Google Cloud announced the ability to leverage Class E IPv4 address space to mitigate IPv4 exhaustion issues in Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE). As the number of applications and services hosted on GKE continues to grow, so does the demand for private IPv4 addresses (RFC 1918). For many large organizations, RFC1918 address space is becoming increasingly scarce, leading to IP address exhaustion challenges that impact their application scale. IPv6 solves this exact address exhaustion issue by providing a lot more addresses. However, not all enterprises or applications are ready for IPv6 yet. This is where Class E IPv4 address space (240.0.0.0/4) comes in, which can address these issues, so you can continue to grow your business.
Class E addresses offer several benefits, including a vast address space, scalability and growth, efficient resource utilization, and future-proofing. However, there are some important considerations to keep in mind, such as operating system compatibility, networking equipment and software, and transition and migration.
The article provides a real-world example of how one customer, Snap, successfully leveraged Class E to overcome their IP address exhaustion challenges. It also provides guidance on planning and using GKE clusters with Class E, including how to configure new clusters and migrate existing clusters.
Finally, the article discusses transitioning from Class E IPv4 to IPv6, noting that transitioning to dual-stack clusters using Class E IPv4 addresses and IPv6 addresses is a smart strategic move for organizations facing IP exhaustion. It provides immediate relief by expanding the available pool of IP addresses, enabling scalability and growth within Google Cloud and GKE. Moreover, adopting dual-stack clusters is a crucial first step towards a smoother transition to IPv6 only.
