Configuring private network access

To set up private network access so that traffic runs within a Google Cloud network, you must configure the project that owns the VPC network, the Service Directory project, and the Google Cloud service project that you are using. These three projects could be the same or separate.

  • Network project is the project of the VPC network.
  • Service Directory project is the project of the Service Directory service. This project may be a service project in the Shared VPC network of the network project.
  • Google Cloud service project is the project with the configuration that is invoking private network access. For example, a Google Cloud service configuration.

Before you begin

This procedure assumes that you have completed the following steps.

  • Enable the APIs that you want to access through the APIs & services page in the Google Cloud Console, including the Service Directory API.
  • VM instances in a VPC network must have a private IP address.
  • For on-premises hosts, you must have an existing Cloud VPN tunnel or an Cloud Interconnect connection to your VPC network.

Configuring the network project

Follow these steps to configure the network project.

  1. Create or use an existing VPC network. Both auto and custom mode VPC networks are supported. Legacy networks are not supported.

  2. If the destination target is a Compute Engine VM, or an internal load balancer backend, you must allow ingress through the VPC firewall for private network access. The targets must allow TCP ingress from 35.199.192.0/19 on the appropriate port (port 443 or 80).

  3. Grant the Identity and Access Management (IAM) Service Directory network access to the Google Cloud service project. Note that the Google Cloud project must be in the VPC Service Controls perimeter of the Google Cloud service and Service Directory project for servicedirectory.googleapis.com.

    To learn more about VPC Service Controls, see Overview of VPC Service Controls.

Configuring the Service Directory project

Follow these steps to configure the Service Directory project.

  1. Create a virtual machine (VM) or an internal load balancer in the VPC network.
  2. Create a Service Directory service pointing at the VM or internal load balancer that you created in the VPC network.
  3. Grant the IAM Service Directory network access to the Google Cloud service account. For more information about roles and permissions, see Service Directory permissions and roles.

Creating an endpoint with private network access

To create an endpoint with private network access configured, do the following.

Console

  1. Go to the Service Directory namespaces page in the Google Cloud Console.
    Go to the Service Directory namespaces page
  2. Click a namespace.
  3. Click a service.
  4. Click and click Add endpoint.
  5. Provide an Endpoint name.
  6. Enter an IPv4 IP address, such as 192.0.2.0/24.
  7. Enter a Port number, such as 443 or 80.
  8. To enable private network access, click Choose from the list to choose from a list of available networks under Associated VPC network.
  9. You can also provide a specific project ID and the network name by choosing Specify by a project and network name.
  10. Click Create.

gcloud

Run the gcloud beta service-directory endpoints create command with the project ID and the network path specified.

gcloud beta service-directory endpoints create ENDPOINT_NAME
    --project=PROJECT_ID \
    --location=REGION \
    --namespace=NAMESPACE_NAME \
    --service=SERVICE_ID \
    --address=IP_ADDRESS \
    --port=PORT_NUMBER \
    --network=NETWORK_PATH

Replace the following:

  • ENDPOINT_NAME: a name for the endpoint that you're creating in your service, such as my-endpoint
  • PROJECT_ID: the ID of the project
  • REGION: the Google Cloud region containing the namespace
  • NAMESPACE_NAME: the name that you gave the namespace, such as my-namespace
  • SERVICE_ID: the ID of the service
  • IP_ADDRESS: the IP address of the endpoint, such as 192.0.2.0/24
  • PORT_NUMBER: the ports that the endpoints are running on, typically 443 or 80
  • NETWORK_PATH: the URL to the network, such as projects/PROJECT_NUMBER/locations/global/networks/NETWORK_NAME

Configuring the Google Cloud service project

  1. Enable the Google Cloud service API.
  2. Configure your Google Cloud service using the Service Directory service that you created in the network project.
  3. If you are using VPC Service Controls, make sure that the VPC Service Controls perimeter allows Service Directory to access the network project and the Service Directory project.

Use cases

This section provides example use cases to configure private network access.

Calling an HTTP endpoint when a VPC network, VM, and Service Directory are in the same project

You can set up a Google Cloud product to call an HTTP endpoint on your VM. This traffic must not transit over the public internet.

In this set up, you have a project with a VPC network, a VM, a Service Directory service, and the Google Cloud service in the same project.

Allowing a project's Google service configuration to egress to a network project VM that resides in a Google Cloud service project's VPC network
Allowing a project's Google service configuration to egress to a network project VM that resides in a Google Cloud service project's VPC network (click to enlarge)

To set up your Google Cloud product using private network access, follow these steps.

Set up your network and target network

  1. Create a project, such as my-project.
  2. Create a VPC network, such as VPC-1 (projects/project-number/locations/global/networks/my-network).
  3. Grant proxy access to ingress to VPC-1 or to the subnet or VM.
  4. Allow ingress from 35.199.192.0/19.
  5. Create VM-1 in region us-central1 in VPC-1.
  6. Set it up to run the service on port P.
  7. If you prefer using HTTPS, make sure that you have installed a public key infrastructure (PKI) transport layer security (TLS) certificate.
  8. Create a Service Directory service SD-1 in REGION-1.
  9. Create an endpoint in SD-1 with internal IP address of VM-1=10.10.10.10, P=443, and network=projects/project-number/global/networks/my-network. For detailed instructions, see Creating an endpoint with private network access configured.

  10. Grant the Google Cloud service account the following IAM roles:

    • servicedirectory.viewer
    • servicedirectory.pscAuthorizedService

  11. Optionally, you can set up VM-2, and add Endpoint-2.

Set up a Google Cloud product

  1. Configure Google Cloud product configuration CONFIG-1, such as, "Cloud Scheduler, call me every minute".
  2. Set up an HTTP request.
  3. Specify that request should go over private networking, such as through SD-1.
  4. (Optional) Configure Certificate Authority Service settings.

Now, the Google Cloud product can invoke the HTTP request using SD-1.

Calling an HTTP endpoint when a VPC network, VM, and Service Directory are in different projects

In this example configuration, you want to set up a Google Cloud service, such as Events, Tasks, or Pub/Sub, to call an HTTP endpoint on your VM. In this example, the Service Directory project, the network project and the Google Cloud service projects are different. This traffic must not transit over the public internet. Optionally, this API invocation must respect the VPC Service Controls perimeter.

In this case, the Google Cloud service project's configuration enables egress to a Google Cloud service project VM, which resides in the network project's VPC network.

The Google Cloud service project might be different from the producer project. Both projects' VPC Service Controls perimeters are used.

Sending traffic using private network access with VPC Service Controls perimeters enforced
Sending traffic using private network access with VPC Service Controls perimeters enforced (click to enlarge)

Create a network project

Make sure that you have the following IAM permissions:

  • servicedirectory.services.resolve for the messaging service
  • servicedirectory.networks.access for the network

Note the following:

  • The Service Directory project and network project need not be connected, but they must be part of the same VPC Service Controls.
  • The firewall and IAM are disabled by default on the network and the service.

To create the network project, follow these steps.

  1. Create a VPC network, such as VPC-1 (projects/project-number/locations/global/networks/my-network).

  2. Enable the VPC network firewall.

  3. If using VPC Service Controls, the VPC Service Controls perimeter allows Service Directory to connect to the Google Cloud service project and the Service Directory project.

Configure the Service Directory project

  1. Create a VM or internal load balancer in the VPC network.
  2. Create a Service Directory service that points at the VM or internal load balancer in the VPC network.
  3. Grant IAM Service Directory service read access to the Google Cloud service project messaging service.
  4. If using VPC Service Controls, the VPC Service Controls perimeter allows Service Directory to connect to the Google Cloud service project and the Service Directory project.

Configure the Google Cloud service project

  1. Enable the API for the messaging service that you are using.
  2. Configure the messaging service PUSH using the Service Directory service from the Service Directory project.
  3. If using VPC Service Controls, the VPC Service Controls perimeter allows Service Directory to connect to the network project and the Service Directory project.

What's next