Google Cloud Interconnect - Hybrid Cloud Networking


Introduction

Google Cloud Interconnect provides a fast, reliable, and secure connection between your on-premises data center and Google Cloud Platform (GCP). It enables you to extend your network, connect to Google Cloud resources, and build a hybrid cloud environment.


Key Concepts

Before diving into the configuration, it's important to understand some key concepts:

  • Interconnect Types: Google offers Dedicated Interconnect and Partner Interconnect options, providing flexibility in choosing the right connection type for your needs.
  • Google's Global Network: Google's extensive global network ensures low-latency, high-bandwidth connections, and redundancy.
  • Virtual Private Cloud (VPC): VPC networks in GCP allow you to create isolated environments to connect your resources.

Configuring Google Cloud Interconnect

To set up Google Cloud Interconnect, you need to follow these general steps:

  1. Choose the type of Interconnect (Dedicated or Partner) and identify your partner, if applicable.
  2. Provision and configure the Interconnect in the Google Cloud Console, specifying details like VLAN attachments and BGP sessions.
  3. Configure your on-premises router to establish a connection with Google's network, ensuring proper IP addressing and BGP routing settings.

Sample Configuration

Here's a simplified example of configuring a Dedicated Interconnect:


    
    gcloud compute interconnects create my-interconnect --description="My Dedicated Interconnect" --location=us-central1 --link-partner=google
    gcloud compute interconnects attachments create my-attachment --region=us-central1 --interconnect=my-interconnect --vlan-range=1024-1100

This code creates a Dedicated Interconnect named "my-interconnect" in the us-central1 location and specifies the link partner as Google. It also creates an attachment with a specified VLAN range.


Conclusion

Google Cloud Interconnect enables you to build hybrid cloud solutions that combine the power of your on-premises infrastructure with the scalability and capabilities of Google Cloud. It ensures a reliable and high-performance connection, opening up possibilities for various cloud use cases.


For comprehensive documentation and advanced configurations, visit the Google Cloud Interconnect documentation.