Load balancer types comparison in GCP - Practice Problems & Coding Challenges

Challenge - 5 Problems

🧠 Conceptual

intermediate

Which GCP load balancer type operates at the HTTP/HTTPS layer and supports URL-based routing?

Identify the GCP load balancer type that works at the application layer (Layer 7) and can route traffic based on URL paths.

A HTTP(S) Load Balancer

B Network Load Balancer

C TCP Proxy Load Balancer

D Internal Load Balancer

💡 Hint

Think about which load balancer understands HTTP headers and URLs.

HTTP(S) Load Balancer operates at Layer 7 and supports advanced routing like URL path-based routing, unlike Network or TCP Proxy Load Balancers which operate at lower layers.

❓ Architecture

intermediate

Which GCP load balancer type is best suited for handling non-HTTP TCP traffic with global load balancing?

Choose the GCP load balancer type that supports global load balancing for TCP traffic but does not inspect HTTP headers.

A Network Load Balancer

B TCP Proxy Load Balancer

C HTTP(S) Load Balancer

D Internal Load Balancer

💡 Hint

This load balancer works at Layer 4 and supports global traffic distribution for TCP.

TCP Proxy Load Balancer handles TCP traffic globally without inspecting HTTP headers, unlike HTTP(S) Load Balancer which is Layer 7.

❓ scaling

advanced

What is a key limitation of the GCP Internal Load Balancer compared to external load balancers?

Select the main limitation of the Internal Load Balancer in GCP regarding its scope and accessibility.

A It only supports HTTP/HTTPS traffic

B It requires manual scaling of backend instances

C It does not support SSL termination

D It cannot load balance traffic across multiple regions

💡 Hint

Consider whether the load balancer can distribute traffic globally or only within a network.

Internal Load Balancer is regional and only routes traffic within a VPC network, unlike external load balancers which can distribute traffic globally.

❓ tradeoff

advanced

Which tradeoff is true when choosing Network Load Balancer over HTTP(S) Load Balancer in GCP?

Identify the correct tradeoff when selecting Network Load Balancer instead of HTTP(S) Load Balancer.

A Network Load Balancer operates at Layer 4 and is faster but lacks Layer 7 features like URL routing

B Network Load Balancer supports SSL termination but HTTP(S) Load Balancer does not

C Network Load Balancer provides global load balancing but HTTP(S) Load Balancer is regional

D Network Load Balancer supports HTTP/2 but HTTP(S) Load Balancer does not

💡 Hint

Think about the OSI layer each load balancer works on and the features that come with it.

Network Load Balancer works at Layer 4, offering faster performance but without Layer 7 features such as URL-based routing and SSL termination which HTTP(S) Load Balancer provides.

❓ estimation

expert

Estimate the maximum number of backend instances supported by a single GCP HTTP(S) Load Balancer backend service.

Given GCP's HTTP(S) Load Balancer, estimate the maximum number of backend instances you can attach to one backend service.

A Up to 100 backend instances

B Up to 5000 backend instances

C No fixed limit; depends on quota and region

D Up to 1000 backend instances

💡 Hint

Consider GCP's documented quotas and typical backend service limits.

GCP HTTP(S) Load Balancer backend services have no fixed limit on the number of backend instances; the capacity depends on quotas, region, and overall system limits.

Practice

1. Which GCP load balancer type is best suited for distributing HTTP and HTTPS traffic globally with SSL termination?

easy

A. TCP Proxy Load Balancer

B. Internal Load Balancer

C. Network Load Balancer

D. HTTP(S) Load Balancer

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand the traffic type

   HTTP and HTTPS traffic require Layer 7 (application layer) handling with SSL termination.

2. Step 2: Match load balancer capabilities

   HTTP(S) Load Balancer supports global distribution and SSL termination for web traffic.

3. Final Answer:

   HTTP(S) Load Balancer -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   HTTP/HTTPS + SSL termination = HTTP(S) Load Balancer [OK]

Hint: Web traffic with SSL? Pick HTTP(S) Load Balancer [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing TCP Proxy with HTTP(S) for web traffic
• Choosing Network Load Balancer for HTTPS termination
• Using Internal Load Balancer for global traffic

2. Which GCP load balancer type uses a regional forwarding rule and supports TCP and UDP traffic without SSL termination?

easy

A. HTTP(S) Load Balancer

B. Network Load Balancer

C. TCP Proxy Load Balancer

D. Internal Load Balancer

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify the traffic and forwarding rule type

   TCP and UDP traffic with regional forwarding rules indicates a Layer 4 load balancer.

2. Step 2: Match with GCP load balancer types

   Network Load Balancer supports TCP/UDP traffic regionally without SSL termination.

3. Final Answer:

   Network Load Balancer -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   TCP/UDP + regional + no SSL = Network Load Balancer [OK]

Hint: TCP/UDP regional traffic? Use Network Load Balancer [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Choosing HTTP(S) Load Balancer for UDP traffic
• Confusing TCP Proxy with Network Load Balancer
• Selecting Internal Load Balancer for external traffic

3. Given this scenario: You want to load balance TCP traffic globally with SSL offloading. Which GCP load balancer type will you use?

client -> GCP LB -> backend instances (TCP with SSL offloading)

medium

A. TCP Proxy Load Balancer

B. Internal Load Balancer

C. Network Load Balancer

D. HTTP(S) Load Balancer

Solution

1. Step 1: Analyze traffic and SSL offloading need

   TCP traffic with SSL offloading requires Layer 4 proxy with SSL termination.

2. Step 2: Match with GCP load balancer types

   TCP Proxy Load Balancer supports global TCP traffic with SSL offloading.

3. Final Answer:

   TCP Proxy Load Balancer -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Global TCP + SSL offloading = TCP Proxy Load Balancer [OK]

Hint: Global TCP + SSL offload? Use TCP Proxy Load Balancer [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Choosing Network Load Balancer which lacks SSL offloading
• Selecting HTTP(S) Load Balancer for TCP traffic
• Using Internal Load Balancer for external traffic

4. You configured an Internal Load Balancer but your clients outside the VPC cannot access the service. What is the most likely cause?

medium

A. Internal Load Balancer only supports traffic inside the VPC

B. You forgot to enable global forwarding rules

C. Internal Load Balancer does not support TCP traffic

D. You need to use HTTP(S) Load Balancer for internal traffic

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand Internal Load Balancer scope

   Internal Load Balancer is designed for traffic inside a VPC or connected networks only.

2. Step 2: Identify access limitation

   Clients outside the VPC cannot reach Internal Load Balancer because it does not expose external IPs.

3. Final Answer:

   Internal Load Balancer only supports traffic inside the VPC -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Internal LB = VPC-only traffic [OK]

Hint: Internal LB is VPC-only; external clients can't connect [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Assuming Internal LB supports global forwarding
• Thinking Internal LB supports external TCP traffic
• Confusing Internal LB with HTTP(S) Load Balancer

5. You have a multi-region web app serving HTTP and HTTPS traffic with backend services in multiple zones. You want to minimize latency and provide automatic failover. Which GCP load balancer type should you choose and why?

hard

A. Network Load Balancer because it supports UDP and TCP globally

B. Internal Load Balancer because it routes traffic inside the VPC

C. HTTP(S) Load Balancer because it offers global load balancing with SSL termination and health checks

D. TCP Proxy Load Balancer because it handles TCP traffic with SSL offloading

Solution

1. Step 1: Analyze requirements for multi-region HTTP/HTTPS app

   Needs global load balancing, SSL termination, low latency, and failover.

2. Step 2: Match load balancer features

   HTTP(S) Load Balancer supports global distribution, SSL termination, health checks, and automatic failover.

3. Step 3: Exclude other options

   Network Load Balancer is regional and lacks SSL termination; Internal Load Balancer is internal-only; TCP Proxy is for TCP, not HTTP/HTTPS.

4. Final Answer:

   HTTP(S) Load Balancer because it offers global load balancing with SSL termination and health checks -> Option C

5. Quick Check:

   Multi-region HTTP/HTTPS + failover = HTTP(S) Load Balancer [OK]

Hint: Global web app? Pick HTTP(S) Load Balancer for SSL and failover [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Choosing Network Load Balancer for HTTP/HTTPS global traffic
• Using Internal Load Balancer for external multi-region access
• Selecting TCP Proxy Load Balancer for HTTP traffic