Load balancer types comparison in GCP - Cheat Sheet & Quick Revision

Recall & Review

beginner

What is a Layer 4 Load Balancer?

A Layer 4 Load Balancer works at the transport layer and routes traffic based on IP address and TCP/UDP ports without inspecting the content of the packets.

intermediate

How does a Layer 7 Load Balancer differ from Layer 4?

Layer 7 Load Balancer operates at the application layer and can make routing decisions based on HTTP headers, cookies, or URL paths, allowing more intelligent traffic distribution.

intermediate

What is a key benefit of using a Global Load Balancer in GCP?

Global Load Balancers distribute traffic across multiple regions, improving availability and reducing latency by directing users to the nearest healthy backend.

beginner

What type of load balancer is best for TCP/UDP traffic in GCP?

The Network Load Balancer is best for TCP/UDP traffic as it operates at Layer 4 and can handle millions of requests with low latency.

intermediate

Why choose an HTTP(S) Load Balancer over a Network Load Balancer?

HTTP(S) Load Balancer supports advanced features like SSL termination, URL-based routing, and HTTP/2, making it ideal for web applications requiring smart traffic management.

Which GCP load balancer operates at Layer 7 and supports URL-based routing?

A HTTP(S) Load Balancer

B Network Load Balancer

C TCP Proxy Load Balancer

D Internal Load Balancer

HTTP(S) Load Balancer works at Layer 7 and supports URL-based routing.

Which load balancer type is best suited for non-HTTP TCP/UDP traffic in GCP?

A HTTP(S) Load Balancer

B Network Load Balancer

C SSL Proxy Load Balancer

D Global Load Balancer

Network Load Balancer handles TCP/UDP traffic efficiently at Layer 4.

What is a key feature of Global Load Balancers in GCP?

A Distributing traffic across multiple regions

B Routing traffic only within a single region

C Only supports UDP traffic

D Does not support SSL termination

Global Load Balancers distribute traffic across multiple regions for better availability and latency.

Which load balancer type in GCP supports SSL termination?

A Internal Load Balancer

B TCP Proxy Load Balancer

C Network Load Balancer

D HTTP(S) Load Balancer

HTTP(S) Load Balancer supports SSL termination to offload encryption from backend servers.

Which GCP load balancer is designed for internal traffic within a VPC?

A Network Load Balancer

B Global Load Balancer

C Internal Load Balancer

D HTTP(S) Load Balancer

Internal Load Balancer is used for load balancing traffic inside a Virtual Private Cloud.

Explain the differences between Layer 4 and Layer 7 load balancers and when to use each in GCP.

Think about how deep the load balancer inspects the traffic.

Describe the benefits of using a Global Load Balancer in a multi-region GCP deployment.

Consider user location and system reliability.