- A
Use a URL map with route rules that match on the Host header
Why wrong: Host header matching is for virtual hosting, not geographic routing.
- B
Configure the load balancer with a weighted round-robin routing policy
Why wrong: Weighted round-robin distributes traffic by weight, not geography.
- C
Use a URL map with route rules that use a header matching condition based on Cloud Armor geo headers
Cloud Armor security policies can insert geo headers, and URL map rules can match on those headers to route to different backends.
- D
Use Cloud DNS with geolocation routing policy to direct users to different load balancers
Why wrong: Geolocation DNS routing can route to different load balancers, but the question specifies a single load balancer.
PCNE Configuring Network Services Practice Question
This PCNE practice question tests your understanding of configuring network services. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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 wants to distribute traffic across multiple backend services based on the geographic location of the user. They are using an external HTTPS load balancer. Which routing configuration should they use?
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
Use a URL map with route rules that use a header matching condition based on Cloud Armor geo headers
The URL map of a load balancer supports route rules. To route based on geographic location, you can use advanced traffic management with weighted routing based on origin region. However, the simplest approach is to use a multicloud or global load balancer with policies, but for a single load balancer, you can use a URL map with route rules that match based on request headers (like Cloud Armor geo headers) or use a backend bucket with CDN. The most common method is to use a global load balancer with a URL map and route rules that include conditions based on geographic location using a pre-defined variable like {client_region}.
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 URL map with route rules that match on the Host header
Why it's wrong here
Host header matching is for virtual hosting, not geographic routing.
- ✗
Configure the load balancer with a weighted round-robin routing policy
Why it's wrong here
Weighted round-robin distributes traffic by weight, not geography.
- ✓
Use a URL map with route rules that use a header matching condition based on Cloud Armor geo headers
Why this is correct
Cloud Armor security policies can insert geo headers, and URL map rules can match on those headers to route to different backends.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Use Cloud DNS with geolocation routing policy to direct users to different load balancers
Why it's wrong here
Geolocation DNS routing can route to different load balancers, but the question specifies a single load balancer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
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.
- Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
- Underline the problem statement mentally.
- 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 PCNE exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
- →
Configuring Network Services — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
- →
Configuring Network Services practice questions
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this PCNE question test?
Configuring Network Services — This question tests Configuring Network Services — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Use a URL map with route rules that use a header matching condition based on Cloud Armor geo headers — The URL map of a load balancer supports route rules. To route based on geographic location, you can use advanced traffic management with weighted routing based on origin region. However, the simplest approach is to use a multicloud or global load balancer with policies, but for a single load balancer, you can use a URL map with route rules that match based on request headers (like Cloud Armor geo headers) or use a backend bucket with CDN. The most common method is to use a global load balancer with a URL map and route rules that include conditions based on geographic location using a pre-defined variable like {client_region}.
What should I do if I get this PCNE question wrong?
Identify which PCNE exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
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 →
Last reviewed: Jul 4, 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.
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