- A
SSL Proxy Load Balancer
Why wrong: SSL Proxy is a global load balancer for TCP with SSL offload but does not support HTTP path-based routing or Cloud CDN.
- B
Global external HTTP(S) Load Balancer
Correct – supports URL map routing, SSL, Cloud CDN, and multiple backend types including serverless NEG and backend buckets.
- C
Internal TCP/UDP Load Balancer
Why wrong: This is an internal load balancer for private VPC traffic; not suitable for global external exposure.
- D
External TCP/UDP Network Load Balancer
Why wrong: This is a regional, passthrough load balancer for TCP/UDP traffic; it does not support HTTP routing or SSL termination.
Question 589 of 982
PCNE Configuring Network Services Practice Question
This PCNE practice question tests your understanding of configuring network services. 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 wants to expose a global web application with HTTP/HTTPS load balancing, SSL termination, and Cloud CDN. They need to route requests to different backend services based on the URL path (e.g., /api/* to a Cloud Run service, /static/* to a Cloud Storage bucket, and /* to a managed instance group). Which GCP load balancing product 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
✓
Global external HTTP(S) Load Balancer
Global external HTTPS Load Balancer supports URL-based routing via URL maps, can terminate SSL, integrate with Cloud CDN, and route to different backends (including serverless NEG for Cloud Run and backend buckets for Cloud Storage).
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.
- ✗
SSL Proxy Load Balancer
Why it's wrong here
SSL Proxy is a global load balancer for TCP with SSL offload but does not support HTTP path-based routing or Cloud CDN.
- ✓
Global external HTTP(S) Load Balancer
Why this is correct
Correct – supports URL map routing, SSL, Cloud CDN, and multiple backend types including serverless NEG and backend buckets.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Internal TCP/UDP Load Balancer
Why it's wrong here
This is an internal load balancer for private VPC traffic; not suitable for global external exposure.
- ✗
External TCP/UDP Network Load Balancer
Why it's wrong here
This is a regional, passthrough load balancer for TCP/UDP traffic; it does not support HTTP routing or SSL termination.
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.
Quick reference
Cloud Service Model Comparison
| Model | You Manage | Provider Manages | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| IaaS | OS, runtime, apps, data | Hardware, hypervisor, networking | EC2, Azure VMs, GCP Compute Engine |
| PaaS | Apps and data | OS, runtime, middleware, hardware | Elastic Beanstalk, Azure App Service |
| SaaS | Data and settings only | Everything else | Microsoft 365, Salesforce, Workday |
| FaaS / Serverless | Function code only | Infra, scaling, runtime | Lambda, Azure Functions, Cloud Run |
| CaaS | Containers and apps | Kubernetes, OS, hardware | EKS, AKS, GKE |
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
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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: Global external HTTP(S) Load Balancer — Global external HTTPS Load Balancer supports URL-based routing via URL maps, can terminate SSL, integrate with Cloud CDN, and route to different backends (including serverless NEG for Cloud Run and backend buckets for Cloud Storage).
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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