Google Releases HTTP Load Balancing, Latest Upgrade In Busy Month For Cloud Platform

Google introduced an HTTP load-balancing feature Wednesday for its cloud platform, the latest in a series of Compute Engine upgrades released this month.

Google's HTTP load balancing was released in open preview and available to all Google cloud users who want to make their web applications not only evenly utilize servers but also scale better across geographic regions by routing users based on their proximity to servers.

Tony Safoian, CEO of Los Angeles-based SADA systems, was involved in testing the new HTTP load-balancing feature during its early stages of development.

[Related: Google Offers CoreOS On Compute Engine Cloud]

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"This new feature will offer unheard of intelligence to optimize traffic most efficiently," Safoian told CRN.

HTTP load balancing will allow full-production applications to realize benefits in efficiency that go far beyond the basic features of on-premises load balancing, he said.

Allen Falcon, CEO of Massachusetts-based Cumulus Global, told CRN, "These additions are important as they respond to both customer demand as well as competitive offerings."

By adding HTTP load balancing, the Google platform becomes viable for commercial and production applications.

"Without it, customers would see the platform for development and test only," Falcon said.

Earlier this month, Google unveiled Google Cloud Platform for Startups, a program encouraging new companies to allow Google to manage their apps, database and storage by offering them $100,000 in credit and round-the-clock support.

The release of Google Cloud Platform for Startups is another example of Google's commitment to its cloud platform, Safoian told CRN.

"The technology behind Google's platform sets it apart from its competitors, and this invitation to startups will help probe that fact," he said.

And on Monday the Mountain View, Calif.-based search engine giant introduced the CentOS 7 operating system to Compute Engine.

Version 7 of the popular operating system focused on deep Linux container support, as well as the inclusion of systemd, GNOME 3 and XFS as the default file system.

"The fact that this flurry of new features has come only a few months after the last feature release is very encouraging as it displays Google's dedication and innovation around the cloud platform," Safoian said.

David Hoff, SVP of technology at Atlanta-based CloudSherpas, told CRN that a common theme at the company's cloud strategy workshops is customers wondering how to effectively deploy the right technology to support their business goals.

Many of those companies are looking at Docker and containerization technologies to provide the agility and scalability for their cloud deployments, he said.

"These announcements, like CentOS 7, build on Google's experience bringing web scale technology to Cloud Platform, and as a partner, these new offerings provide additional opportunities for us to develop and deploy big data applications for our clients," Hoff said.

PUBLISHED SEPT. 25, 2014