Introduction

Google Cloud Platform (GCP) is a suite of cloud computing services offered by Google. It provides a range of services including computing, storage, data analytics, machine learning, and networking. GCP allows businesses and developers to build, deploy, and scale applications, websites, and services on the same infrastructure that Google uses internally for its end-user products, such as Google Search, Gmail, and YouTube.

Key Concepts

Cloud Computing

Definition: Cloud computing is the delivery of computing services over the internet ("the cloud") to offer faster innovation, flexible resources, and economies of scale.
Types of Cloud Services:
- Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS): Provides virtualized computing resources over the internet.
- Platform as a Service (PaaS): Offers hardware and software tools over the internet, typically for application development.
- Software as a Service (SaaS): Delivers software applications over the internet, on a subscription basis.

GCP Services

Compute: Services like Compute Engine, App Engine, and Kubernetes Engine for running applications.
Storage: Services like Cloud Storage, Cloud SQL, and BigQuery for storing and managing data.
Networking: Services like VPC, Cloud Load Balancing, and Cloud CDN for managing network resources.
Machine Learning: Services like AI Platform, AutoML, and TensorFlow for building and deploying machine learning models.
Management Tools: Services like Stackdriver for monitoring and managing applications.

Benefits of GCP

Scalability: Easily scale applications up or down based on demand.
Reliability: High availability and disaster recovery options.
Security: Advanced security features and compliance with industry standards.
Cost Efficiency: Pay-as-you-go pricing model and cost management tools.

Practical Example

Setting Up a Simple Virtual Machine on GCP

Create a GCP Account: Sign up for a GCP account at Google Cloud.
Access the GCP Console: Navigate to the GCP Console at console.cloud.google.com.
Create a New Project:
- Click on the project dropdown at the top of the page.
- Select "New Project".
- Enter a project name and click "Create".
Launch a Virtual Machine:
- Go to the "Compute Engine" section.
- Click "Create Instance".
- Configure the instance (e.g., choose a machine type, select a region, and configure the boot disk).
- Click "Create" to launch the virtual machine.

# Example: Connecting to a GCP VM using Python
import google.auth
from google.auth.transport.requests import Request
from google.cloud import compute_v1

# Authenticate and create a client
credentials, project = google.auth.default()
client = compute_v1.InstancesClient(credentials=credentials)

# Define the instance details
instance = compute_v1.Instance()
instance.name = "example-instance"
instance.machine_type = f"zones/us-central1-a/machineTypes/n1-standard-1"
instance.disks = [
    compute_v1.AttachedDisk(
        auto_delete=True,
        boot=True,
        type_=compute_v1.AttachedDisk.Type.PERSISTENT,
        initialize_params=compute_v1.AttachedDiskInitializeParams(
            source_image="projects/debian-cloud/global/images/family/debian-10"
        ),
    )
]
instance.network_interfaces = [
    compute_v1.NetworkInterface(
        name="global/networks/default"
    )
]

# Create the instance
operation = client.insert(
    project=project,
    zone="us-central1-a",
    instance_resource=instance
)
operation.result()  # Wait for the operation to complete
print("Instance created successfully.")

Exercises

Exercise 1: Create a GCP Account

Sign up for a GCP account at Google Cloud.
Explore the free tier offerings and understand the credits available for new users.

Exercise 2: Launch a Virtual Machine

Follow the steps outlined in the practical example to create a new project and launch a virtual machine.
Connect to the virtual machine using SSH from the GCP Console.

Exercise 3: Explore GCP Services

Navigate through the GCP Console and explore different services like Compute Engine, Cloud Storage, and BigQuery.
Take note of the different options and configurations available for each service.

Summary

In this section, we introduced Google Cloud Platform (GCP) and discussed its key concepts, including cloud computing, GCP services, and the benefits of using GCP. We also provided a practical example of setting up a virtual machine on GCP and included exercises to help you get started with GCP. In the next module, we will dive deeper into the core GCP services and explore how to use them effectively.

What is Google Cloud Platform?

Introduction

Key Concepts

Cloud Computing

GCP Services

Benefits of GCP

Practical Example

Setting Up a Simple Virtual Machine on GCP

Exercises

Exercise 1: Create a GCP Account

Exercise 2: Launch a Virtual Machine

Exercise 3: Explore GCP Services

Summary

Google Cloud Platform (GCP) Course

Module 1: Introduction to Google Cloud Platform

Module 2: Core GCP Services

Module 3: Networking and Security

Module 4: Data and Analytics

Module 5: Machine Learning and AI

Module 6: DevOps and Monitoring

Module 7: Advanced GCP Topics

Module 8: Capstone Project