TL;DR:
- Google introduces Cross-Cloud Interconnect, enabling secure connections between public clouds and Google Cloud.
- Simplifies multicloud networking configuration, reduces hardware requirements, and minimizes overhead.
- Supports major cloud providers such as AWS, Azure, Oracle, and Alibaba, with more to come.
- Extends Google’s AI and ML services to other cloud platforms.
- Offers high-performance network connectivity with two bandwidth options.
- Early adopters experience simplified connectivity, faster production, and cost savings.
- Enhancements to Private Service Connect allow secure connections within virtual private clouds.
- Google’s investment in Cross-Cloud Interconnect underscores its commitment to multicloud solutions.
Main AI News:
In a major announcement, Google has unveiled a game-changing update to its Cloud Interconnect service. The introduction of Cross-Cloud Interconnect now empowers businesses to securely connect any public cloud to Google Cloud via a high-performance network.
This groundbreaking advancement is set to redefine how enterprises tackle the complexities of managing their multicloud workloads and navigating the intricacies of network connectivity and configuration.
Cross-Cloud Interconnect aims to streamline configuration processes, minimize hardware demands, and reduce the overhead associated with multicloud networking. The service currently supports major cloud providers such as Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, and Alibaba Cloud, with plans to include additional providers in the near future.
The proliferation of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) workloads has been a driving force behind the adoption of multicloud application distribution. Google Cloud has been at the forefront of providing AI and ML services, including cutting-edge virtual machines and an advanced AI platform. With Cross-Cloud Interconnect, these services can now be extended to other cloud providers, enabling a diverse range of applications to seamlessly operate across public clouds while leveraging the native capabilities of Google Cloud Platform, such as Cloud Spanner, Cloud Storage Buckets, and BigQuery.
For instance, customers can effortlessly configure a private endpoint to access a finely-tuned generative AI model deployed on Vertex AI and securely utilize it from a web application deployed on either AWS or Azure.
Getting started with Cross-Cloud Interconnect requires customers to follow a series of steps, including selecting a region/zone, ordering physical ports, choosing the appropriate bandwidth tier, and configuring the services within both cloud environments. To simplify and automate this process, Google also requires a letter of authorization (LOA) that grants permission to configure Link Aggregation Groups (LAG) for each port in the target cloud.
Cross-Cloud Interconnect is not merely about connecting multiple clouds; it also places a strong emphasis on speed and reliability. The service provides two tiers of bandwidth options: 10 gigabits per second and 100 gigabits per second. Moreover, it comes with an impressive service level agreement (SLA) of 99.9%, instilling confidence in enterprise customers to deploy their multicloud workloads with peace of mind.
Early adopters of Cross-Cloud Interconnect include retail giant Walmart Inc. and video conferencing solutions provider Pexip AS. These companies have already harnessed the power of this platform to develop their multicloud applications, resulting in simplified connectivity, accelerated production times, and cost savings.
In addition to Cross-Cloud Interconnect, Google has also enhanced its Private Service Connect, a service that facilitates secure connections between virtual private clouds deployed across different Google projects and regions. With the integration of Cross-Cloud Interconnect, enterprises can now establish private and secure connections from their virtual private clouds to Google, trusted partners, or services.
Private Service Connect enables administrators to automate connectivity for private connections to managed services, streamlining the deployment, updates, and removal of published services linked to it. This eliminates the need for complex networking procedures and empowers Cross-Cloud Interconnect users to effortlessly create private and secure connections.
Cross-Cloud Interconnect represents Google’s latest investment in multicloud networking, building upon previous investments in Anthos and BigQuery Omni. This further demonstrates the company’s unwavering commitment to providing hybrid and multicloud offerings. As more enterprises embrace hybrid and multicloud network services, Google’s Cross-Cloud Interconnect is poised to become an indispensable component of their journey.
Conclusion:
Google’s Cross-Cloud Interconnect is a game-changer in the multicloud networking landscape. It provides businesses with seamless connectivity, enhanced performance, and access to Google’s powerful AI and ML services. This development signifies Google’s dedication to addressing the evolving needs of the market and solidifies its position as a leader in the multicloud ecosystem.
