Get a Persistent IP for GCP Spot instances

💡 Create a Static IP Address

gcloud compute addresses create my-cheap-ip \
    --region=us-central1 \
    --network-tier=STANDARD

output the reserved static IP address

gcloud compute addresses describe my-cheap-ip \
--region=us-central1 --format="get(address)"
35.208.88.209

🌐 Assign Static IP to LoadBalancer

in service.yaml, set like this:

apiVersion: v1
kind: Service
metadata:
  name: my-web-app-service
  annotations:
    # This line tells GKE to look for a Standard Tier IP
    cloud.google.com/network-tier: "Standard"
spec:
  type: LoadBalancer
  loadBalancerIP: "35.208.88.209"
  selector:
    app: hello-world
  ports:
    - protocol: TCP
      port: 80
      targetPort: 80

🚀 Benefits of Static IPs for Spot Clusters

1. Persistent Access Points

Spot instances are ephemeral and can be reclaimed at any time. A static IP ensures your users always have a consistent entry point, even if the underlying instance is replaced.

2. DNS Stability

Avoid the hassle of updating DNS records every time an instance rotates.

• No Propagation Lag: Your A-record stays the same.
• Reliability: No "down time" caused by DNS caching.

3. Cost Optimization

Combining Spot Instances (up to 90% savings) with a Standard Tier IP provides a production-grade entry point at a hobbyist price.