Service Directory is Google’s managed service registry for centralized service discovery in Google Cloud, hybrid, and multi-cloud environments.
What is Google Cloud Service Directory?
Service Directory is a fully managed service registry that centrally catalogs an organization’s services and makes them available for service discovery. Applications can find services by name instead of hardcoding IP addresses or endpoints. The service supports Google Cloud workloads, on-premises systems, and other cloud providers for hybrid and multi-cloud architectures.
The hierarchy in Service Directory is four-tiered: Projects contain Namespaces (e.g., prod, staging, dev), Namespaces contain Services (e.g., api, database, cache), and Services contain Endpoints with IP addresses, ports, and metadata. This structure enables flexible organization and environment separation.
Service Directory integrates with Cloud DNS for DNS-based service discovery. Registered services are automatically available as DNS records in Private DNS Zones, so applications can find services via standard DNS lookups. Alternatively, the Service Directory API enables programmatic access with additional metadata.
The service is fully managed with no infrastructure overhead and is IAM-integrated for granular access controls. EU regions are available for data residency requirements.
Typical Use Cases
Central Service Registry for Microservices
A company with many microservices uses Service Directory as a central registry. Each service registers on deployment, and other services find endpoints via DNS. During rolling updates, endpoints are updated automatically, keeping service discovery transparent.
Hybrid Cloud Service Discovery
A company connects on-premises datacenters with Google Cloud via Cloud VPN or Interconnect. On-premises services are registered in Service Directory, and cloud applications find these services via DNS.
Multi-Environment Management
An organization uses namespaces for environment separation: prod, staging, dev. Each environment has its own service endpoints, and applications use environment-specific DNS names.
Private Service Connect Integration
A provider publishes APIs via Private Service Connect. Service Directory stores the PSC endpoints, and customers find services via DNS without public internet exposure. IAM controls which projects can access which services.
Multi-Cloud Service Catalog
An organization with workloads on multiple cloud providers can use Service Directory as a registry for its Google Cloud services and complement this information with its own mechanisms for other clouds.
Integration with innFactory
As a certified Google Cloud Partner, innFactory supports you with Service Directory: architecture design, hybrid cloud integration, DNS configuration, and service mesh integration.
Contact us for a consultation on Service Directory and Google Cloud networking.
Available Tiers & Options
Standard
- Fully managed
- DNS integration
- Private Service Connect
- No automatic health checking
Typical Use Cases
Technical Specifications
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Google Cloud Service Directory?
Service Directory is a managed service registry that centrally catalogs an organization's services and makes them available for service discovery. Applications find services via DNS or API without hardcoding endpoints. The service supports Google Cloud, on-premises, and other clouds.
How does Service Directory differ from Cloud DNS?
Cloud DNS is a DNS hosting service, while Service Directory is a service registry with DNS integration. Service Directory stores service metadata and endpoints, which are automatically available as DNS records via Cloud DNS Private Zones.
Can I register on-premises services?
Yes, Service Directory supports hybrid cloud scenarios. On-premises services can be registered so that applications in Google Cloud can discover them via DNS or API.
How does the hierarchy work in Service Directory?
Service Directory uses a four-level hierarchy: Projects contain Namespaces (e.g., prod, staging), Namespaces contain Services, and Services contain Endpoints with IP addresses and ports. This structure enables flexible organization.
Does Service Directory offer health checking?
Service Directory itself does not perform active health checking. Health checking can be implemented via load balancers, GKE, or custom solutions to remove failing endpoints.
How is Service Directory billed?
Billing is usage-based, per registered endpoint and per API call. Details and current rates are available on the official pricing page.
Note: All product information on this page has been compiled with care, but is provided without guarantee and may be outdated or incomplete. Cloud services evolve rapidly — features, pricing, SLAs, and availability change frequently. Authoritative and up-to-date information can only be found on the official product page of Google Cloud (official documentation). This page does not represent an offer by Google Cloud.
