A Flexible Path to Hybrid Cloud: Nutanix on Google Cloud Z4D Bare Metal Instances, Powered by AMD
Run demanding enterprise workloads in Google Cloud with one consistent operation model.
Not every application follows the same path to the cloud. Some workloads are ready to move quickly, while others - particularly legacy applications, databases, and performance-sensitive systems - need a cloud environment that can provide predictable infrastructure without requiring a major redesign.
Nutanix Cloud Clusters (NC2) on Google Cloud now supports Google Cloud’s Z4D bare metal instances, powered by 5th Gen AMD EPYC processors. This gives organizations another way to extend their Nutanix environments into Google Cloud, run demanding workloads on dedicated infrastructure, and connect applications to Google Cloud services - including services that support modern analytics and AI initiatives.
The result is a practical option for organizations that want the flexibility of hybrid cloud without creating a separate operating model for every location.
Why bare metal matters for hybrid cloud workloads
NC2 brings the Nutanix Cloud Platform experience to public cloud environments. It runs the Nutanix software stack on Google Cloud bare metal, allowing teams to manage workloads in their Google Cloud account and VPC while using the same core data and management plane across environments. Learn more about NC2 on Google Cloud.
Z4D adds a new infrastructure choice for workloads that benefit from direct access to physical hardware, high CPU density, local storage, and low-latency execution. That can include:
- Business-critical databases and analytics
- Applications with demanding storage or compute requirements, including virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI)
- Workloads with specific licensing or infrastructure considerations
- AI and machine learning environments that need to work alongside Google Cloud services
- Legacy applications that are difficult or costly to refactor
For these workloads, the goal is not simply to move an application to the cloud. It is to place the application on infrastructure that meets its performance requirements while preserving operational consistency.
A consistent way to move, extend, and modernize applications
With NC2 on Google Cloud, organizations can use a familiar Nutanix experience across their data center and cloud environments. That consistency can simplify several common hybrid cloud initiatives.
- Migrate without starting over: Applications and data can move to Google Cloud with less disruption and without requiring every workload to be re-architected first. This is especially useful for legacy applications that remain important to the business but were not designed for cloud-native deployment.
- Extend capacity when and where it is needed: Teams can add cloud capacity for seasonal demand, geographic expansion, development and testing, mergers and acquisitions, or other initiatives - without committing to a second set of infrastructure management tools.
- Improve resilience and recovery options: NC2 can also support cloud-based disaster recovery strategies, including Pilot-light and Zero-Compute, allowing organizations the ability to extend protection from on-premises environments to Google Cloud and bring workloads online when needed.
- Modernize at the pace of the business: Organizations can begin with migration or extension and modernize over time. Nutanix services and Google Cloud native service - including Google Cloud Storage, BigQuery, Vertex AI - can be used together, allowing teams to choose the right modernization path for each application rather than forcing every workload through the same process.
Z4D at a glance
The Z4D bare metal configuration described for this offering combines 5th Gen AMD EPYC processors with high-density local storage, substantial memory, and high-bandwidth networking.
Capability | Published maximum or configuration |
|---|---|
Processor | 5th Gen AMD EPYC processors (Turin) |
Local SSD | 84 TiB (12 × 7 TB) |
Compute | 192 physical cores (2 × 96) at 3.9 GHz |
Memory | 3,072 GiB DDR5 |
Networking | Up to 400 Gbps (2 × 200 Gbps) |
Actual availability and configuration details may vary by Google Cloud region and should be confirmed in the applicable Google Cloud and Nutanix documentation.
A workload-first approach to hybrid cloud
Hybrid cloud is most useful when it gives IT teams meaningful choices. A workload may stay on premises for governance or latency reasons, move to the public cloud for capacity or geographic reach, or use a combination of Nutanix and native cloud services as it evolves.
NC2 on Google Cloud Z4D supports that workload-first approach by combining:
- The portability and operational consistency of Nutanix Cloud Clusters
- The dedicated infrastructure and compute capabilities of Google Cloud Z4D bare metal
- The performance foundation of 5th Gen AMD EPYC processors
- Access to Google Cloud networking and native services
Together, these capabilities give organizations a way to make infrastructure decisions based on application requirements - not on the limitations of a single deployment model.
What this means for your cloud strategy
For organizations planning their next phase of hybrid cloud, NC2 on Z4D can help answer practical questions:
- How can we move important applications without refactoring everything first?
- How can we add cloud capacity while keeping operations consistent
- Where should performance-sensitive databases and analytics workloads run?
- How can we connect existing applications to Google Cloud AI and data services?
- How can we preserve flexibility as workload requirements change?
The answer will be different for every environment. The value of this new option is that it gives teams more room to choose the right answer.
©2026 Nutanix, Inc. All rights reserved. Nutanix, the Nutanix logo and all Nutanix product and service names mentioned are registered trademarks or trademarks of Nutanix, Inc. in the United States and other countries. All other brand names mentioned are for identification purposes only and may be the trademarks of their respective holder(s).
