Drive Real-Time Data Innovation with Confluent on Google Cloud

Confluent Cloud on GCP is a fully managed, cloud-native data streaming platform powered by Apache Kafka®. It enables real-time data processing and integration across Google Cloud services without the operational overhead of managing Kafka infrastructure. By leveraging GCP's global infrastructure, Confluent Cloud provides a scalable and reliable streaming solution that integrates seamlessly with your existing GCP environment.

Learn more about Confluent Cloud on GCP

Confluent Cloud offers seamless integration with various Google Cloud services through fully managed connectors. You can connect to services like Google BigQuery, Google Cloud Storage, Google Cloud Pub/Sub, Google Cloud Spanner, and Google Bigtable. These integrations enable you to build robust data pipelines and streaming applications that interact directly with GCP resources.

Explore GCP integrations with Confluent Cloud

Yes, when you deploy Confluent Cloud on GCP, it runs on Google Cloud's infrastructure, utilizing Google's global network, security features, and compliance standards. This ensures a reliable and scalable data streaming service that integrates seamlessly with your GCP environment.

Learn about Confluent Cloud deployment options

Using Confluent Cloud on GCP offers several benefits:

• Fully Managed Service: Offload operational tasks like provisioning, scaling, and maintenance to Confluent.
• Seamless GCP Integration: Leverage fully managed connectors to integrate with Google Cloud services.
• Scalability: Automatically scale resources based on workload.
• Enhanced Security: Benefit from built-in security features and compliance certifications.
• Cost Efficiency: Pay-as-you-go pricing reduces upfront costs.

Discover the benefits of Confluent Cloud

To set up Confluent Cloud on GCP:

1. Sign Up: Create a Confluent Cloud account.
2. Select GCP: Choose Google Cloud as your cloud provider during cluster creation.
3. Configure Cluster: Select the desired GCP region and cluster specifications.
4. Connect Applications: Use the provided bootstrap servers and credentials to connect your producers and consumers.

Follow the step-by-step guide to set up Confluent Cloud on GCP

Confluent Cloud offers several fully managed connectors for Google Cloud services:

• Google BigQuery Sink Connector: Stream data from Kafka topics to BigQuery.
• Google Cloud Storage Sink Connector: Sink data to Cloud Storage buckets.
• Google Cloud Pub/Sub Source and Sink Connectors: Integrate with Pub/Sub topics.
• Google Cloud Spanner Sink Connector: Write data to Cloud Spanner databases.
• Google Bigtable Sink Connector: Stream data to Bigtable.

View the list of Confluent Cloud connectors

Confluent Cloud provides a fully managed Google BigQuery Sink Connector that allows you to stream data from Kafka topics directly into BigQuery tables. This enables real-time analytics and insights using BigQuery's powerful querying capabilities.

Learn how to set up the BigQuery Sink Connector

Yes, you can integrate Confluent Cloud with Google Cloud Dataflow to perform real-time data processing and transformations. Dataflow provides connectors and IO transforms for Apache Kafka, allowing you to consume data from or produce data to Confluent Cloud.

Learn about integrating Kafka with Dataflow

Confluent Cloud enables real-time data streaming by providing a high-throughput, low-latency platform for ingesting and processing streaming data. With integrations to Google Cloud services like BigQuery and Cloud Storage, you can build end-to-end real-time data pipelines and applications on GCP.

Understand real-time data streaming with Confluent Cloud

Confluent Cloud offers robust security features:

• Encryption in Transit and at Rest: All data is encrypted using TLS for data in transit and AES encryption for data at rest.
• Authentication: Support for API keys and OAuth with OpenID Connect.
• Access Control: Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) for granular permissions.
• Private Networking: Use VPC peering or Private Service Connect to establish private connections.

Learn more about security in Confluent Cloud

Yes, you can deploy your Kafka clients and applications on Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE) and connect them to Confluent Cloud clusters. This allows you to build scalable, containerized applications that leverage Confluent Cloud for data streaming.

Read about connecting clients from Kubernetes to Confluent Cloud

While both Confluent Cloud and Google Cloud Pub/Sub are messaging services, Confluent Cloud offers a complete data streaming platform powered by Apache Kafka. Key differences include:

• Ecosystem: Confluent Cloud provides features like ksqlDB, Schema Registry, and a rich set of connectors.
• Compatibility: Confluent Cloud is compatible with the Apache Kafka ecosystem and clients.
• Stream Processing: Advanced stream processing capabilities with ksqlDB.
• Data Retention: Confluent Cloud allows long-term data retention, whereas Pub/Sub is optimized for shorter-term messaging.

Yes, Confluent Cloud supports multi-zone and multi-region deployments on GCP to enhance availability and resilience. You can deploy clusters across multiple GCP regions and configure Cluster Linking for data replication.

Understand multi-region deployments

Yes, you can integrate Confluent Cloud with Google Cloud Functions and Cloud Run to build serverless, event-driven architectures. Use Kafka client libraries within your functions to produce or consume messages from Confluent Cloud.

Explore serverless integration with Confluent Cloud

Confluent Cloud offers a fully managed Schema Registry that allows you to manage and enforce data schemas across your Kafka topics. This ensures data compatibility and reduces errors in data processing.

Learn about Schema Registry in Confluent Cloud

Confluent Cloud uses a consumption-based pricing model, charging based on:

• Data Ingress/Egress: Volume of data streamed.
• Storage: Amount of data stored in Kafka topics.
• Additional Services: Usage of connectors, ksqlDB, and Schema Registry.

You can also opt for committed usage plans for discounted rates.

View Confluent Cloud pricing details

You can monitor your Confluent Cloud clusters using:

• Confluent Cloud UI: Provides real-time metrics and cluster health.
• Metrics API: Access metrics programmatically.
• Integration with Monitoring Tools: Use tools like Datadog or Prometheus for advanced monitoring.

Learn about monitoring Confluent Cloud

Yes, Confluent Cloud adheres to various compliance standards, including SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, GDPR, and HIPAA (with a BAA). It leverages GCP's compliance certifications to ensure data is handled securely.

Yes, Confluent Cloud supports private networking options on GCP:

• VPC Peering: Establish a private connection between your VPC and Confluent Cloud.
• Private Service Connect: Use Google's Private Service Connect to connect privately to Confluent Cloud services.

Set up private networking with Confluent Cloud

Confluent Cloud automatically scales Kafka clusters based on workload. It provides features like Auto Scaling to handle varying data volumes without manual intervention, ensuring your data architecture remains robust and scalable.

Understand scaling in Confluent Cloud

To optimize performance:

• Configure Partitions: Adjust topic partitions for parallelism.
• Use Efficient Serialization: Employ formats like Avro with Schema Registry.
• Monitor Resources: Utilize Confluent's monitoring tools.
• Network Configuration: Ensure low-latency network connections via private networking options.

Performance tuning guidelines

Yes, by streaming data through Confluent Cloud, you can feed real-time data into GCP's AI and machine learning services like Vertex AI for advanced analytics and predictive modeling.

Learn how to build real-time machine learning pipelines

Confluent Cloud enables hybrid and multi-cloud deployments through features like Cluster Linking. This allows you to replicate data across clusters in different regions or cloud providers, including on-premises environments.

Confluent offers various support plans, including Developer, Business, and Premier Support tiers. These provide access to Kafka experts, technical support, and SLAs to ensure your streaming applications run smoothly.

View Confluent Support options

Confluent Cloud offers a free trial with usage credits to help you get started. You can sign up and begin deploying your streaming applications on GCP without initial costs.

Sign up for a free trial

Yes, Confluent Cloud provides connectors for both Google Bigtable and Google Cloud Spanner. These connectors allow you to stream data into these databases for scalable storage and real-time data access.

Explore Confluent Cloud connectors

Confluent Cloud offers features like Multi-Zone Clusters and Cluster Linking to ensure high availability and disaster recovery. Data is replicated across availability zones and regions to prevent data loss.

Learn about disaster recovery in Confluent Cloud

Confluent's Stream Governance suite ensures data quality and compliance across streaming applications. It integrates with GCP services by:

• Schema Management: Enforcing schemas with Schema Registry.
• Data Lineage: Tracking data flow for compliance and auditing.
• Visibility: Providing insights into data streams.

Learn about Stream Governance

Best practices include:

• Use Managed Connectors: Leverage Confluent's connectors for seamless integration.
• Implement Security Measures: Use encryption, authentication, and private networking.
• Monitor Performance: Utilize Confluent's monitoring tools.
• Optimize Resources: Configure partitions and replication factors appropriately.
• Manage Schemas: Use Schema Registry for data consistency.

Read the best practices guide

Confluent Cloud ensures high availability through:

• Multi-Zone Deployment: Clusters span multiple availability zones.
• Automated Failover: Rapid recovery from node failures.
• Data Replication: Across brokers and regions.

Learn about high availability in Confluent Cloud

While Confluent Cloud doesn't directly integrate with Google Cloud IAM, you can use Single Sign-On (SSO) with identity providers that support SAML or OAuth 2.0. Access within Confluent Cloud is managed using Role-Based Access Control (RBAC).

Manage access in Confluent Cloud

Confluent Cloud is fully compatible with Apache Kafka clients. You can use existing Kafka producers and consumers to connect to your Confluent Cloud clusters on GCP with minimal configuration changes.

Connect your clients to Confluent Cloud

You need:

• Confluent Cloud Account: To create Kafka clusters on GCP.
• GCP Resources: Access to Google Cloud services you wish to integrate with.
• Managed Connectors: For seamless integration with GCP services.
• Application Code: Develop Kafka producers and consumers as needed.

Get started with Confluent Cloud

Confluent Cloud can be integrated with Google Cloud Data Fusion to build scalable data pipelines. Use Kafka connectors within Data Fusion to read from or write to Confluent Cloud.

Learn about integrating Confluent Cloud with Data Fusion

Yes, Confluent Cloud enables event-driven architectures by integrating with GCP services like Cloud Functions, Cloud Run, and Pub/Sub. You can build responsive applications that react to real-time data events.

Explore event-driven architectures with Confluent

Yes, using the Google Cloud Storage Sink Connector, you can stream data from Kafka topics into Cloud Storage buckets for archival or batch processing.

Set up the Cloud Storage Sink Connector

Confluent Cloud can integrate with Google Cloud SQL using JDBC Sink and Source connectors. This allows you to read data from or write data to Cloud SQL databases.

Use JDBC connectors with Confluent Cloud

Confluent Cloud offers a 99.95% uptime SLA for Standard clusters and higher on GCP, ensuring reliable streaming services for your critical applications.

Review Confluent Cloud's SLA

Confluent Cloud provides Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) to manage permissions for users and service accounts. You can define granular roles and policies to secure your Kafka resources.

Learn about RBAC in Confluent Cloud

Yes, you can use Apache Flink with Confluent Cloud by configuring Flink connectors to consume from or produce to Kafka topics in Confluent Cloud.

Integrate Flink with Confluent Cloud

Confluent Cloud encrypts data both in transit and at rest:

• In Transit: Data is encrypted using TLS 1.2+ protocols.
• At Rest: Data is encrypted using AES-256 encryption standards.

Learn about data encryption in Confluent Cloud

Yes, you can use the Confluent Terraform Provider to manage Confluent Cloud resources programmatically, including clusters, topics, and service accounts.

Manage Confluent Cloud with Terraform

Yes, you can integrate Confluent Cloud logs and metrics with Google Cloud's logging and monitoring services using the Metrics API and configuring appropriate exporters.

Monitor Confluent Cloud

You can contact Confluent Support through the Confluent Cloud interface or by accessing the Support Portal. Support levels vary based on your subscription plan.

Access Confluent Support

Confluent Cloud does not natively integrate with Google Cloud's IAP. However, you can secure access to your applications that connect to Confluent Cloud using IAP in your GCP environment.

Yes, you can find tutorials and examples on Confluent Developer that guide you through building applications with Confluent Cloud on GCP.

Explore Confluent Developer resources

Confluent Cloud is a fully managed service, and Confluent handles all updates, patches, and maintenance activities with minimal impact to customers. Updates are rolled out seamlessly without downtime.

Learn about Confluent Cloud's managed service