Are you looking to get started with Google Cloud Platform (GCP)? GCP is a powerful cloud computing platform from Google that can help you with all your computing needs. Whether you are a developer, a data scientist, or a business professional, GCP has a wealth of features and resources to help you get the most out of your cloud computing experience. This comprehensive guide will walk you through the basics of GCP, from setting up an account to optimizing your environment for the best performance. We’ll also discuss the different types of services available, and how to get started with deploying applications and services on GCP. So if you’re ready to take your cloud computing to the next level, let’s get started!

What is Google Cloud Platform?

Google Cloud Platform (GCP) is a cloud computing platform developed by Google. It provides Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Software as a Service (SaaS) in a single environment. The platform was launched in June 2011 and is currently available in 172 countries. GCP currently supports 35 languages, and all the services are managed through an online user interface or an API. The services on GCP are offered either as an on-demand service or as a dedicated service that is backed by an SLA and a team of Google engineers. Google Cloud Platform is suitable for both small and large organizations, spanning across different industries. The platform can help you manage your applications and workload, process data, and store information. GCP features robust security features, allowing you to manage and control access to your data. The platform also offers various monitoring tools, to help you track and optimize your application performance.

Benefits of GCP

The GCP cloud computing platform offers a wide range of benefits for organizations and individuals. Let’s take a look at some of the benefits of GCP that make it a great choice for your computing needs.

Cloud scalability - With GCP, you can easily scale your application and environment based on demand. This gives you the flexibility to meet growing needs and scale down when there is less demand.

Security and compliance - GCP offers robust security features such as Identity-Aware Firewall, access control, and account monitoring. The platform also enables you to comply with various regulations and industry standards, as it supports ISO and SOC standards.

Data management - GCP offers tools and resources to help you manage and optimize your data. You can use a variety of tools such as BigQuery, Dataflow, Data Studio, Dataprep, and Dataflow.

Application development - The GCP platform is suitable for a variety of application types, including mobile, web, and back-end applications. It also offers tools such as App Engine, Firebase, TensorFlow, and Kubernetes to help you simplify application development.

Setting up a GCP account

Before you can start using GCP, you will need to set up an account. Follow the steps below to get started with your first GCP account.

First, head to the GCP website and click on “Sign Up for GCP”. You will then be redirected to a new sign-up page.

In the sign-up form, fill in your contact and payment information, and select a payment plan.

After providing the information, you will be redirected to the GCP console. Here, you will be asked to set up your billing information.

Once you are done, you will be redirected to the G-Cloud login screen.

You can create a new project and start using GCP right away.

You can also sign in using an existing Cloud Platform account.

Different GCP services

The GCP platform offers a wide range of services, suitable for a variety of uses. Let’s take a look at the different services on GCP and understand how they can be useful for your organization.

Compute Engine - Compute Engine is a virtual machine service that helps you create and run virtual machines on GCP. You can use the VMs for running applications, hosting websites, and performing complex data processing tasks.

Cloud Dataproc - Cloud Dataproc helps you process large volumes of data, using clusters managed by Google. The service is powered by Apache Spark and can be used for data analysis, ETL, and machine learning tasks.

Cloud Storage - Cloud Storage offers a scalable object storage service. You can use Cloud Storage to store your data, unstructured data, media files, and more.

Cloud SQL - Cloud SQL is a managed MySQL service, which helps you run your relational database on GCP. The service also comes with a built-in monitoring and management dashboard.

Cloud Endpoints - Cloud Endpoints provides an API management service, to help you build and manage your APIs. The service includes API discovery, API management, and API monitoring.

Cloud Functions - Cloud Functions is a serverless computing service, which lets you run small pieces of code on GCP.

Cloud Audit - Cloud Audit can help you audit and secure your GCP environment. The service includes compliance checks, security best practices, and dashboards to help you track your environment.

Setting up an environment on GCP

Setting up an environment on GCP will help you organize and manage all your cloud resources. You can create multiple environments for different projects, and share them with team members. An environment can include computing resources from multiple services, such as App Engine, Cloud Storage, and more. You can also add other resources to your environments, such as services managed by Google, AWS resources, Azure resources, and more. You can create an environment in the following ways:

By clicking on the “CREATE ENVIRONMENT” button in the GCP console.

You will be redirected to the Environment creation screen, where you can select the resources that you want to include in your environment.

By clicking on the “Create Environment” button in the GCP console sidebar menu.

This will take you to a new Environment creation screen, where you can select the resources that you want to include in your environment.

Optimizing your GCP environment

Once you have your environment set up, you can start optimizing your environment to get the best performance. Here are some ways that you can optimize your GCP environment for better performance.

Choosing the right region - GCP offers a wide range of regions across the world. Selecting the right region for your environment can help you reduce latency and improve performance.

Spending wisely - While GCP offers plenty of free credits, you should use them wisely and prioritize your spending. You can also use third-party services, such as TravisCI, AWS, and more.

Keeping track of your billing - GCP offers a detailed billing dashboard, which you can use to keep track of your spending. You can also use a third-party billing management solution, such as ProfitBricks Cloud Billing Manager.

Using the right services - You should use the right services for your applications or workload. You should also keep an eye on your credits, and scale up or down as needed.

Deploying applications on GCP

Once you have created an environment and optimized it for performance, you are ready to deploy applications on GCP. There are a variety of ways to deploy applications on GCP, depending on the technology that you are using.

App Engine - App Engine is a service for running web applications and services. You can deploy any application type on App Engine, and use it to scale up, down, and manage your application.

Cloud Functions - Cloud Functions can be used to deploy small pieces of code on GCP. You can use it for running scheduled tasks, processing data, or other computing tasks.

Container Engine - Container Engine is a service for running containerized applications, such as Docker and Kubernetes.

GCP security services

GCP offers several security services, to help you secure your environment and meet compliance standards. Here are some security services offered by GCP.

Security Alerts - Security Alerts help you track and manage security vulnerabilities in your environment. You can receive automated alerts and track key changes that happen in your environment, such as a new VM coming up, or a new device being added to the network.

Firewall Rules - Firewall Rules can be used to control network traffic to and from your environment. You can use Firewall Rules to prevent malicious traffic from entering your environment.