Cloud VPN Gateway
Definition
Google Cloud service that creates secure VPN connections between your on-premises network and your Google Cloud VPC for safe data transfer.
Use Cases
- Spotify: Securely connect corporate/on-premises networks to Google Cloud workloads for internal services and operations access. — Spotify has publicly discussed running significant infrastructure on Google Cloud. A common enterprise pattern in this setup is establishing IPsec site-to-site VPN connectivity from on-premises to Google Cloud VPC networks using Cloud VPN gateways, with dynamic routing (BGP) when using HA VPN and Cloud Router. (Encrypted connectivity enables private access to cloud resources without exposing services to the public internet, supporting hybrid operations and controlled access.)
- The Home Depot: Hybrid connectivity between on-premises environments and cloud-hosted applications for retail operations and enterprise systems. — The Home Depot has publicly shared its cloud adoption journey. In hybrid architectures like this, organizations commonly use site-to-site IPsec VPN gateways to connect on-premises networks to cloud VPCs for secure application access, often as an initial step or backup to dedicated links. (Faster hybrid integration and secure connectivity for enterprise applications, with the option to scale or complement VPN with dedicated connectivity as needs grow.)
Provider Equivalents
- AWS: AWS Site-to-Site VPN
- Azure: Azure VPN Gateway
- GCP: Cloud VPN (HA VPN / Classic VPN) with Cloud VPN Gateway
- OCI: OCI VPN Connect
Frequently Asked Questions
- What's the difference between Cloud VPN Gateway and Cloud Interconnect?
- Cloud VPN Gateway uses encrypted IPsec tunnels over the public internet to connect your on-premises network to a Google Cloud VPC. Cloud Interconnect is a dedicated physical connection to Google’s network (not over the public internet) and is typically used for higher, more consistent throughput and lower latency. Many organizations use Cloud VPN for quick setup or as a backup to Interconnect.
- When should I use Cloud VPN Gateway?
- Use it when you need secure connectivity between on-premises (or another cloud) and a Google Cloud VPC, especially for: getting started quickly with hybrid connectivity, moderate bandwidth needs, encrypted tunnels over the internet, temporary migrations, or as a failover/backup path for Cloud Interconnect.
- How much does Cloud VPN Gateway cost?
- Costs typically include: a per-gateway charge (varies by gateway type such as HA VPN vs Classic VPN), data transfer/egress charges for traffic leaving Google Cloud, and any costs for related components like Cloud Router (commonly used with HA VPN for dynamic routing via BGP). Pricing depends on region, number of tunnels/gateways, and traffic volume.
Category: networking
Difficulty: intermediate
Related Terms
See Also