Network profiles for specific use cases

This page provides an overview of network profiles in Google Cloud.

About network profiles

Google Cloud uses the network profile resource to pre-configure certain properties in a VPC network for a specific use case.

The use case supported by network profiles is running AI workloads on machines with network interfaces (NICs) that support remote direct memory access (RDMA). Google Cloud provides an RDMA network profile that lets you create a Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) network that supports RDMA connectivity. For more information about running AI workloads in Google Cloud, see the AI Hypercomputer documentation.

A network profile represents the set of supported features in a VPC network. This set of features is pre-configured by Google Cloud according to the network profile's use case.

To support a specific use case, a network profile does the following:

  • Enables one or more unique features that aren't offered in regular VPC networks.
  • Limits the use of some feature combinations of regular VPC networks that might otherwise interfere with the optimal operation of the specific network profile's use case.

You only need to configure a network profile if you want to create a VPC network that supports RDMA NICs. Otherwise, create a VPC network without a network profile.

Specifications

The following general specifications apply to VPC networks that are created with a network profile:

  • Network profiles are provided by Google Cloud and are read-only resources. You can't create a network profile or modify the properties of a network profile.
  • You must specify a network profile when creating a VPC network. You can't change the network profile of a VPC network after you create the network.

  • Network profile resources include the following properties:

    • name: the resource name of the network profile, which is always prepended with the location of the network profile.
    • description: a description of the specific use case supported by the network profile.
    • location: the location of the network profile. There is a unique instance of a given network profile for each location in which it is available.
    • features: the set of features that are enabled and disabled by the network profile.

    You can list network profiles and view the details of a network profile as described in View network profiles.

  • When you create a VPC network with a network profile, the VPC network is constrained to the location of the network profile. For example, if the network profile is zonal, any zonal resources that you create in the network must be placed in the zone of the network profile.

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