Google Distributed Cloud (GDC) brings Google Cloud infrastructure, services and Kubernetes into customer data centers and edge locations. However, the official Google sources reviewed for this article do not confirm a specific product called “Google’s On-Prem Data Center Software for Hybrid Cloud,” nor do they establish a beta start date, eligibility rules, regions or technical requirements. GDC is an established portfolio with three materially different deployment models: connected, air-gapped and software-only.
What Google Distributed Cloud is
Google describes Distributed Cloud as an extension of Google Cloud infrastructure, services and Kubernetes to data centers and edge locations. It is not one uniform software installation. The deployment model determines who supplies the hardware, how the environment is managed and whether it can operate without external connectivity.
The portfolio is intended for organizations that need Google Cloud capabilities close to applications, data or operational technology, including sites where latency, sovereignty, compliance or intermittent connectivity makes a conventional public-cloud architecture unsuitable.
The three GDC deployment models
| Model | Hardware and location | Connectivity | Management approach | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GDC connected | Dedicated, Google-managed hardware installed at the customer’s premises | Maintains a connection to Google Cloud and the customer’s local network | Central provisioning and administration through Google Cloud, including the console or CLI | Sites needing local execution while retaining centralized cloud operations |
| GDC air-gapped | Integrated hardware delivered and installed at the customer’s site | Does not require Google Cloud or public-internet connectivity | Designed for fully disconnected operation | Isolation, regulatory and compliance requirements |
| GDC software only | Runs on the customer’s existing bare-metal servers or VMware infrastructure | Depends on the selected architecture and local operating requirements | Uses customer-provided infrastructure rather than a dedicated Google hardware stack | Organizations that already have suitable server or VMware capacity |
How connected deployments work
GDC connected places dedicated hardware in the customer’s data center or edge site. The platform connects to the local network so workloads can communicate with local systems and with one another, while the installation retains a Google Cloud connection for centralized management.
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Provisioning and operations
- Google Cloud is used to provision and centrally manage the deployment.
- Administrators can use the Google Cloud console or command-line interface.
- Local network configuration is required for workload communication and site integration.
- A very stable network connection is an important consideration for this model.
This approach is different from simply installing Kubernetes on a server: the hardware and software form a managed Google Distributed Cloud environment designed to be operated as part of a broader Google Cloud estate.
When an air-gapped deployment is appropriate
GDC air-gapped is designed for environments that must remain disconnected from Google Cloud and the public internet. It addresses isolation and compliance scenarios in which an external management connection is not permitted or cannot be relied upon.
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Site preparation
Google’s documentation describes a site survey that checks space, power, cooling and connectivity. Hardware is integrated into racks and delivered to the premises. These are planning considerations, not a universal published minimum specification; exact requirements depend on the selected configuration and deployment process.
Operational trade-off
Removing external connectivity can satisfy strict isolation rules, but it also changes how the environment is administered, updated and integrated with outside services. Teams should resolve those procedures during architecture and compliance reviews rather than assume that air-gapped operation behaves like a connected cluster.
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What “software only” means
The software-only option is for customers that want GDC capabilities on infrastructure they already own. Google documents support for existing bare-metal servers or VMware environments. Unlike connected and air-gapped offerings, it is not based on a dedicated Google-managed hardware system delivered for the deployment.
Questions to answer before choosing it
- Do the existing servers provide the capacity, supported configuration and lifecycle control the platform requires?
- Is the VMware environment compatible with the intended deployment?
- Who will provide hardware support, replacement and data-center operations?
- How will networking, security, upgrades and capacity expansion be handled?
Software-only can reduce the need for a new dedicated hardware footprint, but responsibility for the underlying infrastructure remains a central design consideration.
How to choose among the models
- Determine isolation requirements. If the site must have no Google Cloud or public-internet connection, evaluate air-gapped first.
- Check connectivity reliability. If centralized Google Cloud management is required and a stable connection is available, connected is the relevant model.
- Inventory existing infrastructure. Organizations with suitable bare-metal servers or VMware may prefer software-only.
- Assign operational ownership. Clarify who manages hardware, networking, security, upgrades and incident response.
- Validate site readiness. Confirm space, power, cooling, rack arrangements and network design before committing to a hardware deployment.
What is—and is not—confirmed about the beta
The supplied title says an on-premises data-center software product for hybrid cloud is “now in beta.” The official Google product and documentation pages reviewed here do not identify a matching beta announcement. They do not establish which GDC component is in beta, when testing opened, who can participate, which countries or regions are included, or what technical prerequisites apply.
Google published a “Google Distributed Cloud at Next ’26” announcement on April 22, 2026, describing new GDC capabilities, but the reviewed material does not tie that announcement to the exact beta wording in the title. Treat any claim about beta scope or availability as unverified until Google publishes a specific announcement or program page.
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What prospective adopters should request from Google
- The exact product or GDC component name and release channel.
- Beta enrollment criteria, supported regions and customer eligibility.
- Supported hardware, VMware versions or bare-metal configurations.
- Connectivity, security and data-residency requirements.
- Upgrade, support and service-level terms during and after beta.
- Migration and exit procedures if the beta changes or ends.
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