Connecting from Google Cloud

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The way you create a private Google Cloud endpoint differs when you're using your Google Cloud account versus using BigAnimal's cloud account.

Using BigAnimal's cloud account

When using BigAnimal's cloud account, when creating a cluster, you provide BigAnimal with your Google Cloud project ID (see Networking). BigAnimal, in turn, provides you with a Google Cloud service attachment, which you can use to connect to your cluster privately.

  1. When creating your cluster, on the Cluster Settings tab, in the Network section:

    1. Select Private.

    2. Enter your application's Google Cloud project ID.

  2. After the cluster is created, go to the cluster details to see the corresponding service attachment. You need the service attachment while creating a PSC-connected endpoint.

  3. Create a connected endpoint in the client's VPC. The steps for creating a connected endpoint in the client's VPC are the same whether you're using BigAnimal's cloud or your cloud. See Step 2: Create a connected endpoint for the VM client/application.

  4. In your application's Google Cloud, select Private Service Connect, and then select Connected Endpoints. Select the endpoint you created previously, and use the service attachment provided in the details section in BigAnimal to access your cluster.

Using your Google Cloud account

Two different methods enable you to connect to your private cluster from your application's VPC in Google Cloud. Each method offers different levels of accessibility and security.

  • You can use Google Cloud Private Service Connect (PSC) to publish services using internal IP addresses in your VPC network. PSC is a network interface that securely connects a private IP address from your Google Cloud VPC to an external service. You grant access only to a single cluster instead of the entire BigAnimal resource VPC, thus ensuring maximum network isolation. We refer to this process of connecting as using PSC-connected endpoints.

  • We recommend the PSC-connected endpoint method, which is most commonly used and is used in the example. However, if required by your organization, you can also use the VPC peering connection method.

PSC-connected endpoint example

This example shows how to connect your cluster using PSC-connected endpoints.

Assume that your cluster is in a project called development and is being accessed from a client in another project called test. It has the following properties:

  • BigAnimal cluster:
    • Google Cloud Project Project: development
    • Google Cloud Project ID: development-001
    • BigAnimal Cluster ID: p-mckwlbakq5
    • Region where BigAnimal cluster is deployed: us-central1
    • BigAnimal Organization ID: brcxzr08qr7rbei1
    • Organization's domain name: biganimal.io
    • Host Name: p-mckwlbakq5.private.brcxzr08qr7rbei1.biganimal.io
  • VM Client:
    • Google Cloud Project Name: test
    • Google Cloud Project ID: test-001
    • VM Client/App: test-app-1
    • VM Client’s VPC: client-app-vpc
    • VM Client’s Subnet: client-app-subnet

Prerequisites

To walk through an example in your own environment, you need a:

  • BigAnimal Postgres cluster deployed with private connectivity.
  • VM with a client/application installed in your Google Cloud project.
  • Subnet in the VM’s VPC in the same region as the BigAnimal cluster.

Step 1: Publish a service from BigAnimal

Note

Publish a service from BigAnimal in the Google Cloud project connected to your BigAnimal subscription.

In the Google Cloud project connected to BigAnimal, to provide access to your cluster from other VPCs in other Google Cloud projects, create a PSC published service. Publish a service from BigAnimal for each Postgres cluster to which you want to provide access.

  1. Get the hostname of your Postgres cluster from the Connect tab of the Cluster page on the BigAnimal portal (P-mckwlbakq5.private.brcxzr08qr7rbei1.biganimal.io).

  2. Using Cloudshell, the command prompt, or some other terminal, get the internal IP address of the host by performing a ping, nslookup, or dig +short <host> against the hostname (10.247.200.9).

  3. In the Google Cloud portal, go to Network Services > Load balancing.

  4. In the Filter area, under Load Balancers, select Addresses and filter for the host IP (10.247.200.9). Note the load balancer name (a58262cd80b234a3aa917b719e69843f).

  5. Go to Private Service Connect > Published Services.

  6. Select + Publish Service.

    1. Under Load Balancer Type:

      1. Select Internal passthrough Network Load Balancer.

      2. In the Internal load balancer field, paste the load balancer name (a58262cd80b234a3aa917b719e69843f).

    2. For Service Name, enter the published service a name (p-mckwlbakq5).

    3. For Subnets, select Reserve New Subnet.

  7. In the Reserve subnet for Private Service Connect window, enter the following details, and then select Add.

    1. For Name, use the name of the Postgres cluster (p-mckwlbakq5).

    2. For IPv4 range, assign the CIDR for the field IPv4 range, for example, 10.247.214.0/29.

      Recommendations for IP range
      • Allocate at least 8 IP addresses to the CIDR. The subnet mask must not be greater than 29.
      • Avoid overlap with other reserved IP ranges by not allocating too many IP addresses at one time.
      • If you encounter the error "This IPv4 address range overlaps with a subnet you already added. Enter an address range that doesn't overlap.", use another CIDR block until no error is returned.

  8. (Optional) To accept connections automatically, add the consumer (where the client app resides) Google Cloud project ID (test-001).

  9. Select Add Service and get the name of the service attachment. You might need to select the newly created published service to find the name of the service attachment. (projects/development-001/regions/us-central1/serviceAttachments/p-mckwlbakq5).

Step 2: Create a connected endpoint for the VM client/application

Note

Create a connected endpoint for the VM client/application in the Google Cloud project where your VM client/application resides.

  1. From the Google Cloud console, switch over to the project where your VM client/application resides (test).

  2. To get the VPC of your VM (client-app-vpc), go to Compute Engine > VM Instances. Under Network Interface, note the network information.

  3. To create an endpoint with the VPC, go to Network Services > Private Service Connect. Under Connected Endpoints, select + Connect Endpoint.

    1. For the target, select Published service, and use the service attachment captured earlier (projects/development-001/regions/us-central1/serviceAttachments/p-mckwlbakq5).

    2. For the endpoint name, use the name of your VM client/application (test-app-1).

    3. For the network (VPC), use the name of your VM client’s VPC (client-app-vpc).

    4. For the subnetwork, use your VM client’s subnet (client-app-subnet).

      Note

      If no subnet is available, create a subnet in the VPC for the region where your Postgres cluster was created as shown in this knowledge base article.

    5. For the IP address, create an IP address, or choose an existing IP that isn't used by the other endpoints.

    6. Enable Global Access.

      Note

      If your VM is running in a different region from BigAnimal, then always enable Global Access.

  4. Select Add Endpoint.

  5. Check to see if the endpoint status is Accepted, and obtain the IP address.

    Note

    If the endpoint status is Pending, see this knowledge base article.

  6. Connect to your BigAnimal cluster from your client application using the endpoint IP address (for example, psql "postgres://edb_admin@<endpoint IP>:5432/edb_admin?sslmode=require").

Step 3: (Optional) Set up a private DNS zone

Setting up a private DNS zone in your Google Cloud project allows you to connect BigAnimal with the host. For instructions on setting up a private DNS zone, see this knowledge base article.

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