The Google Cloud Platform (GCP) Console is a web-based interface that allows you to manage your GCP resources. It provides a comprehensive set of tools to help you deploy, manage, and monitor your applications and services. This section will guide you through the main features of the GCP Console, helping you become familiar with its layout and functionalities.

The Dashboard is the first screen you see when you log into the GCP Console. It provides a high-level overview of your projects, including:

• Project Info: Displays the project name, project ID, and project number.
• Billing Information: Shows your current billing status and any alerts.
• Resource Usage: Provides a summary of the resources being used in your project.
• Quick Access: Links to commonly used services and resources.

The Navigation Menu, located on the left side of the console, provides access to all GCP services. It is organized into categories such as Compute, Storage, Big Data, and Machine Learning. You can expand each category to see the available services.

GCP Console allows you to manage resources such as virtual machines, storage buckets, and databases. Key features include:

• Resource List: Displays all resources within a project.
• Resource Details: Provides detailed information and configuration options for each resource.
• Resource Actions: Allows you to start, stop, delete, and configure resources.

Identity and Access Management (IAM) is crucial for controlling access to your GCP resources. The IAM & Admin section allows you to:

• Manage Users: Add, remove, and manage user permissions.
• Roles and Permissions: Assign roles to users and groups to control access to resources.
• Service Accounts: Create and manage service accounts for automated access to resources.

The Billing section provides detailed information about your GCP usage and costs. Key features include:

• Billing Account Management: Manage your billing accounts and payment methods.
• Cost Breakdown: View detailed cost reports and usage summaries.
• Budgets and Alerts: Set budgets and receive alerts when spending exceeds predefined thresholds.

GCP Console offers tools for monitoring and logging to help you keep track of your applications' performance and troubleshoot issues:

• Stackdriver Monitoring: Monitor the performance and health of your applications.
• Stackdriver Logging: Collect and analyze logs from your applications and services.
• Alerts: Set up alerts to notify you of performance issues or errors.

1. Log In: Go to the GCP Console and log in with your Google account.
2. Dashboard Overview: Once logged in, you will see the Dashboard. Take a moment to familiarize yourself with the information displayed.
3. Explore the Navigation Menu:
   • Click on the hamburger menu (three horizontal lines) in the top-left corner to expand the Navigation Menu.
   • Browse through the categories and services available.
4. Access Compute Engine:
   • In the Navigation Menu, go to "Compute" and click on "Compute Engine".
   • You will see a list of virtual machine instances if any are created. You can create a new instance by clicking the "Create" button.
5. Check Billing Information:
   • In the Navigation Menu, go to "Billing".
   • Review your billing account, cost breakdown, and set up budgets if needed.
6. Manage IAM:
   • In the Navigation Menu, go to "IAM & Admin".
   • Add a new user by clicking "Add" and assigning appropriate roles.

1. Navigate to Compute Engine:
   • In the Navigation Menu, go to "Compute" and click on "Compute Engine".
2. Create a New Instance:
   • Click the "Create" button.
   • Fill in the required details:
     • Name: my-vm-instance
     • Region: Select a region close to you.
     • Machine Type: Choose a machine type (e.g., e2-micro for a small instance).
     • Boot Disk: Select an operating system (e.g., Debian, Ubuntu).
   • Click "Create" to launch the instance.
3. Verify the Instance:
   • Once the instance is created, it will appear in the list of instances.
   • Click on the instance name to view its details and ensure it is running.

In this section, you learned about the GCP Console's main features, including the Dashboard, Navigation Menu, Resource Management, IAM & Admin, Billing, and Monitoring and Logging. You also practiced creating a virtual machine instance. Understanding the GCP Console is essential for effectively managing your GCP resources. In the next module, we will dive deeper into core GCP services, starting with Compute Engine.