Modernizing Infrastructure and Applications with Google Cloud · Topic 4 of 5
Hybrid and Multicloud Products
Google Cloud products for hybrid and multicloud environments: AlloyDB Omni, BigQuery Omni, GKE Enterprise, Cloud SQL and Looker, and why organizations use them.
- 3 min
- AlloyDB Omni: AlloyDB that runs anywhere.
- BigQuery Omni: BigQuery analytics on data in other clouds.
- GKE Enterprise: manage Kubernetes everywhere consistently.
What it is
Many organizations run workloads in more than one place: their own data centers, Google Cloud and other public clouds. Google Cloud offers products that work across these environments, so organizations can use Google technology without moving everything first. The exam guide names AlloyDB Omni, BigQuery Omni, GKE Enterprise, Cloud SQL and Looker.
How it works
Why hybrid and multicloud
| Reason | Example |
|---|---|
| Regulation or data residency | Some data must stay in the company's own data center |
| Existing investments | Recent hardware or contracts on another cloud |
| Best tool for each job | Use a service from another provider alongside Google Cloud |
| Acquisitions | A purchased company runs on another cloud |
| Avoid lock-in and improve resilience | Do not depend on one provider |
The challenge is complexity: different tools, skills and data silos in each place. Products that work across environments reduce that complexity.
The products
| Product | What it does across environments | Business value |
|---|---|---|
| AlloyDB Omni | A downloadable edition of AlloyDB (PostgreSQL compatible) that runs anywhere: on premises, at the edge, on other clouds, on a laptop | High performance PostgreSQL where data must stay, with a path to AlloyDB in Google Cloud |
| BigQuery Omni | Runs BigQuery analytics on data stored in other clouds (such as AWS and Azure) without copying it | One analytics interface across clouds; no costly data moves |
| GKE Enterprise | Manages Kubernetes clusters consistently across Google Cloud, on premises and other clouds | One way to deploy, secure and govern containers everywhere |
| Cloud SQL | Managed MySQL, PostgreSQL and SQL Server, standard open engines | Familiar engines make moving databases in and between environments easier |
| Looker | BI platform that connects to many databases and clouds | One governed view of metrics across all data sources |
"Analyze data in another cloud without moving it" is BigQuery Omni. "Run AlloyDB in our own data center" is AlloyDB Omni. "Manage Kubernetes clusters everywhere consistently" is GKE Enterprise.
How these fit openness
These products follow Google Cloud's openness and interoperability differentiator. They rely on open standards (Kubernetes, PostgreSQL, SQL) so skills and applications transfer between environments, and they let organizations bring Google capabilities to where the data and workloads already are.
A worked scenario
A healthcare group keeps patient records on premises for regulatory reasons and acquired a company whose data sits in another public cloud. It runs AlloyDB Omni in its own data center for the records system, uses BigQuery Omni to analyze the acquired company's data where it lives, manages all its container clusters with GKE Enterprise, and builds group-wide dashboards in Looker that connect to every source.
How the exam asks about this
- "Analyze data stored in AWS using BigQuery without moving it." BigQuery Omni.
- "Run a high performance PostgreSQL-compatible database on premises." AlloyDB Omni.
- "Consistent management of Kubernetes clusters across clouds and data centers." GKE Enterprise.
- "BI across many databases and clouds." Looker.
What to remember for the exam
- AlloyDB Omni: AlloyDB that runs anywhere.
- BigQuery Omni: BigQuery analytics on data in other clouds.
- GKE Enterprise: manage Kubernetes everywhere consistently.
- Cloud SQL: standard open database engines.
- Looker: BI across many sources.
- These products reduce hybrid and multicloud complexity and support openness.
BigQuery Omni does not copy data into Google Cloud. Its point is to analyze data where it already sits.
Common mistakes
Confusing AlloyDB Omni with BigQuery Omni. One is a database that runs anywhere; the other is analytics on data in other clouds.
Assuming hybrid means moving everything later. Many organizations stay hybrid on purpose.
Thinking multicloud tools add lock-in. They are built on open standards to reduce it.
Check yourself
Which product analyzes data in other public clouds without copying it?
BigQuery Omni.
Which product lets an organization run AlloyDB in its own data center?
AlloyDB Omni.
What does GKE Enterprise provide?
Consistent management of Kubernetes clusters across Google Cloud, on premises and other clouds.
Topic 4 of 5 in Modernizing Infrastructure and Applications with Google Cloud
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