thedixitjain GKE Networking
This reference covers networking configuration for GKE clusters. The golden path enforces private, VPC-native clusters with Dataplane V2.
MCP Tools:
get_cluster,update_cluster,apply_k8s_manifest,get_k8s_resource
Golden Path Networking Defaults
| Setting | Golden Path Value | Day-0/1 | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
privateClusterConfig.enablePrivateNodes |
true |
Day-0 | Nodes have no public IPs |
masterAuthorizedNetworksConfig.privateEndpointEnforcementEnabled |
true |
Day-0 | Control plane only reachable via private endpoint or DNS |
controlPlaneEndpointsConfig.dnsEndpointConfig.allowExternalTraffic |
true |
Day-0 | Allows DNS-based access from outside VPC |
networkConfig.datapathProvider |
ADVANCED_DATAPATH (Dataplane V2) |
Day-0 | eBPF-based, built-in Network Policy |
networkConfig.dnsConfig.clusterDns |
CLOUD_DNS |
Day-0 | Managed DNS, more reliable than kube-dns |
networkConfig.enableIntraNodeVisibility |
true |
Day-1 | VPC Flow Logs for intra-node traffic |
ipAllocationPolicy.autoIpamConfig.enabled |
true |
Day-0 | Automatic IP range management |
ipAllocationPolicy.createSubnetwork |
true |
Day-0 | Auto-create dedicated subnet |
defaultMaxPodsConstraint.maxPodsPerNode |
48 |
Day-0 | Conservative default; 110 for high density |
Private Cluster Access Patterns
The golden path creates a private cluster. Users access it via:
- DNS endpoint (default):
allowExternalTraffic: trueenables access via the cluster's DNS endpoint from outside the VPC. No VPN required. - Private endpoint: Direct access from within the VPC or via Cloud VPN/Interconnect.
- Authorized networks: Add specific CIDRs to
masterAuthorizedNetworksConfigfor IP-based access control.
# Access private cluster via DNS endpoint (golden path default)
gcloud container clusters get-credentials {cluster_name} \
--region {region} --dns-endpoint \
--quiet
# Access via private endpoint (from within VPC)
gcloud container clusters get-credentials {cluster_name} \
--region {region} --internal-ip \
--quiet
Bring-Your-Own VPC/Subnet
If the customer has existing network infrastructure:
gcloud container clusters create-auto {cluster_name} \
--region {region} \
--network {vpc_name} \
--subnetwork {subnet_name} \
--cluster-secondary-range-name {pod_range} \
--services-secondary-range-name {svc_range} \
--enable-private-nodes \
--enable-master-authorized-networks \
--quiet
Day-0 Warning: VPC, subnet, and IP ranges cannot be changed after cluster creation.
VPC-Native Mode Benefits
VPC-native clusters route traffic natively using GCP Alias IP ranges. Key benefits to cover:
- Scalability: Traffic routes natively inside the VPC, bypassing the need for custom routes and avoiding custom route limit bottlenecks.
- Direct VPC Integration: Direct resource integration across GCP networks without complex bridging or routing tunnels.
- Avoiding IP Exhaustion: Supports discontiguous IP ranges and optimizes allocation, reducing the risk of exhausting subnet IP ranges.
IP Planning
| Resource | Golden Path | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Pod CIDR | /17 (auto) |
~32K pod IPs; size based on maxPodsPerNode |
| Service CIDR | /20 (auto) |
~4K service IPs |
| Node subnet | auto-created | /20 recommended for growth |
| Max pods/node | 48 | Each node gets a /25 pod range; set to 110 |
| : : : for /24 per node : |
Pod CIDR sizing rule of thumb:
maxPodsPerNode=48-> each node uses a/25(128 IPs) from pod CIDRmaxPodsPerNode=110-> each node uses a/24(256 IPs) from pod CIDR- Larger maxPodsPerNode = fewer nodes fit in a given CIDR
Egress
- Default: nodes use Cloud NAT for outbound internet access (private nodes have no public IPs) to allow private nodes to reach the internet without public IP exposure.
- For static egress IPs: configure Cloud NAT with manual IP allocation to maintain a consistent source IP for external allowlists or partner firewalls.
- For restricted egress: route through a firewall appliance via custom routes to inspect and filter outbound traffic according to organization security policies.
Network Policy
Dataplane V2 (golden path) provides built-in Network Policy enforcement — no additional addon needed. Apply default-deny per namespace, then allow specific flows.
See the
gke-workload-securityskill for default-deny policy and thegke-multitenancyskill for per-team allow policies.
Source: google/skills → skills/cloud/gke-networking/SKILL.md