Introduction to Private Path Service
Enterprise architectures are increasingly hybrid and multi‑cloud. Applications are no longer confined to a single VPC. Instead, they span on‑premises data centers, multiple VPCs, and partner ecosystems. One consistent challenge across these environments is secure, private service connectivity — without connectivity exposure to the public internet.
IBM Cloud Private Path Service for VPC addresses this challenge by enabling private, point‑to‑point connectivity between IBM customer workloads on VPC and services they consume on IBM Cloud over the IBM Cloud private network.
With Private Path Service, service providers (IBM Partners, ISVs) can expose services or applications hosted:
- In an IBM Cloud VPC
- On‑premises
- In other connected cloud environments
and allow consumers(IBM cloud customers) to access them privately, even from on‑premises or connected VPCs, without using public endpoints.
This unlocks secure integration patterns, regulatory compliance, and simpler network governance — all while preserving flexibility in application deployment environment.
New capability released: Accessing a Provider Service from Customer On‑Premises or Connected VPCs
One of the most significant — and now GA — capability for Private Path Service is hybrid access for customers.
Scenario Overview
- A service provider hosts a managed service on IBM Cloud (or his on‑premises).
- A consumer wants to access this service:
- From their on‑premises data center, or
- From another connected VPC
How It Works
- Provider exposes the service
The provider deploys their service behind a Private Path network load balancer and publishes it using Private Path Service.
- Consumer provisions a VPE gateway
The consumer creates a VPE gateway in their own VPC, requesting access to the provider’s Private Path service.
- VPE Gateway connectivity from customer on‑premises or other connected VPCs
- On‑premises access is enabled through IBM Cloud Direct Link, extending private routing into the consumer VPC that hosts the VPE Gateway.
- Cross‑VPC access is enabled using IBM Cloud Transit Gateway, allowing connected VPCs to route traffic privately to the VPE Gateway.
- Private end‑to‑end traffic flow
Traffic flows:
- From on‑premises or connected VPC
- To the consumer VPE
- Over the IBM Cloud private backbone
- Into the provider’s Private Path service
At no point does traffic traverse the public internet.
Why This Matters
Private Path Service delivers benefits that resonate at both technical and business layers.
Architectural Simplicity
- No public IPs, NAT gateways
- Clear separation between provider and consumer network
Security and Compliance
- Traffic remains on the IBM Cloud private network
- Reduces attack surface and helps meet regulatory requirements
Hybrid and Multi‑Cloud Ready
- Provider services can remain in cloud or on‑premises or other cloud environments.
- Consumers can access services from on-premise or cloud environments.
Operational Control
- Providers control who can connect to their service — they can setup policies indicating which consumer accounts are allowed and denied.
- Consumers maintain full ownership of their network - the providers cannot access the consumers network.
Conclusion
With Private Path Service, IBM Cloud offers a production‑ready solution for secure hybrid service access. By combining VPE gateways, load balancing, and IBM Cloud’s private backbone, organizations can confidently connect on‑premises environments and multiple VPCs to critical services — without compromising security or architectural clarity.
Private Path Service represents a practical, enterprise‑grade pattern that bridges cloud and on‑premises realities while aligning with modern security and compliance expectations.
If you’re designing hybrid connectivity or looking for secure service exposure, Private Path Service is now ready to be part of your reference architecture.
References
Try Private Path Service for VPC today
About Private Path Service for VPC
Private Path Service for VPC solution guide