• Native integration with the Global External Application Load Balancer, including frontends, URL maps, and edge-side caching at Google Front Ends. The path from client to cache to origin is clearly defined and consistent across deployments.
• Broad origin compatibility. Backend services on Compute Engine instance groups, backend buckets on Cloud Storage, and other supported backend types function as origin servers without extra glue services. This reduces architectural friction when standardizing on Google Cloud’s load balancing stack.
• Transparent caching model grounded in HTTP semantics. Cache hit, partial hit with byte-range support, and miss behavior are clearly delineated. Cache fill on miss, validation with conditional requests, and multi-range origin fetches for large objects are documented in a way that matches real HTTP workflows.
• HTTP-first control over cacheability and freshness. Cache-Control headers, ETag and Last-Modified validation, and origin-driven TTLs are respected. Cloud CDN adds cache modes and TTL overrides for more deterministic expiration behavior where needed.
• Operational visibility for cache performance. The console shows cache hit ratio per origin
for recent windows, and monitoring graphs cover longer time ranges. The n/a states are explained, which helps interpret low-traffic intervals without misreading the data.
• Clear distinction between eviction and expiration. Eviction is popularity-driven across shared GFE cache pools and independent of TTLs, while expiration ensures stale content is not served. This distinction aligns expectations for long-tail objects and storage pressure.
• Robust byte-range handling. Multi-range origin requests during cache fill and partial-hit delivery optimize large media and downloadable artifacts while retaining validation logic when the origin supports ranges.
• Integrated security posture. Google-managed SSL certificates simplify TLS at the edge, and Cloud Armor policies can be applied both at the edge and at the backend layer. This provides layered protection for both cached and origin-bound traffic inside the same control plane.
• Edge extensibility with Service Extensions. Pre-cache request processing at the edge introduces room for advanced header manipulation, cache-key shaping, and routing decisions without custom proxy infrastructure. Even in Preview, the direction is promising for complex edge logic.
• Clear data location stance. Cached data may be stored and served from locations outside the origin’s region, and the general Data Location Setting does not apply. The documentation is direct, which is useful for compliance evaluations.
• Straightforward cache invalidation and bypass options. Invalidation removes entries across caches, and the documentation outlines direct-access patterns to origins for bypass testing and troubleshooting workflows. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.
• No native multi-POP pre-warm. Objects are inserted per cache only after traffic hits that specific location. For globally coordinated launches, this means building a traffic-driven warm-up routine per region or POP, which adds orchestration overhead.
• Eviction variability in shared caches. Because eviction is influenced by relative popularity across projects sharing GFE pools, low-frequency assets can churn unpredictably even with long TTLs. Planning for long-tail object stability becomes more art than science.
• TTL and cache mode details spread across multiple docs. The overview defers to other pages for critical controls, which adds navigation steps when designing precise freshness, revalidation, and override strategies.
• Hit ratio metrics show n/a in sparse traffic windows. During early testing or low-volume periods, observability can feel thin. I find myself generating deliberate traffic just to build enough signal for a reliable read.
• Data residency requires upfront alignment. Since cached data can reside outside the origin region and the general Data Location Setting does not apply, regulated environments demand additional stakeholder review and documentation. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.
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