GKE Ingress with Load Balancer in GCP - Practice Problems & Coding Challenges

Challenge - 5 Problems

💻 Command Output

intermediate

Output of kubectl get ingress command

You have deployed an Ingress resource in GKE with a Load Balancer. What is the output of kubectl get ingress after the Load Balancer IP is assigned?

GCP

kubectl get ingress my-ingress

A

NAME        CLASS    HOSTS   ADDRESS          PORTS   AGE
my-ingress  <none>   *       192.168.1.1      80      5m

B

NAME        CLASS    HOSTS   ADDRESS          PORTS   AGE
my-ingress  <none>   *       34.68.123.45     80      5m

C

NAME        CLASS    HOSTS   ADDRESS          PORTS   AGE
my-ingress  <none>   *       10.0.0.1         80      5m

D

NAME        CLASS    HOSTS   ADDRESS   PORTS   AGE
my-ingress  <none>   *       <pending> 80      5m

💡 Hint

The external IP address assigned by the GCP Load Balancer is a public IP, not a private IP.

When the Load Balancer is ready, the ADDRESS field shows the external public IP assigned by GCP, such as 34.68.123.45. Pending means the IP is not assigned yet. Private IPs like 10.x.x.x or 192.168.x.x are not used for external Load Balancers.

🧠 Conceptual

intermediate

Purpose of BackendConfig in GKE Ingress

What is the main purpose of using a BackendConfig resource in GKE Ingress with Load Balancer?

A To configure advanced settings like connection draining, timeouts, and health checks for backend services.

B To define the frontend IP address of the Load Balancer.

C To specify the DNS name for the Ingress resource.

D To create firewall rules for the Load Balancer.

💡 Hint

BackendConfig customizes backend service behavior beyond default settings.

BackendConfig allows you to set advanced Load Balancer backend options such as connection draining duration, timeout settings, and health check parameters for your services.

❓ Troubleshoot

advanced

Troubleshooting Ingress Not Getting External IP

You created an Ingress resource in GKE but the ADDRESS field remains <pending> for over 10 minutes. What is the most likely cause?

A The Ingress resource is missing the <code>spec.rules</code> section.

B The Kubernetes API server is down.

C The backend Pods are not running any containers.

D The cluster does not have the required cloud permissions to create a Load Balancer.

💡 Hint

Check if the GKE cluster has permissions to create cloud resources like Load Balancers.

If the cluster lacks permissions, GKE cannot provision the external Load Balancer, so the ADDRESS stays pending. Missing rules or backend Pods affect routing but do not block IP assignment. API server down would prevent any kubectl commands.

🔀 Workflow

advanced

Steps to Enable HTTPS on GKE Ingress with Load Balancer

Which sequence correctly describes the steps to enable HTTPS on a GKE Ingress with a Load Balancer?

A 1,3,2,4

B 3,2,1,4

C 3,1,2,4

D 1,2,3,4

💡 Hint

You must deploy your app and service before configuring certificates and Ingress annotations.

First deploy your app and expose it with a Service (3). Then create the ManagedCertificate (1). Next, annotate the Ingress to use the certificate (2). Finally, verify the certificate status and HTTPS (4).

✅ Best Practice

expert

Best Practice for Securing GKE Ingress with Load Balancer

Which option is the best practice to secure your GKE Ingress with a Load Balancer for production use?

A Use HTTPS with ManagedCertificate, enable HTTP to HTTPS redirect, and restrict backend access with firewall rules.

B Use HTTP only to reduce latency and avoid certificate management complexity.

C Disable health checks to improve backend performance.

D Expose backend Pods directly without a Service to reduce network hops.

💡 Hint

Security best practices include encryption and access control.

Using HTTPS with ManagedCertificate ensures encrypted traffic. Redirecting HTTP to HTTPS improves security. Firewall rules restrict backend access to trusted sources. Other options reduce security or break Kubernetes networking.

Practice

1. What is the main purpose of using an Ingress with a Load Balancer in GKE?

easy

A. To restrict access to the cluster nodes only

B. To expose multiple services through a single external IP address

C. To create multiple IP addresses for each pod

D. To manage internal DNS records automatically

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand Ingress role in GKE

   Ingress allows routing external traffic to multiple services inside the cluster using one IP.

2. Step 2: Recognize Load Balancer function

   The Load Balancer created by Ingress exposes a single external IP to route traffic.

3. Final Answer:

   To expose multiple services through a single external IP address -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   Ingress + Load Balancer = Single IP for many services [OK]

Hint: Ingress combines services under one IP address [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Thinking each pod gets its own IP
• Confusing internal DNS with external exposure
• Assuming Load Balancer creates multiple IPs

2. Which annotation is used in a GKE Ingress resource to specify the creation of a Google Cloud HTTP(S) Load Balancer?

easy

A. cloud.google.com/load-balancer-type: 'internal'

B. kubernetes.io/ingress.class: 'nginx'

C. kubernetes.io/ingress.class: 'gce'

D. networking.gke.io/load-balancer: 'external'

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify GKE Ingress annotation for Load Balancer

   The annotation 'kubernetes.io/ingress.class: gce' tells GKE to use Google Cloud Load Balancer.

2. Step 2: Differentiate from other ingress classes

   'nginx' is for NGINX ingress controller, not GCP Load Balancer.

3. Final Answer:

   kubernetes.io/ingress.class: 'gce' -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   Use 'gce' annotation for GCP Load Balancer [OK]

Hint: Use 'kubernetes.io/ingress.class: gce' for GCP Load Balancer [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using 'nginx' instead of 'gce' annotation
• Confusing internal vs external load balancer annotations
• Using non-existent annotation keys

3. Given this Ingress YAML snippet, what will happen when a user visits http://example.com/api?

apiVersion: networking.k8s.io/v1
kind: Ingress
metadata:
  name: example-ingress
  annotations:
    kubernetes.io/ingress.class: "gce"
spec:
  rules:
  - host: example.com
    http:
      paths:
      - path: /api
        pathType: Prefix
        backend:
          service:
            name: api-service
            port:
              number: 80
      - path: /
        pathType: Prefix
        backend:
          service:
            name: web-service
            port:
              number: 80

medium

A. Traffic to /api goes to api-service; all other paths go to web-service

B. Traffic to /api goes to web-service; all other paths go to api-service

C. All traffic goes to api-service regardless of path

D. Ingress will reject traffic because of conflicting paths

Solution

1. Step 1: Analyze path rules in Ingress

   The rule for path '/api' with pathType Prefix directs matching requests to 'api-service'.

2. Step 2: Understand default path routing

   The path '/' with Prefix matches all other requests and routes them to 'web-service'.

3. Final Answer:

   Traffic to /api goes to api-service; all other paths go to web-service -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Specific path matches first, then default [OK]

Hint: Specific paths route before general '/' path [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Assuming '/' path overrides /api
• Thinking all traffic goes to one service
• Believing Ingress rejects overlapping paths

4. You created an Ingress with annotation kubernetes.io/ingress.class: nginx in GKE but no external IP is assigned. What is the likely cause?

medium

A. GKE does not create a Google Cloud Load Balancer for 'nginx' ingress class

B. The Ingress resource is missing the service port definition

C. The cluster nodes are not labeled correctly

D. The Ingress controller is automatically created and running

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand Ingress class annotation effect

   Annotation 'nginx' tells GKE to use NGINX ingress controller, which does not create a GCP Load Balancer automatically.

2. Step 2: Recognize Load Balancer creation requirements

   Only 'gce' ingress class triggers Google Cloud Load Balancer creation with external IP.

3. Final Answer:

   GKE does not create a Google Cloud Load Balancer for 'nginx' ingress class -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   'nginx' ingress needs separate controller, no auto Load Balancer [OK]

Hint: Use 'gce' annotation for auto Load Balancer in GKE [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Assuming 'nginx' creates GCP Load Balancer automatically
• Blaming missing service port for no IP
• Thinking cluster node labels affect Load Balancer creation

5. You want to expose two services, frontend and backend, on the same IP but different paths using GKE Ingress with a Load Balancer. Which YAML snippet correctly configures this?

hard

A. apiVersion: networking.k8s.io/v1
kind: Ingress
metadata:
name: multi-service-ingress
annotations:
kubernetes.io/ingress.class: "gce"
spec:
rules:
- http:
paths:
- path: /frontend
pathType: Prefix
backend:
service:
name: frontend
port:
number: 80
- path: /backend
pathType: Prefix
backend:
service:
name: backend
port:
number: 80

B. apiVersion: networking.k8s.io/v1
kind: Ingress
metadata:
name: multi-service-ingress
spec:
rules:
- host: "*"
http:
paths:
- path: /frontend
backend:
serviceName: frontend
servicePort: 80
- path: /backend
backend:
serviceName: backend
servicePort: 80

C. apiVersion: networking.k8s.io/v1
kind: Ingress
metadata:
name: multi-service-ingress
annotations:
kubernetes.io/ingress.class: "nginx"
spec:
rules:
- host: example.com
http:
paths:
- path: /frontend
pathType: Prefix
backend:
service:
name: frontend
port:
number: 80
- path: /backend
pathType: Prefix
backend:
service:
name: backend
port:
number: 80

D. apiVersion: networking.k8s.io/v1
kind: Ingress
metadata:
name: multi-service-ingress
annotations:
kubernetes.io/ingress.class: "gce"
spec:
rules:
- host: example.com
http:
paths:
- path: /frontend
pathType: Prefix
backend:
service:
name: frontend
port:
number: 80
- path: /backend
pathType: Prefix
backend:
service:
name: backend
port:
number: 80

Solution

1. Step 1: Confirm correct annotation for GCP Load Balancer

   Options A and D use 'kubernetes.io/ingress.class: gce', which is correct for GKE Load Balancer.

2. Step 2: Check pathType and host usage

   apiVersion: networking.k8s.io/v1 kind: Ingress metadata: name: multi-service-ingress annotations: kubernetes.io/ingress.class: "gce" spec: rules: - host: example.com http: paths: - path: /frontend pathType: Prefix backend: service: name: frontend port: number: 80 - path: /backend pathType: Prefix backend: service: name: backend port: number: 80 uses 'Prefix' pathType with a host, ensuring precise routing for /frontend and /backend paths on example.com.

3. Step 3: Identify deprecated or incorrect syntax

   apiVersion: networking.k8s.io/v1 kind: Ingress metadata: name: multi-service-ingress spec: rules: - host: "*" http: paths: - path: /frontend backend: serviceName: frontend servicePort: 80 - path: /backend backend: serviceName: backend servicePort: 80 uses deprecated 'serviceName' and 'servicePort' keys and lacks annotation; apiVersion: networking.k8s.io/v1 kind: Ingress metadata: name: multi-service-ingress annotations: kubernetes.io/ingress.class: "nginx" spec: rules: - host: example.com http: paths: - path: /frontend pathType: Prefix backend: service: name: frontend port: number: 80 - path: /backend pathType: Prefix backend: service: name: backend port: number: 80 uses 'nginx' ingress class, not GCE; apiVersion: networking.k8s.io/v1 kind: Ingress metadata: name: multi-service-ingress annotations: kubernetes.io/ingress.class: "gce" spec: rules: - http: paths: - path: /frontend pathType: Prefix backend: service: name: frontend port: number: 80 - path: /backend pathType: Prefix backend: service: name: backend port: number: 80 is missing host and incomplete.

4. Final Answer:

   Option D correctly configures two services on same IP with prefix path matching and GCE Load Balancer -> Option D

5. Quick Check:

   Use 'gce' annotation + prefix paths + host for precise multi-service routing [OK]

Hint: Use 'gce' annotation and prefix pathType for multi-service routing [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using 'nginx' annotation instead of 'gce'
• Using deprecated serviceName/servicePort keys
• Not specifying host or using wrong pathType