# Portal - Connecting to Google Cloud Platform

Use Fabric to establish connections to Google Cloud Platform from Fabric ports, Fabric Cloud Routers, or using service tokens.

> **Note**
>
> For instructions on connecting from a Network Edge virtual device, see [Network Edge to Google Cloud Platform](https://docs.equinix.com/fabric-marketplace/connecting-to-service-provider/gcp/ne-gcp-connect.md).

## Prerequisites[​](#prerequisites "Direct link to Prerequisites")

Before creating a connection, you must have:

* An Equinix Customer Portal account, with the `Fabric Connections Manager` role.
* A Fabric port(s), an A-side service token, or a Fabric Cloud Router.

## Creating a Connection[​](#creating-a-connection "Direct link to Creating a Connection")

To create a connection to Google Cloud Platform:

1. Sign in to the [Customer Portal](https://portal.equinix.com/) > *Fabric Dashboard*.

2. Use the Context Switcher and select the project under which you want to create the connection. For more information on projects, see [Managing Projects](https://docs.equinix.com/iam/resources/projects-manage.md).

3. From the *Connections* menu, select **Create Connection**.

4. In the *A Service Provider* card, click **Connect to a Service Provider**.

   ![](https://docs.equinix.com/assets/images/service-provider-card-51d938de0bcc1df9912ba766114cb979.png)

5. Locate the *Google Cloud Platform* card and click **Select Service**.

6. Choose the service profile to use for your connection and click **Create Connection**. More information on the Google Cloud Provider Interconnect service profiles is available on the [Overview](https://docs.equinix.com/fabric-marketplace/connecting-to-service-provider/gcp/gcp-interconnect-overview.md#redundancy-and-service-profiles) page.

   ![](https://docs.equinix.com/assets/images/neGoogleSelectServiceProfile-34f04bca25db0fb23129b86e2bb1a6b9.png)

## Enter Your Google Cloud Information[​](#enter-your-google-cloud-information "Direct link to Enter Your Google Cloud Information")

1. Select a connection type:

   * Redundant - Create a redundant pair of connections. You need one pairing key for each connection. One must end in `/1` and the other must end in `/2`.
   * Primary - Create a single, primary connection. You need a pairing key ending in `/1`.
   * Secondary - Create a single, secondary connection. You need a pairing key ending in `/2`.

2. Enter your Google Cloud Pairing Keys.

   ![](https://docs.equinix.com/assets/images/fabricGoogleQcEnterPairingKeys-25cf83d9e22656a706768f1b31977b7b.png)

   If you have not already created Pairing Keys, click *Sign in to Google to create pairing keys*, review the prerequisites, then click **Sign In**.

3. From the *Google Cloud Destination* drop-down list, select the metro you want to connect to. If you want to terminate your primary and secondary connections in different locations, deselect the *Use the same destination for both Connections* option and select the metro for each connection individually.

4. Select your GCP project, choose a VPC network, and select a region.

   ![](https://docs.equinix.com/assets/images/fabricGoogleQcSignInProjectNetwork-c3fe77cef87ba5dd768019eda6bc18ed.png)

5. In the *VLAN A* section:

   * Cloud Router – Choose from the cloud routers available in the selected project, network, and region.
   * VLAN Attachment – Enter a name for the primary VLAN attachment.
   * Description – Enter an optional description.
   * Maximum Transmission Unit – Select packet frame size.

   ![](https://docs.equinix.com/assets/images/fabricGoogleQcVlanA-ff2ef2c9ced5007c195dfc2bd2550db0.png)

6. In the *VLAN B* section:

   * Cloud Router – Choose the same cloud router you selected in the *VLAN A* section.
   * VLAN Attachment – Enter a name for the secondary VLAN attachment.
   * Description – Enter an optional description.
   * Maximum Transmission Unit – Select packet frame size.

7. Click **Next**.

## Connection Configuration[​](#connection-configuration "Direct link to Connection Configuration")

Configure your connections depending on the origin asset type.

### Port[​](#port "Direct link to Port")

From the *Origin Asset Type* drop-down list, select **Port**.

![](https://docs.equinix.com/assets/images/fabricGoogleQcSelectOriginAsset-5ee4034c9975f08f0591eae52fa876d6.png)

In the *Primary Connection* section:

1. Click *+ Select Primary Port*, then select your primary connection port and click **Select Port**. Only primary ports are available for selection.

   ![](https://docs.equinix.com/assets/images/fabricGoogleQcSelectPrimaryPort-40f44ca264c9ea3612416c5b873432f0.png)

2. Enter the primary connection name.

3. Select a bandwidth.

4. Enter a VLAN ID (applicable to Dot1q ports) or a Customer VLAN Tag (C-tag) and a Service VLAN Tag (S-tag) (applicable to Qinq ports).

In the *Secondary Connection* section:

1. Click *+ Select Secondary Port*, then select your secondary connection port and click **Select Port**. Only secondary ports are available for selection.
2. Enter the secondary connection name.
3. Select a bandwidth.
4. Enter a VLAN ID (applicable to Dot1q ports) or a Customer VLAN Tag (C-tag) and a Service VLAN Tag (S-tag) (applicable to Qinq ports).
5. Click **Next**.

![](https://docs.equinix.com/assets/images/fabricGoogleQcConfigurePorts-87bc9e0d4cdc1be80966e261f7d9d780.png)

### Cloud Router[​](#cloud-router "Direct link to Cloud Router")

1. From the *Origin Asset Type* drop-down list, select **Cloud Router**.

   ![](https://docs.equinix.com/assets/images/fabricGoogleQcSelectOriginAssetFcr-0bda22083b4ba69cdd1e92a396784ad5.png)

2. Click *+ Select Cloud Router*, select a cloud router instance, then click **Select Cloud Router**.

   ![](https://docs.equinix.com/assets/images/fabricGoogleQcSelectCloudRouter-5d2f6d5da94655020c290c4b526bbc51.png)

3. In the *Primary Connection* section:

   * Enter the primary connection name.
   * Select a bandwidth. The bandwidth value you select will also apply to the secondary connection.

4. In the *Secondary Connection* section, enter your secondary connection name.

5. Click **Next**.

![](https://docs.equinix.com/assets/images/fabricGoogleQcConfigureConnectionFcr-00c7df27038a16e9d0ce877bb5745647.png)

### Service Token[​](#service-token "Direct link to Service Token")

1. From the *Origin Asset Type* drop-down list, select **Service Token**.

   ![](https://docs.equinix.com/assets/images/fabricGoogleQcSelectOriginAssetServiceToken-314e5c0ff43f1c03f3bda0c9873525f4.png)

2. In the *Primary Connection* section:

   * Click *+ Enter Primary Service Token*, provide the service token, then click **Enter Service Token**.

     ![](https://docs.equinix.com/assets/images/fabricGoogleQcEnterServiceToken-1164e9d878aa79e1e4e05a06729fc815.png)

   * Enter the primary connection name.

   * Select a bandwidth.

3. In the *Secondary Connection* section:

   * Click *+ Enter Secondary Service Token*, provide the service token, then click **Enter Service Token**.
   * Enter the secondary connection name.
   * Select a bandwidth.

4. Click **Next**.

![](https://docs.equinix.com/assets/images/fabricGoogleQcConfigureConnectionServiceTokne-5ffdab04a65b7098e79ab4cf3ed9ebb5.png)

## Review and Submit[​](#review-and-submit "Direct link to Review and Submit")

1. Review the information in the *Connection Configuration* section.

2. Use the *Notifications* field to provide the email addresses of the recipients to be notified about the connection's status. You can add up to 12 email addresses.

3. (*Optional*) Enter or add order information in the *Purchase Order* section.

   * Click *Select Purchase Order Number*.
   * Click *Select an Existing Purchase Order*.
   * Select purchase order number you want to apply to your order, then click **Done**.

4. Provide customer reference identifier, that will help you identify this order on your invoice.

5. Click *Show Order Summary* to see order details and connection pricing information.

When you are ready, click **Create Connection**.

![](https://docs.equinix.com/assets/images/fabricGoogleQcSummary-6c9917ad031219d8d221df6fd0b7c01c.png)

## Monitoring the Connection Status[​](#monitoring-the-connection-status "Direct link to Monitoring the Connection Status")

Once you have created the connection, it appears in your [*Connections Inventory*](https://docs.equinix.com/fabric/managing-connections/fabric-new-connections-inventory.md) where you can monitor its status.

| `equinixStatus` parameter values | `providerStatus` attribute values | **Google Status**                                                          | **Description**                                                                                           |
| -------------------------------- | --------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `PROVISIONING`                   | `PROVISIONING`                    |                                                                            | Connection request has not been sent to Google yet.                                                       |
| `PROVISIONED`                    | `PENDING_APPROVAL`                | Waiting for service provider.                                              | Connection waiting for acceptance. Customer must activate the VLAN attachment in the Google Cloud Portal. |
| `PROVISIONED`                    | `PROVISIONING`                    | Activation needed -> Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) configuration required. | Connection establishment in progress.                                                                     |
| `PROVISIONED`                    | `PROVISIONED`                     | Pending -> availability                                                    | Connection accepted by client.                                                                            |

## Activating the Connection in the Google Cloud Portal[​](#activating-the-connection-in-the-google-cloud-portal "Direct link to Activating the Connection in the Google Cloud Portal")

Once the provisioning job has been completed on the Equinix side, activate your connection in the Google Cloud Portal.

1. In the *Interconnect* section of the Google Cloud Portal, click *Refresh* at the top of your browser page. The *Status* displays `Activation needed`.

2. Select **Activate**, then click **Accept**. The *Status* updates to `BGP configuration needed`.

3. Click **Configure BGP**.

4. In the *Peer ASN* field, enter the ASN number for your on-premise router. Click **Save and continue**.

5. Review the [Configuring on-premises routers](https://cloud.google.com/network-connectivity/docs/interconnect/how-to/partner/configuring-onprem-routers) page to complete any steps needed to connect your router to your Google Cloud environment via Google Cloud Interconnect.

> **Note**
>
> If there are more than 30 days between when the Fabric connection was created and when you accept the connection in the GCP portal, the provider side may not activate automatically. If you experience issues, please raise a support request with Equinix.