A network endpoint group (NEG) is a configuration object that specifies a group of backend endpoints or services. A common use case for this configuration is deploying services in containers. You can also distribute traffic in a granular fashion to applications running on your backend instances.
You can use NEGs as backends for some load balancers and with Traffic Director. Use the following tables to decide which type of NEG you need for your deployment.
Zonal NEG
Features | Details |
---|---|
Purpose | One or more internal IP address endpoints that resolve to either Compute Engine VM instances or GKE Pods. For detailed information about this NEG and its use cases, see Zonal NEGs overview. |
NetworkEndpointType API name |
|
Number of endpoints | 1 or more |
Health checks for NEGs attached to backend services | Centralized health checks for NEGs with GCE_VM_IP_PORT and
GCE_VM_IP endpoints. |
Scope | Zonal |
Routing | VPC network |
Google Cloud products that use this NEG |
Related documentation: |
Internet NEG
Features | Details |
---|---|
Purpose | A single internet-routable endpoint that is hosted outside of Google Cloud. For detailed information about this NEG and its use cases, see Internet NEGs overview. |
NetworkEndpointType API name |
|
Number of endpoints | 1 |
Health checks for NEGs attached to backend services | Not applicable |
Scope | Global |
Routing | Internet |
Google Cloud products that use this NEG |
|
Serverless NEG
Features | Details |
---|---|
Purpose | A single endpoint within Google's network that resolves to an App Engine, Cloud Functions, API Gateway, or Cloud Run service. For detailed information about this NEG and its use cases, see Serverless NEGs overview. |
NetworkEndpointType API name | SERVERLESS
FQDN belonging to an App Engine, Cloud Functions, API Gateway, or Cloud Run service. |
Number of endpoints | 1 |
Health checks for NEGs attached to backend services | Not applicable |
Scope | Regional |
Routing | To Google APIs and Services |
Google Cloud products that use this NEG |
|
Hybrid connectivity NEG
Features | Details |
---|---|
Purpose | One or more endpoints that resolve to on-premises services, server applications in another cloud, and other internet-reachable services outside Google Cloud. |
NetworkEndpointType API name | NON_GCP_PRIVATE_IP_PORT
IP:Port belonging to a VM that is not in Compute Engine and that must be routable using hybrid connectivity. |
Number of endpoints | 1 or more |
Health checks for NEGs attached to backend services |
Currently, health check probes for hybrid NEGs originate from Google's centralized health checking mechanism. If you cannot allow traffic that originates from the Google health check ranges to reach your hybrid endpoints and would prefer to have the health check probes originate from private IP addresses instead, speak to your Google account representative to get your project allowlisted for distributed Envoy health checks. |
Scope | Zonal |
Routing | To an on-premises network or another Cloud provider network by way of Cloud Interconnect VLAN attachment, Cloud VPN tunnel, or Router appliance VM in a VPC network |
Google Cloud products that use this NEG |
|
Private Service Connect NEG
Features | Details |
---|---|
Purpose | A single endpoint that resolves to one of the following:
|
NetworkEndpointType API name | PRIVATE_SERVICE_CONNECT |
Number of endpoints | 1 |
Health checks for NEGs attached to backend services | Not applicable |
Scope | Regional |
Routing |
|
Google Cloud products that use this NEG |
For more information about Private Service Connect NEGs, see About Private Service Connect backends. |