Create and Manage Cloud Resources Challenge Lab

Gcloud tool to create a virtual machine (VM) instance in a Google Cloud Platform (GCP) project. Let’s break down the command step by step:

1. Gcloud compute instances create $INSTANCE_NAME: This part of the command initiates the creation of a new VM instance. It uses the gcloud compute instances create command, and the value of the $INSTANCE_NAME environment variable is used as the name for the new VM instance. For example, if you had previously set $INSTANCE_NAME to “my-vm-instance,” the VM instance created would be named “my-vm-instance.”
2. --network nucleus-vpc: This option specifies the network to which the VM instance should be attached. In this case, it’s set to “nucleus-vpc,” which is the name of the network in your GCP project where the VM will be connected.
3. --zone $ZONE: The --zone option specifies the GCP zone in which the VM instance will be created. It uses the value of the $ZONE environment variable, so the actual zone used will depend on what you’ve set in that variable. For example, if $ZONE is set to “us-central1-a,” the VM instance will be created in the “us-central1-a” zone.
4. --machine-type e2-micro: This option specifies the machine type for the VM instance. In this case, it’s set to “e2-micro,” which is a small, cost-effective machine type suitable for lightweight workloads.
5. --image-family debian-10: This option specifies the image family for the VM instance’s operating system. Here, it’s set to “debian-10,” indicating that the VM will use a Debian 10 (Buster) operating system image.
6. --image-project debian-cloud: The --image-project option specifies the GCP project from which the operating system image should be used. “debian-cloud” is the project that contains the Debian-based images in GCP.

The provided gcloud command creates a Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE) cluster with the following specifications:

• Cluster name: nucleus-backend
• Number of nodes: 1
• Network: nucleus-vpc (a custom Virtual Private Cloud)
• Zone: The zone is determined by the $ZONE environment variable, allowing flexibility in the deployment location within Google Cloud Platform.

The gcloud command gcloud container clusters get-credentials nucleus-backend --zone $ZONE is used to configure and set up the Kubernetes configuration for accessing a Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE) cluster named nucleus-backend in a specific GCP zone, as specified by the $ZONE environment variable.

Here’s a breakdown of what this command does:

• gcloud container clusters get-credentials: This part of the command tells GCP to fetch and configure the credentials necessary for authenticating and interacting with the specified GKE cluster.
• nucleus-backend: This is the name of the GKE cluster for which you want to configure credentials. You would replace nucleus-backend with the actual name of your GKE cluster.
• --zone $ZONE: The --zone option specifies the GCP zone in which the GKE cluster is located. The $ZONE variable determines the specific zone. This allows you to set the configuration for the cluster located in the zone you’ve specified.

In summary, this command is essential for setting up your local Kubernetes configuration so that you can use tools like kubectl to interact with and manage the GKE cluster named nucleus-backend in the specified GCP zone. It ensures that you have the necessary credentials and context to work with the cluster.

The kubectl create deployment hello-server --image=gcr.io/google-samples/hello-app:2.0 command is used to create a Kubernetes deployment named “hello-server” with a specified container image.

Here’s a breakdown of what this command does:

• kubectl: This is the command-line tool used to interact with Kubernetes clusters.
• create deployment: This part of the command instructs Kubernetes to create a new deployment. A deployment is a higher-level Kubernetes resource that manages the deployment and scaling of containerized applications.
• hello-server: This is the name you’re giving to the deployment. You can replace “hello-server” with a name that is meaningful for your application.
• --image=gcr.io/google-samples/hello-app:2.0: This option specifies the container image that the deployment will use. In this case, it’s set to “gcr.io/google-samples/hello-app:2.0,” which is a container image hosted on Google Container Registry (GCR). The :2.0 tag indicates the specific version of the image to use. You can change the image to one that matches your application’s requirements.

In summary, this command creates a Kubernetes deployment named “hello-server” and specifies the container image to be used for the pods managed by this deployment. Once the deployment is created, Kubernetes will automatically create and manage pods based on the image you specified.

The kubectl expose deployment hello-server --type=LoadBalancer --port $PORT command is used to expose a Kubernetes deployment named “hello-server” to external traffic, typically over the internet, by creating a Kubernetes Service of type LoadBalancer.

Here’s a breakdown of what this command does:

• kubectl: This is the command-line tool used to interact with Kubernetes clusters.
• expose deployment hello-server: This part of the command instructs Kubernetes to create a Service that exposes the pods managed by the “hello-server” deployment to the network.
• --type=LoadBalancer: This option specifies the type of service to create. In this case, it’s set to “LoadBalancer.” A LoadBalancer service type typically provisions an external load balancer, which can distribute incoming network traffic across the pods in the deployment. This allows external clients to access the application running in the deployment.
• --port $PORT: The --port option specifies the port number to which external traffic should be directed. The $PORT variable is used here to dynamically set the port number. You would typically set the $PORT variable to the desired port number for your application.

In summary, this command creates a Kubernetes Service of type LoadBalancer for the “hello-server” deployment, making the application accessible from outside the Kubernetes cluster. External traffic directed to the specified port is load-balanced across the pods in the deployment, allowing users to interact with the application over the internet.

The kubectl get service command is used in Kubernetes to retrieve information about services within a Kubernetes cluster. Here’s what this command does:

• kubectl: This is the command-line tool used to interact with Kubernetes clusters.
• get service: This part of the command specifies that you want to retrieve information about services in the cluster.

When you run kubectl get service, it will display a list of Kubernetes services along with various details such as their names, cluster IP addresses, external IP addresses (if applicable), ports, and more. This information is valuable for understanding the current state and configuration of services running in your Kubernetes cluster.

Services in Kubernetes are used to provide stable endpoints for accessing applications and microservices. They act as a level of abstraction over pods and enable load balancing, service discovery, and other networking features within the cluster.

Running kubectl get service is a common way to inspect the services in your cluster, which can be helpful for troubleshooting, monitoring, or verifying the setup of your Kubernetes applications and services.

The provided script uses a “here document” (delimited by << EOF and EOF) to create a Bash script file named “startup.sh.” Let’s break down what each part of this script does:

1. cat << EOF > startup.sh: This line uses the cat command to read input from the script until it encounters the delimiter EOF. The content read from this input is then written to a file named “startup.sh.” Essentially, this line is creating a new file called “startup.sh” and preparing it to receive the contents between EOF tags.
2. #! /bin/bash: This is called a shebang or hashbang line. It indicates that the script should be executed using the Bash shell.
3. apt-get update: This command updates the package list on a Debian-based Linux system. It ensures that the system has the latest information about available packages.
4. apt-get install -y nginx: This command installs the Nginx web server on the system. The -y flag automatically answers “yes” to any prompts during the installation process, making it non-interactive.
5. service nginx start: This starts the Nginx service, making the web server active and ready to serve web content.
6. sed -i -- 's/nginx/Google Cloud Platform - '"\$HOSTNAME"'/' /var/www/html/index.nginx-debian.html: This line uses the sed command to replace occurrences of the string “nginx” with “Google Cloud Platform – ” followed by the value of the HOSTNAME environment variable in the file “/var/www/html/index.nginx-debian.html.” This operation effectively changes the default Nginx web page to include the hostname of the machine running the script.

In summary, this script is designed to create a “startup.sh” script file that, when executed on a Debian-based Linux system, updates package lists, installs Nginx, starts the Nginx service, and modifies the default web page to include the Google Cloud Platform and the hostname of the machine. This script could be useful for customizing the setup of a virtual machine or instance in a cloud environment.

The gcloud compute instance-templates create command is used to create a Google Compute Engine instance template with specified configuration settings. Let’s break down the provided command:

• gcloud: This is the command-line tool used to interact with Google Cloud resources and services.
• compute instance-templates create web-server-template: This part of the command instructs Google Cloud to create an instance template named “web-server-template.” An instance template is a configuration template that can be used to create multiple virtual machine (VM) instances with consistent settings.
• --metadata-from-file startup-script=startup.sh: This option specifies that the instance template should include metadata that is sourced from the “startup.sh” script file. The metadata typically contains information or scripts that are executed when a VM instance is created from this template. In this case, it seems that the “startup.sh” script you described earlier will be executed when VM instances are created from this template.
• --network nucleus-vpc: This option specifies the network that VM instances created from this template will be connected to. It sets the network to “nucleus-vpc.”
• --machine-type g1-small: This option specifies the machine type for the VM instances created from this template. It sets the machine type to “g1-small,” which is a specific configuration with predefined CPU and memory resources.
• --region $ZONE: The --region option specifies the GCP region where the instance template should be created. The $ZONE variable is used to dynamically set the region based on your environment. For example, if $ZONE is set to “us-central1,” the template would be created in the “us-central1” region.

In summary, this command creates a Google Compute Engine instance template named “web-server-template” with the specified configuration settings. When VM instances are created from this template, they will use the “startup.sh” script as a startup script, be connected to the “nucleus-vpc” network, use the “g1-small” machine type, and be created in the region specified by the $ZONE variable. This allows for consistent and repeatable VM instance creation with the desired configuration.

The gcloud compute target-pools create command is used to create a target pool in Google Cloud Platform (GCP). A target pool is a group of virtual machine (VM) instances that can receive traffic from a load balancer. Let’s break down the provided command:

• gcloud: This is the command-line tool used to interact with Google Cloud resources and services.
• compute target-pools create nginx-pool: This part of the command instructs Google Cloud to create a target pool named “nginx-pool.” This pool will be used to group a set of VM instances that can receive incoming network traffic.
• --region=$REGION: The --region option specifies the GCP region where the target pool should be created. The $REGION variable is used to dynamically set the region based on your environment. For example, if $REGION is set to “us-central1,” the target pool would be created in the “us-central1” region.

In summary, this command creates a target pool named “nginx-pool” in the specified GCP region. Target pools are often associated with a load balancer to distribute incoming traffic among the VM instances within the pool, helping to ensure high availability and scalability for web applications and services.

The gcloud compute instance-groups managed create command is used to create a managed instance group in Google Cloud Platform (GCP). Managed instance groups are used to manage and distribute instances automatically, making them suitable for scaling and load balancing. Here’s a breakdown of the provided command:

• gcloud: This is the command-line tool used to interact with Google Cloud resources and services.
• compute instance-groups managed create web-server-group: This part of the command instructs Google Cloud to create a managed instance group named “web-server-group.”
• --base-instance-name web-server: The --base-instance-name option specifies a base name for the instances within the group. In this case, the base name is set to “web-server,” and instances within the group will be named incrementally, such as “web-server-0,” “web-server-1,” etc.
• --size 2: The --size option specifies the desired number of instances in the managed group. Here, it’s set to “2,” indicating that the group should initially contain two instances.
• --template web-server-template: The --template option specifies the instance template that should be used to create instances in the managed group. It references the “web-server-template” that you’ve presumably created previously.
• --region $REGION: The --region option specifies the GCP region where the managed instance group should be created. The $REGION variable is used to dynamically set the region based on your environment. For example, if $REGION is set to “us-central1,” the managed group would be created in the “us-central1” region.

In summary, this command creates a managed instance group named “web-server-group” in the specified GCP region. The group will initially contain two instances based on the “web-server-template.” Managed instance groups are often used in conjunction with load balancers to distribute traffic and provide high availability for applications and services.

The gcloud compute firewall-rules create command is used to create a firewall rule in Google Cloud Platform (GCP). Firewall rules are used to control and manage incoming and outgoing network traffic to and from resources within a GCP network. Let’s break down the provided command:

• gcloud: This is the command-line tool used to interact with Google Cloud resources and services.
• compute firewall-rules create $FIREWALL_NAME: This part of the command instructs Google Cloud to create a firewall rule with the name specified by the $FIREWALL_NAME variable. The variable contains the name you want to give to the firewall rule.
• --allow tcp:80: The --allow option specifies the allowed traffic. In this case, it allows incoming TCP traffic on port 80. Port 80 is commonly used for HTTP web traffic, so this rule allows HTTP traffic to pass through.
• --network nucleus-vpc: The --network option specifies the network to which the firewall rule should be associated. In this case, it associates the firewall rule with the “nucleus-vpc” network.

In summary, this command creates a firewall rule with the specified name ($FIREWALL_NAME) that allows incoming TCP traffic on port 80 for the specified network (“nucleus-vpc”). This rule can be used to control and permit HTTP traffic to resources within the specified network, such as web servers.

The provided commands involve creating an HTTP health check and configuring named ports for a managed instance group in Google Cloud Platform (GCP). Let’s break down each command:

1. gcloud compute http-health-checks create http-basic-check: This command creates an HTTP health check named “http-basic-check.” Health checks are used to monitor the health and availability of backend instances in a load-balancing setup. In this case, it’s an HTTP health check, which means it will send HTTP requests to the instances and check for successful responses to determine their health.
2. gcloud compute instance-groups managed set-named-ports web-server-group --named-ports http:80 --region $REGION: This command configures named ports for a managed instance group named “web-server-group.” Here’s what each part of this command does:
   • gcloud compute instance-groups managed set-named-ports web-server-group: This part of the command specifies the managed instance group to which you want to apply the configuration for named ports, which is “web-server-group” in this case.
   • --named-ports http:80: This option sets a named port called “http” to port 80. Named ports are labels that help you associate specific ports with instances in a managed instance group. In this case, it’s configuring a named port “http” to correspond to port 80, which is the default port for HTTP traffic.
   • --region $REGION: The --region option specifies the GCP region where the managed instance group is located. The $REGION variable is used to dynamically set the region based on your environment.

In summary, these commands are configuring an HTTP health check named “http-basic-check” and associating a named port “http” with port 80 for a managed instance group named “web-server-group.” This setup is typically used in conjunction with a load balancer to route incoming HTTP traffic to healthy instances in the managed group.

The provided gcloud compute backend-services create command is used to create a backend service in Google Cloud Platform (GCP). Backend services are used in conjunction with load balancers to distribute incoming traffic to a group of backend instances. Let’s break down the provided command:

• gcloud: This is the command-line tool used to interact with Google Cloud resources and services.
• compute backend-services create web-server-backend: This part of the command instructs Google Cloud to create a backend service named “web-server-backend.” This backend service will represent the set of backend instances that will receive incoming traffic.
• --protocol HTTP: The --protocol option specifies the protocol used for routing traffic. In this case, it’s set to “HTTP,” indicating that the backend service will handle HTTP traffic.
• --http-health-checks http-basic-check: The --http-health-checks option specifies the health check that will be used to monitor the health and availability of the backend instances associated with this backend service. It refers to the “http-basic-check” health check that you’ve presumably created earlier.
• --global: The --global option indicates that the backend service should be globally load-balanced. This means that it can receive traffic from anywhere in the world, and the load balancer will distribute the traffic to the nearest available backend instance.

In summary, this command creates a global backend service named “web-server-backend” that is configured to handle HTTP traffic and uses the “http-basic-check” health check to monitor the health of its associated backend instances. This backend service can be used in conjunction with a global load balancer to route incoming HTTP traffic to healthy backend instances in a distributed and highly available manner.

The provided gcloud compute backend-services add-backend command is used to associate a managed instance group with a backend service in Google Cloud Platform (GCP). This association enables the backend service to direct traffic to the instances within the managed group. Let’s break down the provided command:

• gcloud: This is the command-line tool used to interact with Google Cloud resources and services.
• compute backend-services add-backend web-server-backend: This part of the command instructs Google Cloud to add a backend to the backend service named “web-server-backend.” In other words, it associates a group of backend instances with this backend service.
• --instance-group web-server-group: The --instance-group option specifies the managed instance group that you want to associate with the backend service. In this case, it’s “web-server-group.”
• --instance-group-region $REGION: The --instance-group-region option specifies the region where the managed instance group is located. The $REGION variable is used to dynamically set the region based on your environment.
• --global: The --global option indicates that this backend service should be globally load-balanced. It means that it can receive traffic from anywhere in the world, and the global load balancer will distribute the traffic to the nearest available backend instance.

In summary, this command associates the managed instance group “web-server-group” located in the specified region with the global backend service “web-server-backend.” This allows the backend service to route incoming traffic to the instances within the managed group in a distributed and highly available manner.

The provided gcloud compute url-maps create command is used to create a URL map in Google Cloud Platform (GCP). URL maps are used in conjunction with load balancers to route incoming HTTP(S) requests to the appropriate backend services or paths. Let’s break down the provided command:

• gcloud: This is the command-line tool used to interact with Google Cloud resources and services.
• compute url-maps create web-server-map: This part of the command instructs Google Cloud to create a URL map named “web-server-map.” A URL map is a configuration that defines how incoming requests should be handled and directed to backend services.
• --default-service web-server-backend: The --default-service option specifies the default backend service to which traffic should be directed if no specific routing rules match the incoming request. In this case, it’s set to “web-server-backend,” which is the backend service you’ve presumably created earlier. This means that if an incoming request doesn’t match any specific routing rules, it will be directed to the “web-server-backend” service.

In summary, this command creates a URL map named “web-server-map” and configures it to use the “web-server-backend” as the default backend service. This URL map can be used in conjunction with a load balancer to route incoming HTTP(S) requests to the appropriate backend services or paths within your Google Cloud environment.

The provided gcloud compute target-http-proxies create command is used to create a target HTTP proxy in Google Cloud Platform (GCP). Target HTTP proxies are used in conjunction with Google Cloud Load Balancers to route incoming HTTP requests to backend services. Let’s break down the provided command:

• gcloud: This is the command-line tool used to interact with Google Cloud resources and services.
• compute target-http-proxies create http-lb-proxy: This part of the command instructs Google Cloud to create a target HTTP proxy named “http-lb-proxy.” A target HTTP proxy is responsible for forwarding incoming HTTP requests to the appropriate backend services based on the URL map configuration.
• --url-map web-server-map: The --url-map option specifies the URL map that should be associated with the target HTTP proxy. In this case, it’s set to “web-server-map,” which is the URL map you’ve presumably created earlier. This means that the “http-lb-proxy” will use the “web-server-map” to determine how to route incoming HTTP requests to backend services.

In summary, this command creates a target HTTP proxy named “http-lb-proxy” and associates it with the “web-server-map.” This configuration allows the target HTTP proxy to handle incoming HTTP traffic and use the routing rules defined in the “web-server-map” to direct requests to the appropriate backend services within your Google Cloud environment.

The provided gcloud compute forwarding-rules create command is used to create a forwarding rule in Google Cloud Platform (GCP). Forwarding rules are used in conjunction with global load balancers to route incoming network traffic to the appropriate target, typically backend services. Let’s break down the provided command:

• gcloud: This is the command-line tool used to interact with Google Cloud resources and services.
• compute forwarding-rules create http-content-rule: This part of the command instructs Google Cloud to create a forwarding rule with the name “http-content-rule.”
• --global: The --global option specifies that this forwarding rule should be a global forwarding rule. Global forwarding rules are used for routing traffic to resources that are available globally, as opposed to specific regions.
• --target-http-proxy http-lb-proxy: The --target-http-proxy option specifies the target HTTP proxy that should be associated with this forwarding rule. In this case, it’s set to “http-lb-proxy,” which is the target HTTP proxy you’ve presumably created earlier. The target HTTP proxy is responsible for handling incoming HTTP traffic and routing it to backend services based on the URL map configuration.
• --ports 80: The --ports option specifies the ports on which the forwarding rule should listen for incoming traffic. Here, it’s set to port 80, which is the default port for HTTP traffic.

In summary, this command creates a global forwarding rule named “http-content-rule” that listens for incoming HTTP traffic on port 80 and directs that traffic to the specified target HTTP proxy “http-lb-proxy.” This configuration allows the global load balancer to route incoming HTTP requests to the appropriate backend services based on the URL map rules defined in the target HTTP proxy.

The provided gcloud compute forwarding-rules create command is used to create a global forwarding rule in Google Cloud Platform (GCP). Global forwarding rules are used in conjunction with global load balancers to route incoming network traffic to the appropriate target, typically backend services. Let’s break down the provided command:

• gcloud: This is the command-line tool used to interact with Google Cloud resources and services.
• compute forwarding-rules create $FIREWALL_NAME: This part of the command instructs Google Cloud to create a global forwarding rule with the name specified by the $FIREWALL_NAME variable. The variable contains the name you want to give to the forwarding rule.
• --global: The --global option specifies that this forwarding rule should be a global forwarding rule. Global forwarding rules are used for routing traffic to resources that are available globally, as opposed to specific regions.
• --target-http-proxy http-lb-proxy: The --target-http-proxy option specifies the target HTTP proxy that should be associated with this forwarding rule. In this case, it’s set to “http-lb-proxy,” which is presumably the target HTTP proxy you’ve created earlier. The target HTTP proxy is responsible for handling incoming HTTP traffic and routing it to backend services based on the URL map configuration.
• --ports 80: The --ports option specifies the ports on which the forwarding rule should listen for incoming traffic. Here, it’s set to port 80, which is the default port for HTTP traffic.

In summary, this command creates a global forwarding rule with the name specified by the $FIREWALL_NAME variable, listens for incoming HTTP traffic on port 80, and directs that traffic to the specified target HTTP proxy “http-lb-proxy.” This configuration allows the global load balancer to route incoming HTTP requests to the appropriate backend services based on the URL map rules defined in the target HTTP proxy.

The gcloud compute forwarding-rules list command is used to list the existing forwarding rules in your Google Cloud Platform (GCP) project. Here’s a breakdown of what this command does:

• gcloud: This is the command-line tool used to interact with Google Cloud resources and services.
• compute: This part of the command specifies that you want to work with Google Compute Engine, which is Google’s infrastructure-as-a-service platform.
• forwarding-rules: This section of the command tells GCP that you want to manage and list forwarding rules, which are used in load balancing configurations.
• list: This is the specific action you’re requesting, which is to list all the forwarding rules that currently exist in your GCP project.

When you execute gcloud compute forwarding-rules list, it will provide a list of forwarding rules, along with relevant information such as their names, descriptions, target proxies, ports, and other attributes. This command can be useful for checking the status and configurations of forwarding rules within your GCP environment, especially in load balancing setups where forwarding rules play a crucial role in routing traffic to backend services.