The Stigg Sidecar service is available as a Docker container and can be deployed on Google Cloud Platform (GCP) using various compute services.

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Deployment options on GCP

You can deploy the Sidecar on GCP in one of the following ways:
  1. Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE) – Ideal for production deployments using the sidecar pattern.
  2. Google Cloud Run – For event-driven or serverless-style deployments where scale-to-zero is needed.
  3. Google Compute Engine (GCE) – Running the container directly on a VM with Docker installed.
  4. Standalone service – Run the Sidecar as a central service accessible over an internal/external IP and port.
All deployment methods use the same Sidecar Docker image hosted on AWS ECR.

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Pulling the Sidecar Docker image

To deploy the Sidecar, start by pulling the image: 
docker pull public.ecr.aws/stigg/sidecar:latest

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Running the Sidecar service

To run the Sidecar container locally or as part of a custom deployment: 
docker run -it -p 8443:8443 \
  -e SERVER_API_KEY="<SERVER_API_KEY>" \
  public.ecr.aws/stigg/sidecar:latest

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Using the Sidecar pattern in GKE

In Kubernetes environments (such as GKE), the Sidecar container can be deployed alongside your application container in the same pod. This allows for low-latency gRPC communication via localhost. You can configure it with the same environment variables used in standalone deployments, and optionally attach a Redis container for persistent caching.

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Key features for GCP deployment

  • Cross-platform: Runs anywhere Docker is supported.
  • Language neutral: gRPC APIs defined using Protocol Buffers.
  • Caching support: Supports both in-memory and Redis-based cache layers.
  • Horizontal scaling: Stateless design allows scaling with your GCP workloads.
  • Health monitoring: Supports /livez, /readyz, and /metrics endpoints.
  • Configurable: Uses environment variables for flexible runtime setup.