The answer is to create a Service of type LoadBalancer with an HTTP(S) load balancer. This configuration is correct because the HTTP(S) load balancer handles SSL termination at the edge, decrypting incoming traffic before it reaches your pods, and it natively supports WebSocket connections through its proxy architecture without requiring any special backend configuration. On the Google Professional Cloud Network Engineer exam, this question tests your understanding of how GKE Service types map to Google Cloud load balancers, specifically that a LoadBalancer Service creates a Network Load Balancer by default, which does not support SSL termination or WebSocket—a common trap. The key distinction is that you must explicitly specify the HTTP(S) load balancer annotation (cloud.google.com/load-balancer-type: "External") to get these features. Memory tip: think of the HTTP(S) load balancer as the “smart proxy” that handles both SSL and WebSocket handshakes, while the default Network Load Balancer is just a “dumb forwarder.”
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 startup is deploying a microservices application on Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE). They want to expose a service to the internet using a load balancer that provides SSL termination and supports WebSocket. Which type of Service should they use?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Create a Service of type LoadBalancer with an HTTP(S) load balancer.
A Service of type LoadBalancer with an HTTP(S) load balancer is correct because it provides a public IP address, handles SSL termination at the load balancer level, and natively supports WebSocket connections without additional configuration. This is the simplest and most direct way to expose a microservice to the internet with these requirements on GKE.
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.
✗
Create a Service of type ClusterIP and use an Ingress resource with a backendConfig.
Why it's wrong here
ClusterIP is internal; Ingress can expose it, but the Service type should be NodePort or LoadBalancer for Ingress.
✓
Create a Service of type LoadBalancer with an HTTP(S) load balancer.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Create a Service of type NodePort and configure an external TCP/UDP load balancer.
Why it's wrong here
NodePort requires manual configuration and does not support SSL termination at the LB.
✗
Create a Headless Service with an external DNS A record pointing to the pod IPs.
Why it's wrong here
Headless Service is for discovering individual pods, not for load balancing.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Google Cloud often tests the misconception that an Ingress resource is always required for SSL termination and WebSocket support, but in GKE, a LoadBalancer Service with an HTTP(S) load balancer directly provides these features without the complexity of Ingress.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, a GKE Service of type LoadBalancer provisions a Google Cloud HTTP(S) Load Balancer, which terminates SSL using Google-managed or custom certificates and supports WebSocket via HTTP/1.1 upgrade headers. This load balancer uses a global anycast IP and can distribute traffic across multiple zones, while WebSocket connections are maintained through the load balancer's proxy without requiring sticky sessions or additional configuration.
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 cloud solutions architect for a retail company is evaluating services for a new workload. The correct answer here reflects best practice for the specific scenario described — not a general cloud recommendation. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Cloud exam questions reward reading the constraint carefully: the same technology can be right or wrong depending on the use case.
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.
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: Create a Service of type LoadBalancer with an HTTP(S) load balancer. — A Service of type LoadBalancer with an HTTP(S) load balancer is correct because it provides a public IP address, handles SSL termination at the load balancer level, and natively supports WebSocket connections without additional configuration. This is the simplest and most direct way to expose a microservice to the internet with these requirements on GKE.
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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