Hi,
I’m learning about building on Google Cloud. My company website will be using a Google GKE cluster with a Google Cloud SQL backend, for the database, along with a Google Cloud NetApp volume, for file storage. All with a Terraform code base on the stack setup. To connect these services, the project is implementing a Virtual Private Network, with one subnetwork for public internet traffic to access the GKE cluster, and a separate subnetwork that is private only, to allow the GKE cluster to access the backend, of the Cloud SQL database – and hopefully, the Google Cloud NetApp pool (and volume) as well.
In reviewing the documentation, along with my Terraform-based testing, I’ve so far successfully setup the GKE-to-SQL link by using what Google calls “Private Service Connection”, which routes data along from the cluster to the database on a Virtual Private Network. As you can see on this page from the Terrform source, setting up Google Cloud SQL has an option in the section entitled “[Cloud SQL Instance with PSC connectivity]
I’d like to also do the same thing with the GKE-to-NetApp volume as well; however, in reviewing the documentation so far, apparently the only way to link the cluster to the Google Cloud NetApp Volume is by what Google calls “Private Service Access”, or PSA, – which is different than “Private Service Connect”, or PSC. The PSA requires setting up a virtual peering network that has more bandwidth, more data, and likely more cost involved. I’ve gotten the PSA connection to work in my Terraform dev testing, for GKE-to-GCP-NetApp, that’s not the issue.
The PSC is more streamlined since it has a dedicated endpoint, less bandwidth, and likely less cost involved. I’d like to try dev testing that as well on Terraform. However, the current Terraform source documentation doesn’t seem to indicate that there is a way to enable the “Private Service Connect” option while setting up a Google Cloud NetApp Storage Pool or Volume, see also here at this link:
The only aspect that seems like it could have that functionality is for the Terraform code to setup the Google Cloud NetApp volume, there is an option to enable “Multiple Endpoints”, at the above this link:
But it is unclear to me what ‘endpoints’ this is referring to exactly…since it says “IP address per node for volumes supporting multiple IP endpoints”. When I think of “node”, I think of nodes on the GKE cluster…which is precisely what I’m looking to connect, the GKE-to-GCP-NetApp connection using a private Endpoint. Is that what this would enable, or is it referring to something different, another node perhaps or another type of variable Endpoint (rather than a static Endpoint, that is setup on the GKE-to-SQL link for PSC connection)?
My current understanding, from getting the dev testing setup for the GKE-to-SQL link setup using PSC (ie. Private Services Connect), is that the database has to be setup from the start with the option enabled for PSC-active. Is that same option available for setting up Google Cloud NetApp by default?
Ultimately, it seems like the capability should be available, since at the end of the day, the cluster is going to either have the ability to read/write data on the Cloud SQL database, or else read/write data on the file storage offered by the Google Cloud NetApp Volume (in its Pool). My best educated guess is that since the Google Cloud NetApp version is still relatively new (Google and NetApp partnered within the past year or so where Google began to manage this service under its umbrella, provided by NetApp) that the “Private Service Connection” option for setting up a Google Cloud NetApp Pool (or volume) yet – if it’s possible – is simply pushing the envelope of what the development community has yet to pioneer, for the benefit of everyone who would like to use a GKE-to-GCP-NetApp connection based upon PSC, rather than PSA.
Is there any way to request for this “Private Service Connect” endpoint to be added to the Google Cloud NetApp Storage Pool, and/or Volume, on Terraform by the community – so that it is similar to how Google Cloud SQL has that same option on Terraform?
I can provide my Terraform dev testing code snippets for review, if preferable.
Thanks,
Tim James
Radio Rider