Design and deploy applications in Google Cloud - Introducing Application Design Center

Key Concepts:

• Application Design Center (ADC): Google Cloud service for designing and deploying application templates.
• Application Templates: Reusable blueprints for applications, composed of components.
• Spaces: Shared workspaces for teams to collaborate on application designs.
• Catalogs: Repositories for sharing approved application templates across spaces.
• Gemini Cloud Assist: AI-powered assistant for creating and modifying application designs.
• Terraform: Infrastructure-as-code tool used by ADC for deployment.
• App Hub: Integration point for ADC.

1. Introduction to Application Design Center (ADC)

• Afrina, a product manager at Google Cloud, introduces Application Design Center (ADC).
• ADC is a Google Cloud service designed for creating and deploying application templates with built-in governance, security, and observability.
• It allows platform engineers to create, share, and manage reusable application templates.
• Application developers can deploy application instances directly from these designs.
• ADC is AI-powered by Gemini and integrated with App Hub.
• Enabling ADC is straightforward, with instructions available in the official documentation.

2. ADC Interface and Core Concepts

• Spaces:
  • Shared workspaces for teams to view and use each other's design work.
  • Used for creating application templates and deploying applications.
  • Administrators control access by creating spaces and adding members.
• Application Templates:
  • Blueprints of applications, consisting of one or more components.
  • Can be created from scratch, customized from Google-provided templates, or generated using Gemini chat.
• Configuration and Deployment:
  • Involves setting up each component to meet specific requirements.
  • Applications can be deployed to the Google Cloud environment.
  • Application designs can be downloaded as Terraform files for use with existing deployment tools.
• Catalogs:
  • Allow administrators to share approved application templates within a space and with other spaces.
  • Ensures consistency and promotes best practices across the organization.

3. Building a Three-Tier E-commerce Application Demo

• The demo involves creating an application design using Google templates.
• Alternatively, designs can be created using Gemini Cloud Assist via chat in the Console (refer to the video "ADC with Gemini Cloud Assist").
• Creating a Template:
  • Click "Create Template" and fill out the template name (other fields are optional).
• Adding Components:
  • Components like Cloud Run services can be added by clicking the plus button or dragging and dropping.
  • Gemini can be used to add components via chat (e.g., "Add an ordering service to this design").
  • Gemini picks up on the context and responds instantly.
  • Green buttons indicate newly added services, while blue buttons indicate modified services.
• Renaming Services and Connecting Components:
  • Services can be renamed.
  • Databases can be added to store inventory.
  • The search service can be connected to the cache.
• Reviewing and Exporting Terraform Code:
  • ADC allows reviewing the Terraform code and exporting it if needed.
  • Useful for organizations with existing CI/CD pipelines or deployment tools.
  • Cloud Shell is used to view the generated Terraform code.
• Adding Templates to the Catalog:
  • Templates can be shared to other spaces.
  • Useful for larger organizations to share templates with specific teams (e.g., data pipeline templates with the data team).

4. Managing Permissions and Collaboration

• Teams can be granted permission to use ADC and access spaces, enabling collaboration in creating app templates.
• Permissions are managed via the "Overview" section, by clicking "Manage Permissions."
• Understanding roles is crucial for managing access and ensuring efficient collaboration.

5. Deploying an Application Instance

• An application instance is created from the template, specifying the necessary parameters for the environment.
• Individual components within the application instance can be further configured (e.g., instance sizes, database parameters, network configurations).
• ADC orchestrates the deployment, ensuring all components are provisioned and configured correctly.
• A service account is selected, and the Terraform script is previewed before deployment.
• The application is then deployed.
• The application version, region, and template source are displayed.

6. Conclusion

• The demo showcased building a three-tier e-commerce application using the Gemini Design Agent and the ADC Canvas.
• Each tier was customized, a template was created, and the application was deployed.
• Viewers are encouraged to try ADC by following the provided link.