- A
A LoadBalancer Service with path routing rules
Why wrong: Kubernetes Services (including LoadBalancer type) operate at Layer 4 — they don't support URL path-based routing.
- B
A Kubernetes Ingress resource with path rules
Ingress resources define HTTP routing rules including path-based routing. On GKE, the Ingress controller provisions a GCP Application Load Balancer with TLS and path rules.
- C
A NodePort Service with iptables path routing rules
Why wrong: NodePort exposes a port on every node — it doesn't support HTTP path-based routing. iptables rules operate at L3/L4.
- D
Multiple ClusterIP Services with DNS SRV records for path routing
Why wrong: DNS SRV records provide service discovery but don't route HTTP requests by URL path. ClusterIP Services don't support L7 routing.
Exposing Services with HTTPS and Path-Based Routing Using Ingress
This ACE practice question tests your understanding of ace exam topics. 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.
A team runs a Kubernetes Deployment with 3 replicas behind a Service. They want to expose it externally with HTTPS and route traffic based on URL paths (/api → backend service, / → frontend service). Which Kubernetes resource handles path-based routing at Layer 7?
Quick Answer
The answer is a Kubernetes Ingress resource with path rules, as it is the native API object designed for Layer 7 HTTP/HTTPS routing. Unlike a Service, which operates at Layer 4, an Ingress allows you to define rules that map specific URL paths—such as /api to a backend service and / to a frontend service—while also terminating TLS for secure external exposure. On the Google Associate Cloud Engineer exam, this question tests your understanding of how Ingress differs from other networking resources like NodePort or LoadBalancer Services, which cannot perform path-based splitting. A common trap is confusing Ingress with an Ingress controller; remember that the Ingress resource defines the rules, while the controller (e.g., NGINX) enforces them. For the exam, think of Ingress as the traffic cop at the front door: it reads the URL path and directs each request to the correct internal service, all while handling HTTPS. Memory tip: Ingress = "In" + "gress" = "Incoming request" + "gress" (path) routing.
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
A Kubernetes Ingress resource with path rules
A Kubernetes Ingress resource is the native API object designed for Layer 7 (HTTP/HTTPS) routing, including path-based routing. It allows you to define rules that map URL paths (e.g., /api, /) to different backend Services, and it typically works with an Ingress controller (e.g., NGINX, HAProxy) that terminates TLS and performs the routing. This directly meets the requirement for external HTTPS exposure and path-based traffic splitting.
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.
- ✗
A LoadBalancer Service with path routing rules
Why it's wrong here
Kubernetes Services (including LoadBalancer type) operate at Layer 4 — they don't support URL path-based routing.
- ✓
A Kubernetes Ingress resource with path rules
Why this is correct
Ingress resources define HTTP routing rules including path-based routing. On GKE, the Ingress controller provisions a GCP Application Load Balancer with TLS and path rules.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
A NodePort Service with iptables path routing rules
Why it's wrong here
NodePort exposes a port on every node — it doesn't support HTTP path-based routing. iptables rules operate at L3/L4.
- ✗
Multiple ClusterIP Services with DNS SRV records for path routing
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Google Cloud often tests the misconception that a LoadBalancer Service can handle Layer 7 routing, but in Kubernetes, LoadBalancer Services are strictly Layer 4 and cannot inspect HTTP paths; candidates must remember that path-based routing requires an Ingress resource with a compatible controller.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, an Ingress resource defines routing rules in its spec, which an Ingress controller (e.g., NGINX Ingress Controller) translates into a reverse proxy configuration (e.g., nginx.conf) that performs TLS termination and path-based forwarding using HTTP Host and URI matching. A subtle behavior is that path matching can be exact or prefix-based (e.g., /api matches /api/v1 but not /api2), and the Ingress controller must support the 'networking.k8s.io/v1' API for consistent behavior across clusters. In real-world scenarios, this enables microservices architectures where a single public endpoint (e.g., example.com) routes /api to a backend service and / to a frontend service, with TLS offloaded at the Ingress.
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
A media company stores terabytes of video archives that are accessed once a year for audit purposes. Moving these objects to a cold storage tier (Azure Archive, S3 Glacier, or Google Nearline) costs a fraction of hot storage. Questions like this test whether you understand storage tiers, access frequency tradeoffs, and retrieval latency requirements.
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 ACE question test?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: A Kubernetes Ingress resource with path rules — A Kubernetes Ingress resource is the native API object designed for Layer 7 (HTTP/HTTPS) routing, including path-based routing. It allows you to define rules that map URL paths (e.g., /api, /) to different backend Services, and it typically works with an Ingress controller (e.g., NGINX, HAProxy) that terminates TLS and performs the routing. This directly meets the requirement for external HTTPS exposure and path-based traffic splitting.
What should I do if I get this ACE 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.
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Last reviewed: Jun 30, 2026
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.
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