Hosted Cloud Compute

GitHub's Hosted Compute Networking allows you to manage private networking for GitHub-hosted products. This includes:

Secure access to internal resources
Controlled outbound network access
Monitoring network traffic for development and CI/CD infrastructure

It is especially useful for organizations that require secure, compliant, and tightly controlled networking environments for GitHub-hosted runners.

Use Cases in a University Environment

1. Secure Access to Internal Resources

Scenario: The university's IT department needs to ensure that only authorized CI/CD workflows can access internal databases and services.
Solution: Configure private networking so GitHub-hosted runners can securely connect to internal resources within an Azure Virtual Network (VNET), keeping sensitive data protected.

2. Controlled Outbound Network Access

Scenario: A research project requires controlled access to external APIs and services.
Solution: Use network configurations to restrict outbound access from GitHub-hosted runners to only approved external endpoints, enhancing security and compliance.

Default Settings & Restrictions

🔒 Disabled by Default: Private networking is not enabled by default for GitHub-hosted products.
🏢 Organization/Enterprise Level: Network configurations apply across all repositories within the organization or enterprise using GitHub-hosted runners.
✅ Enable by Request: Activation requires a formal request to the IT department or designated administrator to ensure secure and approved usage.

Step-by-step: How to Start Using GitHub Hosted Compute Networking

1. Submit a Request

Contact your IT department or designated administrator.
Provide:
- Purpose of using private networking
- Required network configuration details

2. Configure Azure Resources

Azure Virtual Network (VNET)

Create a secure and isolated network environment for GitHub-hosted runners.

Subnets & Network Security Groups (NSGs)

Segment the network using subnets.
Apply NSGs to control inbound/outbound traffic.

Network Interface Cards (NICs)

Each GitHub-hosted runner deploys a NIC into your Azure VNET.
Enables communication with internet, Azure, and on-prem resources.

Private Endpoints (Optional)

Use private endpoints to securely access specific Azure services.

3. Create a Network Configuration in GitHub

Once Azure resources are ready, define the network configuration in GitHub.

Example Workflow Configuration

name: Private Network Configuration
on: [push]
jobs:
  build:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
    - uses: actions/checkout@v2
    - name: Configure Azure VNET
      run: az network vnet create --name MyVnet --resource-group MyResourceGroup --location eastus --address-prefix 10.0.0.0/16
    - name: Set up Node.js
      uses: actions/setup-node@v2
      with:
        node-version: '14'
    - run: npm install
    - run: npm test

4. Monitor and Maintain

Regularly monitor network configurations and logs.
Update configurations as needed to reflect changes in project scope or infrastructure.

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