The correct choice is the External HTTP(S) Load Balancer with Premium Tier because it leverages Google’s global anycast IP address and private backbone network to route user traffic to the nearest frontend, minimizing latency worldwide. For a global application serving HTTP traffic with a static IP, the Premium Tier ensures traffic enters and exits at the closest Google edge point of presence (PoP), bypassing the public internet for faster, more reliable delivery. On the Google Professional Cloud Network Engineer exam, this scenario tests your understanding of when to choose Premium over Standard Tier—a common trap is selecting Standard Tier for cost savings, which routes over the public internet and increases latency for global users. Remember the key distinction: Premium Tier uses Google’s backbone for low latency, while Standard Tier uses ISP networks. Memory tip: think “Premium = Private backbone, low latency; Standard = public internet, higher latency.”
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 is deploying a global application on Google Cloud using Cloud Load Balancing. They want to serve traffic from multiple regions and require the lowest possible latency for users worldwide. The application serves HTTP traffic and uses a static IP address. Which load balancing solution should they use?
Why wrong: Network Load Balancer handles TCP/UDP traffic at L4, not HTTP, and does not provide global anycast routing.
B
Internal HTTP(S) Load Balancer
Why wrong: Internal HTTP(S) Load Balancer is designed for internal traffic within a VPC and does not serve external users.
C
SSL Proxy Load Balancer
Why wrong: SSL Proxy Load Balancer terminates SSL/TLS and forwards TCP traffic; it does not provide the same global anycast optimization for HTTP as the HTTP(S) LB.
D
External HTTP(S) Load Balancer with Premium Tier
External HTTP(S) Load Balancer with Premium Tier uses Google's global network and anycast IP to direct users to the nearest backend, minimizing latency.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
External HTTP(S) Load Balancer with Premium Tier
The External HTTP(S) Load Balancer with Premium Tier is correct because it uses Google's global anycast IP address to route user traffic to the nearest frontend, minimizing latency worldwide. Premium Tier leverages Google's global network backbone, ensuring traffic enters and exits at the closest Google edge point of presence (PoP) for HTTP(S) traffic, which is essential for a global application requiring low latency and a static IP.
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.
✗
Network Load Balancer
Why it's wrong here
Network Load Balancer handles TCP/UDP traffic at L4, not HTTP, and does not provide global anycast routing.
✗
Internal HTTP(S) Load Balancer
Why it's wrong here
Internal HTTP(S) Load Balancer is designed for internal traffic within a VPC and does not serve external users.
✗
SSL Proxy Load Balancer
Why it's wrong here
SSL Proxy Load Balancer terminates SSL/TLS and forwards TCP traffic; it does not provide the same global anycast optimization for HTTP as the HTTP(S) LB.
✓
External HTTP(S) Load Balancer with Premium Tier
Why this is correct
External HTTP(S) Load Balancer with Premium Tier uses Google's global network and anycast IP to direct users to the nearest backend, minimizing latency.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Google Cloud often tests the misconception that any load balancer with 'HTTP(S)' in its name is automatically global, but the trap here is that only the External HTTP(S) Load Balancer with Premium Tier provides global anycast routing; the Internal and SSL Proxy variants are regional, and the Network Load Balancer is Layer 4 only.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The Premium Tier uses Google's global anycast IP addresses, which are advertised from multiple Google edge locations worldwide via BGP, allowing user traffic to be routed to the nearest edge PoP based on BGP path selection. This contrasts with the Standard Tier, which uses regional anycast and routes traffic over the public internet, potentially increasing latency. The External HTTP(S) Load Balancer also supports features like URL-based routing, SSL offloading, and Cloud CDN integration, making it the optimal choice for global HTTP applications.
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 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 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: External HTTP(S) Load Balancer with Premium Tier — The External HTTP(S) Load Balancer with Premium Tier is correct because it uses Google's global anycast IP address to route user traffic to the nearest frontend, minimizing latency worldwide. Premium Tier leverages Google's global network backbone, ensuring traffic enters and exits at the closest Google edge point of presence (PoP) for HTTP(S) traffic, which is essential for a global application requiring low latency and a static IP.
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.
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 →
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
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.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.