Cloud WAN Connecting networks for the AI Era with Google Cloud

This presentation by Aniruddha Agharkar, Product Manager at Google Cloud Networking, centers on Cloud WAN, Google’s fully managed backbone solution designed for the enterprise era and powered by Google’s planet-scale network. Customers have historically relied on bespoke networks using leased lines and MPLS providers, leading to inconsistencies in security, operational challenges, a lack of visibility, and slow adoption of cloud technologies. Cloud WAN addresses these issues by providing a consistent network underpinned by Google’s high-performance, reliable infrastructure that supports billions of users daily, including services like YouTube and Google Maps.

Cloud WAN offers any-to-any connectivity, serving as a centerpiece for connecting branch offices, data centers, and other cloud providers, with the potential to reduce total cost of ownership by up to 40% and improve application performance by a similar margin. Key use cases include enabling high-performance connectivity between various network locations and consolidating branch offices into the Google Cloud ecosystem. To facilitate this, Google is introducing cross-site interconnect, providing Layer 2 connectivity across different sites, backed by the same infrastructure as cloud interconnects, decoupling cloud infrastructure from site-to-site connectivity.

The presentation also highlights the importance of SD-WAN integration, allowing customers to bring their SD-WAN head-ends into the cloud and leverage premium tier networking for faster and more reliable connectivity. Google’s Verified Peering Program (VPP) identifies and badges validated ISPs to ensure optimal last-mile connectivity into Google Cloud. Success stories from customers like Nestle demonstrate the benefits of Cloud WAN, including enhanced stability, reliability, cost efficiency, and improved latency. Cloud WAN and associated services like cross-site interconnects, SD-WAN appliances, and NCC Gateway are accessible through the same Google Cloud console, streamlining management and offering a unified networking solution.