Deploy a NetScaler VPX instance on Google Cloud Platform
Note:
This tech preview feature is provided for evaluation purposes only and is not intended for production use.
Overview
NetScaler VPX 15.1 Tech Preview introduces the Linux-based NetScaler VPX platform on Google Cloud Platform (GCP). GCP supports standalone deployment with either a single NIC or multiple NICs. Select the model according to the required traffic separation and operational simplicity.
Choose a deployment model
| Deployment model | Recommended scenario | Primary design characteristic |
|---|---|---|
| Single NIC | Quick evaluation and simple application delivery | One NIC carries management, client, and server traffic. Alias IPs provide VIP and SNIP addresses. |
| Multiple NICs | Realistic traffic separation and advanced validation | Dedicated VPC networks and NICs carry management, client, and server traffic. |
Single-NIC standalone deployment
Use a single NIC when simplicity is more important than traffic separation. GCP uses the primary internal address for management. Add alias IP addresses to the instance for the client-side VIP and server-side SNIP, and then configure those aliases as NetScaler-owned IP addresses. Do not use the primary internal address as a VIP or SNIP. This model is well suited to compact evaluation environments.
Key considerations
- Create one VPC network and the required firewall rules.
- Use a machine type with at least 2 vCPUs and 4 GB RAM.
- Reserve a static external IP if you need stable external management access.
- Add alias IP ranges before configuring VIP and SNIP on the NetScaler VPX instance.
For more information, see Single-NIC deployment on Google Cloud Platform.
Multi-NIC, multi-IP standalone deployment
Use multiple NICs when the evaluation requires separation of management, client-facing, and back-end traffic. A typical design uses NIC 0 for the NSIP, NIC 1 for VIP traffic, and NIC 2 for SNIP traffic. GCP requires a separate VPC network for each NIC. Create all networks in the same region and configure communication routes between the NetScaler VPX instance, back-end servers, and external clients.
Key considerations
- Create separate management, client, and server VPC networks.
- Create firewall rules for SSH, HTTP, HTTPS, and application ports.
- Use at least 4 vCPUs when the instance has more than two NICs.
- Enable IP forwarding during instance creation when required.
- Plan all NICs before deployment because NICs cannot be added or removed afterward.
For more information, see Multi-NIC deployment on Google Cloud Platform.
Sizing
A NetScaler VPX instance requires at least 2 vCPUs and 4 GB RAM. Select a documented machine type that meets the NIC and workload requirements.
| Category | Supported machine types |
|---|---|
| General-purpose | C3, C4, C4D and N4 |
For more information, see Supported GCP machine types.
Limitations
- IPv6 is not supported.
- Network interfaces cannot be added or removed after the instance is created.
- For a multi-NIC deployment, create a separate VPC network for each NIC. One NIC can be associated with only one network.
- An instance with more than two network interfaces requires at least 4 vCPUs.
- Enable IP forwarding while creating the instance and configuring the NIC.
For complete deployment guidance, see NetScaler VPX on Google Cloud Platform.