Quick Answer
The answer is that reducing latency for users worldwide is the primary benefit of using Cloud Load Balancing with global anycast IP. This works because anycast routing allows the same IP address to be advertised from multiple Google Cloud regions, and the global network directs each user’s traffic to the nearest available backend instance based on real-time network topology and latency. By minimizing the number of network hops and round-trip time, this architecture delivers significantly lower latency than a single-region deployment, especially for geographically distributed users. On the Google Professional Cloud Developer exam, this concept often appears in questions about choosing between global and regional load balancing, with a common trap being to select “increased throughput” or “better security” instead. Remember the memory tip: “Anycast casts the net wide, so the catch is always close by.”
This PCD practice question tests your understanding of designing highly scalable, available, and reliable cloud-native applications. 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.
What is the primary benefit of using Cloud Load Balancing with global anycast IP?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "primary"
Why it matters: Asks for the main purpose or function, not a secondary benefit. Eliminate answers that describe side-effects or partial functions.
Provides DDoS protection
Why wrong: Cloud Armor provides DDoS protection; anycast alone does not.
Supports WebSocket
Why wrong: WebSocket support is a feature of the load balancer, not specific to anycast.
Reduces latency for users worldwide
Anycast directs traffic to the closest region, minimizing network hops and latency.
Enables cross-zone failover
Why wrong: Cross-zone failover is achieved by backend service configuration, not anycast.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Reduces latency for users worldwide
Cloud Load Balancing with a global anycast IP directs user traffic to the nearest available backend instance based on network topology and latency. This minimizes the number of network hops and reduces round-trip time, providing lower latency for users worldwide compared to a single-region deployment.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Provides DDoS protection
Why it's wrong here
Cloud Armor provides DDoS protection; anycast alone does not.
Supports WebSocket
Why it's wrong here
WebSocket support is a feature of the load balancer, not specific to anycast.
Reduces latency for users worldwide
Why this is correct
Anycast directs traffic to the closest region, minimizing network hops and latency.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "primary" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Enables cross-zone failover
Why it's wrong here
Cross-zone failover is achieved by backend service configuration, not anycast.
Common exam traps
Cisco often tests the misconception that global anycast IP is primarily for DDoS protection or that it provides cross-zone failover, when in fact its core benefit is latency reduction via proximity-based routing.
Detailed technical explanation
Anycast IP works by advertising the same IP prefix from multiple points of presence (PoPs) using BGP; routers select the closest PoP based on the shortest AS path. This allows Cloud Load Balancing to route users to the nearest healthy backend, automatically adapting to network changes and failures. In practice, this reduces latency by 30-60% for global users compared to a single-region setup, and it also provides built-in global failover without DNS propagation delays.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A healthcare organisation deploys an application with a public-facing web tier and a private database tier. The database subnet has no public IP and only accepts connections from the web tier's security group. Questions like this test whether you can design cloud network isolation using VNets/VPCs, subnets, and security group rules.
What to study next
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FAQ
Designing highly scalable, available, and reliable cloud-native applications — This question tests Designing highly scalable, available, and reliable cloud-native applications — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Reduces latency for users worldwide — Cloud Load Balancing with a global anycast IP directs user traffic to the nearest available backend instance based on network topology and latency. This minimizes the number of network hops and reduces round-trip time, providing lower latency for users worldwide compared to a single-region deployment.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Yes — watch for: "primary". Asks for the main purpose or function, not a secondary benefit. Eliminate answers that describe side-effects or partial functions.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
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Last reviewed: Jun 25, 2026
This PCD 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 PCD exam.
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