.
Implementing a Virtual Private Cloud practice questions
Practise PCNE questions linked to Implementing a Virtual Private Cloud.
PCNE fundamentals practice questions
Practise PCNE questions linked to PCNE fundamentals.
PCNE scenario practice questions
Practise PCNE questions linked to PCNE scenario.
PCNE troubleshooting practice questions
Practise PCNE questions linked to PCNE troubleshooting.
Practice this exam
Start a free PCNE practice session
Short sessions build daily habit. Longer sessions build exam-day stamina. Try a timed session to simulate real conditions.
FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this PCNE question test?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: It supports both active-active and active-passive modes. — Option C is correct because HA VPN supports both active-active and active-passive modes. In active-active mode, both tunnels forward traffic simultaneously, while in active-passive mode, one tunnel is used as a standby. This flexibility allows HA VPN to meet different high-availability and load-balancing requirements.
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 →
Keep practising
More PCNE practice questions
- An organization is migrating to Google Cloud and requires connectivity between their on-premises network and VPC. They p…
- A company is migrating on-premises DNS to Google Cloud. They have a hybrid network using Cloud VPN and want to resolve o…
- A network engineer is configuring a Cloud Router for BGP peering with an on-premises router over a VPN tunnel. The on-pr…
- A company uses Cloud NAT to allow private instances to reach the internet. They notice that egress traffic from Compute…
- You are setting up Partner Interconnect with a service provider that offers both Layer 2 and Layer 3 options. Your on-pr…
- Match each VPC networking concept to its definition.
Last reviewed: Jun 30, 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.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.