GCP Features Matrix
Platform Component Compatibility
| Component | Status | GCP Service | Implementation | Estimated Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kubernetes | ✅ Available | Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE) | Autopilot or Standard clusters | <10min |
| Ingress | ✅ Available | Cloud Load Balancing | GCE ingress controller + cert-manager | <5min |
| DNS | ✅ Available | Cloud DNS | External-DNS integration | <5min |
| Secrets | ✅ Available | Secret Manager | External Secrets Operator | <5min |
| Storage | ✅ Available | Persistent Disk (SSD/HDD) | CSI driver with auto-provisioning | <2min |
| Container Registry | ✅ Available | Artifact Registry/GCR | Docker image hosting | <5min |
| Identity | ✅ Available | Workload Identity | IAM integration for pods | <10min |
| Networking | ✅ Available | VPC + Istio | Private clusters with service mesh | <15min |
| Monitoring | ✅ Available | Cloud Operations Suite | Prometheus + Grafana + GCP metrics | <10min |
| Logging | ✅ Available | Cloud Logging | Fluent Bit integration | <5min |
Security Features
| Feature | Status | Implementation | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Workload Identity | ✅ Production | GKE Workload Identity | Secure pod-to-GCP API access |
| Private Clusters | ✅ Production | GKE private clusters | Nodes without public IPs |
| Network Policies | ✅ Production | Kubernetes network policies | Micro-segmentation |
| Pod Security | ✅ Production | Pod Security Standards | Restricted by default |
| Secret Management | ✅ Production | Secret Manager + ESO | External secrets sync |
| Image Scanning | ✅ Production | Binary Authorization | Container vulnerability scanning |
| Audit Logging | ✅ Production | GKE audit logs | Kubernetes API audit trail |
Deployment Options
| Deployment Type | Status | Configuration | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| Development | ✅ Available | Single-zone, preemptible nodes | Cost-optimized testing |
| Staging | ✅ Available | Regional, standard nodes | Pre-production validation |
| Production | ✅ Available | Multi-zone, SLA-backed nodes | High availability |
| Multi-Region | 🚧 Planned | Cross-region clusters | Global deployment |
GCP-Specific Advantages
🚀 Performance
- Autopilot: Serverless Kubernetes with automatic scaling
- High-performance networking: VPC-native clusters
- SSD persistent disks: Fast storage by default
💰 Cost Optimization
- Preemptible/Spot instances: Up to 70% cost reduction
- Autopilot pricing: Pay only for running pods
- Sustained use discounts: Automatic pricing reductions
🔗 Integration
- Cloud Operations: Native monitoring and logging
- Binary Authorization: Container image security
- Cloud Build: CI/CD integration
🛡️ Security
- Workload Identity: No service account keys needed
- Private Google Access: Secure API access
- Shielded GKE nodes: VM-level security
Regional Availability
| Region | Status | Latency | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| us-central1 | ✅ Recommended | Low | Primary region for US |
| us-east1 | ✅ Available | Low | East coast alternative |
| us-west1 | ✅ Available | Low | West coast deployment |
| europe-west1 | ✅ Available | Medium | EU data residency |
| asia-southeast1 | ✅ Available | High | APAC deployment |
Limitations & Considerations
⚠️ Known Limitations
- Autopilot: Some workload types not supported
- Windows containers: Limited support compared to Linux
- GPU workloads: Regional availability varies
💡 Best Practices
- Use Workload Identity for all pod-to-GCP authentication
- Enable VPC-native networking for better performance
- Configure private clusters for production workloads
- Use regional persistent disks for high availability
🔧 Optimization Tips
- Use preemptible nodes for dev/test (70% cost savings)
- Enable cluster autoscaling for dynamic workloads
- Configure node auto-provisioning for mixed workloads
- Use committed use discounts for predictable workloads
Getting Started
- Prerequisites: GCP project with billing enabled
- Setup time: ~20 minutes for full platform
- Required APIs: Kubernetes Engine, Compute, IAM, Secret Manager
- Cost estimate: $150-300/month for development cluster
Ready to deploy? See the GCP Setup Guide for detailed instructions.