Best Practices for Designing & Building Scalable and Reliable Cloud-Based Applications on the Google Cloud Platform

Building scalable and reliable cloud-based applications on Google Cloud Platform (GCP) requires a different approach than traditional on-premises app development.

The cloud has its own challenges and opportunities that must be considered to ensure success, and before you start your next cloud-based project, you should be aware of these vital considerations.

Microservices & Managed Services

One of the most critical considerations when designing cloud-based applications is microservices. 

Microservices are software architecture patterns in which an application is broken down into small, independent components that can be developed, deployed, and scaled independently. 
This approach has several benefits in the cloud, including: 

• The ability to scale individual pieces as needed
• Faster deployment times
• Easier maintenance and updates

Another important factor in building scalable and reliable cloud-based applications is managed services. 

GCP offers a range of managed services, such as Cloud SQL, Cloud Functions, and Pub/Sub, that can be used to build and deploy applications without the need to manage the underlying infrastructure. These services can reduce the complexity and overhead of building and maintaining cloud-based applications, making it easier to focus on the business logic and functionality of the application. 

In addition to microservices and managed services, several other best practices can help you design and build scalable and reliable cloud-based applications on GCP: 

1. Use autoscaling to ensure that your application has the resources it needs to handle changes in demand. 
2. Implement monitoring and alerting to identify and address potential issues quickly. 
3. Use load balancing to distribute traffic across multiple instances of your application. 
4. Consider using a multi-region architecture to ensure high availability and disaster recovery. 
5. Take advantage of GCP's security and compliance features to protect your application and data. 

Let's dig a little deeper into these best practices. 

Autoscaling 

Autoscaling is a feature that allows you to automatically scale the resources used by your application in response to changes in demand. This can help ensure that your application has the resources to handle traffic and workload fluctuations without manual intervention. In GCP, there are several ways to use autoscaling to manage the resources used by your application. 

One way to autoscale in GCP is by using Managed Instance Groups (MIGs). 

MIGs are a resource that allows you to manage a group of identical Compute Engine instances as a single entity. You can use MIGs to specify the minimum and maximum number of instances running, and GCP will automatically add or remove instances as needed to maintain the desired number. You can also set the maximum rate at which instances should be added or removed to control the scaling rate. 

But that’s not all. You can also autoscale in GCP through Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE). 

GKE is a managed service for deploying and running containerized applications in the cloud. You can use GKE to deploy your application in a cluster of nodes and then use autoscaling to automatically add or remove nodes as needed to handle changes on demand. GKE provides several options for configuring autoscaling, including the ability to scale based on CPU or memory usage or custom metrics.

In addition to MIGs and GKE, there are several other options for ways to leverage the power of autoscaling in GCP. 

For example, you can use autoscaling with Cloud Functions to automatically scale the number of instances of your functions based on incoming requests. You can also use autoscaling with Cloud Run, a managed service for deploying containerized applications, to automatically scale the number of instances of your application based on incoming requests or custom metrics. 

Overall, using autoscaling in GCP can ensure that your application has the resources to handle changes on demand without needing manual intervention. By configuring autoscaling for your application, you can take advantage of the elastic nature of the cloud and ensure that your application is always able to meet the needs of your users. 

Monitoring & Alerting

Monitoring and alerting are essential tools for ensuring the performance and reliability of your applications on GCP. By setting up monitoring and alerting, you can quickly identify potential issues with your application and take action to address them before they become more serious. 

You will need to use the Cloud Monitoring service to implement monitoring and alerting in GCP. Cloud monitoring allows you to collect and analyze data about the performance and availability of your applications, as well as the underlying infrastructure resources that support them, providing an assisted data analysis tool for optimizing application performance. With Cloud Monitoring it’s easy:

• Metrics: Collect and store data about various aspects of your application and infrastructure, such as CPU utilization, network traffic, and response times. 
• Dashboards: You can use Cloud Monitoring to create custom dashboards that display the metrics and data that are most relevant to your application. These dashboards can help you get a real-time view of your application's performance and identify potential issues. 
• Alerting: You can also set up alerts that are triggered when certain conditions are met. For example, you can set up an alert to be sent when the CPU utilization of your application exceeds a certain threshold. This can help you quickly identify potential issues with your application and take action to resolve them. 

To set up monitoring and alerting in GCP, you will need to define the metrics and alerts you want to track,  and then you’ll need to configure the monitoring and alerting tools to collect and analyze the data. You can do this using the GCP Console or the Cloud Monitoring API. 

By implementing monitoring and alerting in GCP, you can ensure that you are aware of any potential issues with your application and can take action to resolve them quickly. This can help you maintain the performance and reliability of your applications and can ultimately lead to a better user experience.

Load Balancing

Load balancing is a technique for distributing incoming traffic across multiple instances of an application to improve performance and reliability. You can use load balancing to ensure that your application can handle high traffic and workloads without becoming overwhelmed or unavailable. 

GCP provides a few tools and services that you can use to implement load balancing for your applications. Some of the most common options include: 

• Network Load Balancer: This layer 4 load balancer distributes traffic based on the IP address and port of the incoming request. It is well-suited for high-performance applications and can handle large amounts of traffic. 
• HTTP(S) Load Balancer: This layer 7 load balancer distributes traffic based on the HTTP(S) protocol. It is well-suited for applications that require more advanced routing and load-balancing capabilities, such as cookie-based session affinity or URL-based routing. 
• Internal Load Balancer: This load balancer is only accessible within your Google Cloud Virtual Private Cloud (VPC). It can distribute traffic within your VPC and is useful for applications not exposed to the public internet.

Multi-Regional Architecture

A multi-regional architecture allows you to deploy your applications across multiple regions to improve availability and ensure disaster recovery. Using a multi-regional architecture, you can ensure that your applications are resilient to outages and can continue operating even if one region becomes unavailable. 

GCP provides several tools and services that you can use to implement a multi-regional architecture for your applications. Some of the key considerations when designing a multi-regional architecture include the following: 

• Data replication: You will need to ensure that your data is replicated across multiple regions in a consistent and efficient way. In GCP, you can use services like Cloud Storage, Cloud SQL, and Cloud Bigtable to replicate your data. 
• Load balancing: You will need to use load balancing to distribute traffic across multiple regions in a way that is seamless and transparent to users. 
• Disaster recovery: You will need to have a plan in place for how to recover from outages and disasters that may affect one or more regions. This plan should include failover, backup and restoration, and testing and validation measures.

Using a multi-region architecture on GCP ensures that your applications are highly available and can recover quickly in the event of an outage or disaster. This can help you maintain the performance and reliability of your applications and ultimately provide a better user experience.

Security & Compliance

Security and compliance are critical considerations when building and deploying applications to the cloud. That’s where GCP’s Security Command Center comes into play because it’s highly important to protect your application and data and to ensure that your applications meet relevant compliance standards. 

Some of the key security and compliance features that GCP offers include: 

• Identity and access management (IAM): GCP provides several tools and services to manage and control access to your applications and data. This includes features such as Cloud Identity, which allows you to manage user accounts and permissions, and Cloud Key Management Service, which will enable you to store and manage cryptographic keys securely. 
• Network security: GCP offers a few network security features you can use to protect your applications and data. This includes tools such as Cloud Firewall, which allows you to define firewall rules to control access to your VPC, and Cloud Armor, which provides DDoS protection for your applications. 
• Data encryption: GCP also has a couple of excellent managed services that you can use to encrypt your data at rest and in transit. This includes services like Cloud KMS, which allows you to create and manage encryption keys, and Cloud Storage, which will enable you to store your data in encrypted form. 
• Compliance: Google’s got you covered when it comes to compliance to ensure that your applications meet relevant standards. This includes features such as Cloud Audit Logs, which allows you to track and audit activity within your GCP environment, and Web Security Scanner, which helps you identify vulnerabilities in your App Engine, Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE), and Compute Engine web applications. 

By taking advantage of GCP's security and compliance features, you can ensure that your applications and data are protected and that your applications meet relevant compliance standards. This can help you build and deploy applications confidently and ensure that your applications are secure and compliant. 

In Summary

Designing and building scalable and reliable cloud-based applications on GCP requires focusing on microservices, managed services, and various other best practices. By following these
principles, you can build optimized applications for the cloud and take advantage of the many benefits of the platform.  

Using a Trusted Google Cloud Partner

There are several reasons your company should consider Promevo Cloud Services Consulting when designing and building scalable and reliable cloud-based applications on GCP as part of your migration from on-premises to the cloud. 

First, we have a team of experienced GCP Certified Cloud Architects who deeply understand the platform and follow best practices for designing and building cloud-based applications. This expertise can help ensure that your applications are optimized for the cloud and take advantage of the many benefits of GCP. 

Second, we have a proven track record of successfully delivering complex cloud projects for our clients. We have helped many companies migrate their on-premises applications to the cloud, and we have the skills and experience to ensure that your migration is smooth and successful.

Finally, we offer various services and support options to help you get the most out of your cloud investment. This includes training and mentorship for your team, ongoing support and maintenance, and help with continuing optimization and cost management. 

Promevo is well-equipped to help you design and build scalable and reliable cloud-based applications on GCP as part of your migration from on-premises to the cloud. 

If you need scalable and reliable cloud-based applications built on GCP, trust Promevo Cloud Services Consulting.

At Promevo, we help you harness the robust capabilities of Google to accelerate  growth and give you the momentum you need to achieve your most ambitious goals.

Our team of experienced GCP Certified Cloud Architects command a deep understanding of the platform and excel at designing and building custom cloud-based applications.

As your trusted service partner, Promevo supports your business with a robust suite of services, including:

• Advanced Automation and Precision Control: gPanel® management and security give you the tools you need to automate everyday admin tasks and control all user data and settings.
• End-to-End Solutions Specific to Your Needs: We provide our partners with everything they need for their Google Workspace, including software licenses, hardware, professional services, and continuous support and customization. 
• Advisory Workshops: We leverage our Google expertise to guide our clients and maximize success. From strategy assessment to internal advocacy and thought leadership, Promevo’s advisory workshops are designed to produce the best outcomes.
• Certifications and Google Expertise: Our Google-Certified Engineer team supports our clients with unparalleled technical support and Google expertise.

With Promevo’s expert consultation, comprehensive support, and exceptional service from end-to-end, you can streamline the development of your custom cloud-based applications on Google Cloud Platform like never before.