Google Distributed Cloud is software that brings
Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE)
to on-premises data centers. With Google Distributed Cloud, you can create,
manage, and upgrade Kubernetes clusters in your on-premises environment.
With Connect, you can view
and sign in to your on-premises and on-cloud Kubernetes clusters from the same
interface in the Google Cloud console.
Before you install Google Distributed Cloud, you create an admin workstation
virtual machine (VM) instance in your vSphere environment. You then use the
admin workstation to
install Google Distributed Cloud.
Architecture
An Google Distributed Cloud installation includes an admin cluster, one or more user clusters, and an admin workstation. An Anthos clusters on VMware cluster's virtual machines (VMs) are all in the same vSphere cluster. Anthos clusters on VMware clusters can be in the same or different vSphere clusters.
Google Distributed Cloud architecture with one user control plane (click to enlarge)
Admin cluster
The admin cluster is the base layer of Google Distributed Cloud. It runs the
following Google Distributed Cloud components:
Admin cluster control plane. The admin cluster's control plane includes
the Kubernetes API server, the scheduler, and several controllers for the
admin cluster.
User cluster control planes. For each user cluster, the admin cluster
has a node that runs the control plane for the user cluster. The control
plane includes the Kubernetes API server, the scheduler, and several
controllers for the user cluster.
Add-ons. The admin cluster runs several Kubernetes add-ons, like
Grafana, Prometheus, and Google Cloud Observability. Google Distributed Cloud
launches add-ons on different admin cluster nodes than other control
plane components.
Note that user control planes are managed by the admin cluster. They run on
nodes in the admin cluster, not in the user clusters. In addition, nodes in the
admin cluster run Google Distributed Cloud components. User workloads do not run
in the admin cluster.
User cluster
User clusters are where you deploy and run your containerized workloads and
services.
Versioning
To learn about Google Distributed Cloud versions, see Version history.
Additional GKE Enterprise components
With Google Distributed Cloud, you can also use the following
GKE Enterprise components:
[[["Easy to understand","easyToUnderstand","thumb-up"],["Solved my problem","solvedMyProblem","thumb-up"],["Other","otherUp","thumb-up"]],[["Hard to understand","hardToUnderstand","thumb-down"],["Incorrect information or sample code","incorrectInformationOrSampleCode","thumb-down"],["Missing the information/samples I need","missingTheInformationSamplesINeed","thumb-down"],["Other","otherDown","thumb-down"]],["Last updated 2025-08-25 UTC."],[[["\u003cp\u003eGoogle Distributed Cloud extends Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE) to on-premises data centers, enabling the creation, management, and upgrading of Kubernetes clusters in your own environment.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eIt operates within a vSphere environment, using VMware's vCenter Server for cluster management.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eAn installation includes an admin cluster, responsible for running the control planes for both itself and any user clusters, and one or more user clusters for deploying containerized workloads.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eWith the Connect feature, users can access their on-premises and on-cloud Kubernetes clusters through a centralized interface in the Google Cloud console.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eGoogle Distributed Cloud, a component of GKE Enterprise, offers integration with additional GKE Enterprise features such as Cloud Service Mesh, Config Management, Knative serving, and Connect.\u003c/p\u003e\n"]]],[],null,["# Google Distributed Cloud overview\n\n\u003cbr /\u003e\n\nGoogle Distributed Cloud is software that brings\n[Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE)](/kubernetes-engine/docs/concepts/kubernetes-engine-overview)\nto on-premises data centers. With Google Distributed Cloud, you can create,\nmanage, and upgrade Kubernetes clusters in your on-premises environment.\n\nWith [Connect](/anthos/multicluster-management/connect), you can view\nand sign in to your on-premises and on-cloud Kubernetes clusters from the same\ninterface in the [Google Cloud console](/anthos/multicluster-management/console).\n\nGoogle Distributed Cloud runs in your data center in a\n[vSphere environment](/anthos/clusters/docs/on-prem/1.9/how-to/vsphere-requirements).\nvSphere is VMware's\n[server virtualization](https://www.vmware.com/topics/glossary/content/server-virtualization)\nsoftware. Google Distributed Cloud uses VMware's\n[vCenter Server](https://www.vmware.com/products/vcenter-server.html)\nto manage your clusters.\n\nGetting Google Distributed Cloud\n--------------------------------\n\nGoogle Distributed Cloud is a core component of [GKE Enterprise](/anthos).\n\n- [GKE Enterprise overview](/anthos/docs/concepts/overview)\n- [Contact sales](/contact/?form=anthos)\n\nInstalling Google Distributed Cloud\n-----------------------------------\n\nBefore you install Google Distributed Cloud, you create an admin workstation\nvirtual machine (VM) instance in your vSphere environment. You then use the\nadmin workstation to\n[install Google Distributed Cloud](/anthos/clusters/docs/on-prem/1.9/how-to/install-overview-basic).\n\nArchitecture\n------------\n\nAn Google Distributed Cloud installation includes an admin cluster, one or more user clusters, and an admin workstation. An Anthos clusters on VMware cluster's virtual machines (VMs) are all in the same [vSphere cluster](https://docs.vmware.com/en/VMware-vSphere/7.0/com.vmware.vsphere.resmgmt.doc/GUID-487C09CE-8BE2-4B89-BA30-0E4F7E3C66F7.html). Anthos clusters on VMware clusters can be in the same or different vSphere clusters.\n[](/static/anthos/clusters/docs/on-prem/1.9/images/architecture_09302019.svg) Google Distributed Cloud architecture with one user control plane (click to enlarge)\n\n### Admin cluster\n\nThe *admin cluster* is the base layer of Google Distributed Cloud. It runs the\nfollowing Google Distributed Cloud components:\n\n- **Admin cluster control plane.** The admin cluster's control plane includes\n the Kubernetes API server, the scheduler, and several controllers for the\n admin cluster.\n\n- **User cluster control planes.** For each user cluster, the admin cluster\n has a node that runs the control plane for the user cluster. The control\n plane includes the Kubernetes API server, the scheduler, and several\n controllers for the user cluster.\n\n- **Add-ons.** The admin cluster runs several Kubernetes add-ons, like\n Grafana, Prometheus, and Google Cloud Observability. Google Distributed Cloud\n launches add-ons on different admin cluster nodes than other control\n plane components.\n\nNote that user control planes are managed by the admin cluster. They run on\nnodes in the admin cluster, not in the user clusters. In addition, nodes in the\nadmin cluster run Google Distributed Cloud components. User workloads do not run\nin the admin cluster.\n\n### User cluster\n\n*User clusters* are where you deploy and run your containerized workloads and\nservices.\n\nVersioning\n----------\n\nTo learn about Google Distributed Cloud versions, see [Version history](/anthos/clusters/docs/on-prem/1.9/version-history).\n\nAdditional GKE Enterprise components\n------------------------------------\n\nWith Google Distributed Cloud, you can also use the following\nGKE Enterprise components:\n\n- [Cloud Service Mesh](/service-mesh/docs/gke-on-prem-install)\n- [Config Management](/anthos-config-management/docs/overview)\n- [Knative serving](/anthos/run/docs)\n- [Connect](/anthos/multicluster-management/connect)\n\nWhat's next\n-----------\n\n- [Google Distributed Cloud installation overview](/anthos/clusters/docs/on-prem/1.9/how-to/install-overview-basic)"]]
