Windows Server has now graduated to general availability as a supported OS on the Google Cloud Platform infrastructure. As a result, Google Cloud Platform now supports Windows Server 2012 R2 and Windows Server 2008 R2 operating systems in addition to Linux distributions such as CentOS, Debian, RHEL, SUSE and Ubuntu. Recent enhancements to Windows Server OS on GCP include multi queue and generic receive offload support that enhances throughput while reducing the number of Windows Server instances required for a specific web-based application. By achieving general availability status, Windows Server deployments are covered by the Google Compute Engine SLA and stand to receive consultative support regarding architectural design via Google Cloud Platform support packages. The timing of Google’s release of the general availability of Windows Server on Google Cloud Platform coincides with Microsoft’s Worldwide Partner Conference in Orlando and tacitly recognizes the growing ascendancy of Microsoft’s cloud services and technologies more generally. In a blog post, Google elaborated on its GA of Windows Server as a means of empowering customers to “deploy and operate diverse sets of technologies in mixed Linus and Windows environments,” thereby positioning GCP as an infrastructure suitable for hybrid cloud deployments. Despite the GA of Windows Server, however, Google Cloud Platform has a long way to go toward becoming an enterprise-friendly cloud platform, particularly in comparison to the Azure cloud, for example, whose impressive roster of industry partnerships has rendered it an increasingly attractive option for enterprise customers, particularly in light of its recent partnership with Rackspace.
Cloud Computing Today 