Set up Google Distributed Cloud (GKE Enterprise on-premises)

This page provides a quick overview of the steps you need to follow to set up GKE Enterprise on-premises with a software-only deployment of Google Distributed Cloud.

This page is for IT administrators and Operators who set up, monitor, and manage the lifecycle of the cloud infrastructure, including backup infrastructure. To learn more about common roles and example tasks that we reference in Google Cloud content, see Common GKE Enterprise user roles and tasks.

Set up clusters

You can choose between installing your on-premises clusters on VMware or on bare metal, depending on your application and business needs. Both versions extend GKE for use in on-premises environments. For complete guides to our on-premises options, including cluster setup and administration, see:

Install on VMware

Installing Google Distributed Cloud software on VMware lets you run GKE Enterprise-managed Kubernetes clusters on-premises in a vSphere environment, using VMware's vCenter Server.

Install on bare metal

Installing Google Distributed Cloud software on bare metal lets you run GKE Enterprise-managed Kubernetes clusters directly on your own data center machine resources, with flexibility, performance, and security in your environment. You can find out more about whether this is the right option for you in the Google Distributed Cloud (software-only) on bare metal overview.

  • Prerequisites and requirements: See the complete list of prerequisites for installing Google Distributed Cloud software on bare metal in Installation prerequisites.

  • Installation guides: Google Distributed Cloud lets you choose from multiple cluster deployment models on bare metal to suit your specific needs. For deployment options and links to more detailed installation guides, see our Cluster creation overview.

Adding on-premises attached clusters

The GKE Enterprise attached clusters feature lets you add third-party Kubernetes clusters to your fleet and use some GKE Enterprise features with them, including viewing them in the Google Cloud console. You can add any conformant Kubernetes cluster that includes x86 nodes. For more information, see Attach your CNCF conformant cluster. Attached clusters must be registered manually to your fleet.

Registering clusters to the fleet

By default, you don't need to do anything to register your Google Distributed Cloud clusters. As part of the setup process, each cluster that you create automatically runs the Connect Agent and is registered to your current project fleet. You can then log in to the cluster from the Google Cloud console as well as from the command line.

To register an on-premises attached cluster, follow the instructions to attach third-party clusters, paying attention to any specific prerequisites for your Kubernetes cluster type.

Enabling GKE Enterprise features

After you set up your project and your clusters, use the following guides to enable additional available GKE Enterprise features for your applications.

For complete documentation sets for all GKE Enterprise features, including tutorials, reference material, and more, see GKE Enterprise components.

Enabling features for Google Distributed Cloud deployments on VMware

Enabling features for Google Distributed Cloud deployments on bare metal

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