MORU

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Building a Scalable Kubernetes Infrastructure on Google Cloud Platform

The architecture diagram illustrates a robust Google Cloud Platform (GCP) deployment centered around Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE). This infrastructure design demonstrates how modern cloud-native applications can be deployed with security, scalability, and infrastructure-as-code principles in mind.

Key Components of the Architecture

Infrastructure Automation with Terraform

At the foundation of this architecture is HashiCorp Terraform, providing infrastructure-as-code capabilities. Terraform allows developers and operations teams to define, provision, and manage GCP resources in a programmatic, version-controlled manner. This approach ensures consistent environments and simplifies the complexities of cloud infrastructure management.

Secure Access Layer

The architecture implements a well-designed secure access pattern:

• A Bastion host with external IP address acts as the secure entry point for administrative access
• SSH connections from the Terraform client (developer environment) to the Bastion provide secure administrative access
• The Bastion instance is strategically placed within the Virtual Private Network (VPN)

Network Architecture

The design showcases a thoughtful network configuration:

• A Virtual Private Network isolates resources from direct internet exposure
• Cloud NAT enables outbound connectivity for private resources to access external services
• This allows worker nodes to communicate with third-party APIs and container registries

Kubernetes Implementation

At the core of this architecture is Google Kubernetes Engine:

• A Master node handles the control plane operations
• Multiple Linux worker nodes provide the compute capacity for containerized applications
• The worker nodes are distributed for high availability
• The cluster is accessed through a Cloud Load Balancer, which routes HTTP traffic from users

Benefits of This Architecture

This architecture delivers several important advantages:

1. Security by Design: The bastion host pattern limits direct exposure to the internet, while the VPC provides network isolation.
2. Scalability: GKE automatically manages the Kubernetes control plane and can scale worker nodes as demand changes.
3. Infrastructure as Code: Using Terraform ensures repeatable deployments and enables GitOps workflows through CI/CD systems.
4. Cost Efficiency: The architecture separates concerns appropriately, allowing resources to be sized according to their specific requirements.
5. Operational Excellence: The design provides clear separation between user traffic, administrative access, and backend services.

Implementation Considerations

When implementing this type of architecture, consider:

• Setting up appropriate IAM roles and permissions for the Terraform service account
• Configuring network policies within Kubernetes for pod-to-pod communication
• Implementing secrets management for sensitive configuration
• Establishing monitoring and logging solutions to gain visibility into the infrastructure

This architecture represents a modern approach to cloud-native application deployment that balances security, scalability, and operational efficiency—ideal for organizations looking to leverage container orchestration while maintaining robust infrastructure governance.