An Overview of Compute, Storage and Network APIs on Google Cloud Platform (GCP)

Introduction

Google Cloud provides a comprehensive set of APIs that enable developers to interact with various services related to computing, storage, and networking. These APIs offer powerful functionalities to manage resources, automate tasks, and build scalable applications on the Google Cloud Platform (GCP)

In this blog, we are providing an overview of some of the important APIs and those APIs should be enabled before any administrator or DevOPs engineer can work with VMs and Kubernette services on Google Cloud Platform (GCP) and integrate Google Cloud services into their applications and workflows.

The following are some of the key APIs that Google Cloud offers in these domains:

• Google Compute Engine API: This API allows you to create and manage virtual machines (VMs) on Google’s infrastructure. It provides capabilities to launch instances, manage networks, configure firewalls, and handle other aspects related to the deployment and management of virtual computing resources
• Google Cloud Storage API: This API enables you to interact with Google Cloud Storage, a highly scalable and secure object storage service. With this API, you can create buckets, upload and download objects, set access controls, and perform various operations related to managing and manipulating data stored in the cloud
• Google Cloud Networking APIs: Google Cloud offers several APIs for managing networking resources, such as virtual private clouds (VPCs), subnets, routes, and load balancing. These APIs allow you to configure and control network settings, create and manage virtual private networks, set up firewall rules, and establish secure connections between your on-premises infrastructure and the Google Cloud environment

In addition to these core APIs, Google Cloud provides a wide range of other APIs and services that cater for different aspects of cloud computing, storage, and networking. Some of these include:

• Google Cloud Identity and Access Management (IAM) API
• Google Cloud DNS API
• Google Cloud VPN API
• Google Cloud CDN API
• Google Cloud Firewall API
• Google Cloud Load Balancing API
• Google Cloud Data Transfer API
• Google Cloud Bigtable API
• Google Cloud Spanner API

These APIs come with comprehensive documentation, sample code, and client libraries for various programming languages, making it easier for developers to integrate Google Cloud services into their applications and workflows.

Enabling Google Compute Engine API:

To enable the Google Compute Engine API, you need to follow these steps:

1. Open the Google Cloud Console:

Go to the Google Cloud Console.

2. Create or Select a Project:

If you don’t have a project yet, create a new one by clicking on the “Select a project” dropdown at the top of the page and then selecting “New Project”. If you already have a project, select it.

3. Enable the Compute Engine API:

• Click on the navigation menu at the top left and select “APIs & Services” > “Library”
• In the search bar, type “Compute Engine”. The API should appear in the dropdown
• Click on the “Compute Engine API” from the list
• Click the “Enable” button

4. Create Service Account and Get Credentials (Optional but recommended for programmatic access):

• Go to the Service accounts page in the Cloud Console
• Click Create Service Account
• Enter a name and description for the service account
• Click Create
• Click the role dropdown and select the role you want. For example, if you need full access, select Project > Owner. If you only need to use Compute Engine, you can select Compute Engine > Compute Admin
• Click Continue
• Click Create Key
• Select the key type and click Create. This will download a JSON file with your credentials. Keep this file secure

5. Set Up Authentication:

Depending on your use case, you will need to authenticate your requests to the Compute Engine API. You can use the JSON key you downloaded in the previous step for authentication.

6. Verify the Compute Engine API is enabled:

You can verify that the Compute Engine API is enabled by navigating to the APIs & Services section of the Google Cloud Console. You should see the Compute Engine API listed there with a status of “Enabled”.
Following these steps should help you enable the Google Compute Engine API for your Google Cloud Project.

The below screen shows how and where to enable the Compute Engine API in the GCP console.

Here we have created a new project in the name of GCP-VembuDemo and enable Compute Engine API.

Creating Credentials for Compute Engine API

After Enabling the Compute Engine API, the next step is to create a service account and a credential to use this API. You may have a default compute engine service account, but it is necessary to create your own service account to use the compute engine API. As mentioned in Step 4, follow the procedure to create the credentials.

Enabling Cloud Storage API

To enable the Google Cloud Storage API, you will need to follow the steps below:

1. Open the Google Cloud Console at https://console.cloud.google.com/
2. Select a project, or create a new one by clicking on the project dropdown menu at the top of the page and then clicking on the “New Project” button
3. Once you have selected or created the project, click on the navigation menu in the upper-left corner of the page
4. In the left-hand sidebar, click on “APIs & Services” and then click on “Library.”
5. In the “Library” section, you can search for “Cloud Storage API” using the search bar
6. Once you find the “Cloud Storage API,” click on it to open the Cloud Storage API page
7. On the Cloud Storage API page, click the “Enable” button to enable the API for your project
8. After enabling the API, you may need to set up credentials to use the API. To do this, go to the “Credentials” section from the left-hand sidebar
9. In the “Credentials” section, you can create credentials for your project

Once you have enabled the Google Cloud Storage API and set up the necessary credentials, you should be able to use the API in your project to manage and interact with your Google Cloud Storage resources.

Below screenshot shows how and where to enable the Google Cloud Storage API as described in Step1. When you enable Compute Enginge API, cloud storage API should be enabled or you can follow the steps described in Step1.

Here the Cloud Storage API is enabled, and the next step is setup the credentials to use the API.
Under “Enabled APIs and Services” choose Cloud Storage API and Click “Create Credentials” for API keys, service accounts, or OAuth 2.0 client IDs. Follow the instructions provided to create the appropriate credentials for your use case.

Conclusion :

Benefits of GCP APIs

GCP APIs offer numerous benefits, contributing to the overall efficiency, scalability, and functionality of cloud-based solutions. Some of the key benefits of GCP APIs include:

• Flexibility and Customization: GCP APIs allow developers to tailor their applications and services to specific requirements, offering a high degree of customization
• Integration with GCP Services: They enable seamless integration with various GCP services such as Google Cloud Storage, Google Cloud SQL, Google Cloud Pub/Sub, and many others, providing a wide range of functionalities for building sophisticated applications
• Scalability: GCP APIs are designed to scale effortlessly, allowing applications to handle increased workloads and traffic demands without compromising performance
• Automation and Efficiency: They facilitate the automation of various tasks, streamlining processes, and reducing the manual effort required for managing complex cloud environments
• Security: GCP APIs come with built-in security features and compliance certifications, ensuring the security of data and resources, and helping developers to build secure and compliant applications
• Access to Data Analytics: By leveraging GCP APIs, developers can access powerful data analytics tools and services such as Google BigQuery, empowering them to derive valuable insights from large datasets
• Machine Learning Capabilities: GCP APIs provide access to powerful machine learning tools, such as Google Cloud AI services, enabling developers to integrate advanced machine learning capabilities into their applications
• Cost-Effectiveness: They offer cost-effective solutions for various computing and storage needs, allowing businesses to optimize their infrastructure costs while ensuring reliable and efficient performance
• Global Reach and Performance: GCP APIs are designed to provide global coverage, allowing applications to leverage Google’s extensive network infrastructure, resulting in enhanced performance and reduced latency for users worldwide
• Developer Community and Support: Google provides extensive documentation, tutorials, and a strong developer community to support the use of GCP APIs, facilitating smooth integration and troubleshooting of issues that may arise during the development process

By leveraging these benefits, developers can create robust, scalable, and secure applications on the Google Cloud Platform, meeting the demands of modern cloud computing environments.

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