The answer is to connect to two different Interconnect locations (POPs) and to order two Dedicated Interconnect connections in the same metro. This combination is Google’s recommended high availability setup because it provides both link-level and site-level redundancy: two connections in the same metro protect against a single circuit or device failure, while using distinct POPs safeguards against an entire facility outage. On the Google Professional Cloud Network Engineer exam, this concept tests your understanding of the difference between link redundancy and location redundancy—a common trap is assuming that two connections to the same POP are sufficient for high availability, but Google explicitly requires diverse POPs for true fault tolerance. Remember the memory tip: “Two links, two sites—no single point of failure in sight.”
PCNE Implementing hybrid interconnectivity Practice Question
This PCNE practice question tests your understanding of implementing hybrid interconnectivity. 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 company is planning to connect their on-premises network to Google Cloud using Dedicated Interconnect. They require high availability for the connection. Which TWO of the following are recommended by Google for achieving high availability? (Choose two.)
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Order two Dedicated Interconnect connections in the same metro
Option D is correct because Google recommends ordering two Dedicated Interconnect connections in the same metro to provide link-level redundancy. Option E is correct because connecting to two different Interconnect locations (POPs) provides site-level redundancy, protecting against a single POP failure. Together, these two approaches ensure high availability for the hybrid connection.
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.
✗
Use a single Dedicated Interconnect with double the bandwidth
Why it's wrong here
A single connection is a single point of failure.
✗
Connect to two different edge availability domains in the same POP
Why it's wrong here
Google Cloud does not expose edge availability domains; redundancy is achieved via different connections.
✗
Order connections from two different service providers
Why it's wrong here
For Dedicated Interconnect, you order directly from Google; service providers are not involved.
✓
Order two Dedicated Interconnect connections in the same metro
Why this is correct
Two connections provide link redundancy, even in the same metro.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✓
Connect to two different Interconnect locations (POPs)
Why this is correct
Connecting to different POPs provides geographic redundancy against a single POP failure.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse 'high availability' with 'increased bandwidth' (Option A) or think that connecting to two edge availability domains in the same POP (Option B) is sufficient, when Google actually requires diversity at the POP level for full high availability.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Dedicated Interconnect uses VLAN attachments to connect to Google Cloud VPCs, and each connection must terminate on a different edge availability domain within a POP for device-level redundancy. For true high availability, Google recommends at least two connections to two different POPs in the same metro region, as this protects against both device failures and complete POP outages. The connections can be from the same or different service providers, but the critical factor is that they are physically diverse at the POP level.
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.
Implementing hybrid interconnectivity — This question tests Implementing hybrid interconnectivity — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Order two Dedicated Interconnect connections in the same metro — Option D is correct because Google recommends ordering two Dedicated Interconnect connections in the same metro to provide link-level redundancy. Option E is correct because connecting to two different Interconnect locations (POPs) provides site-level redundancy, protecting against a single POP failure. Together, these two approaches ensure high availability for the hybrid connection.
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.
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Question Discussion
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