Compute commands (instances, disks) in GCP - Step-by-Step Execution

Process Flow - Compute commands (instances, disks)

Start: User wants to manage VM

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Choose command type

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Instance

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Create/Delete/Start/Stop/List

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Command executes

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Check result: VM or Disk state updated

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End

User picks to manage either VM instances or disks, runs commands like create or delete, then checks the updated state.

Execution Sample

GCP

gcloud compute instances create my-vm --zone=us-central1-a

gcloud compute disks create my-disk --size=10GB --zone=us-central1-a

gcloud compute instances list

gcloud compute disks list

Create a VM instance and a disk, then list all instances and disks to see their current state.

Process Table

Step	Command	Action	Result	State Change
1	gcloud compute instances create my-vm --zone=us-central1-a	Create VM instance named 'my-vm'	Instance 'my-vm' created successfully	Instances: ['my-vm']
2	gcloud compute disks create my-disk --size=10GB --zone=us-central1-a	Create disk named 'my-disk' with 10GB	Disk 'my-disk' created successfully	Disks: ['my-disk']
3	gcloud compute instances list	List all VM instances	Shows: 'my-vm' in zone us-central1-a	No state change
4	gcloud compute disks list	List all disks	Shows: 'my-disk' with size 10GB in zone us-central1-a	No state change
5	gcloud compute instances delete my-vm --zone=us-central1-a	Delete VM instance 'my-vm'	Instance 'my-vm' deleted	Instances: []
6	gcloud compute disks delete my-disk --zone=us-central1-a	Delete disk 'my-disk'	Disk 'my-disk' deleted	Disks: []
7	gcloud compute instances list	List all VM instances	No instances found	No state change
8	gcloud compute disks list	List all disks	No disks found	No state change

💡 All created resources deleted; no instances or disks remain.

Status Tracker

Resource	Start	After Step 1	After Step 2	After Step 5	After Step 6	Final
Instances	[]	['my-vm']	['my-vm']	[]	[]	[]
Disks	[]	[]	['my-disk']	['my-disk']	[]	[]

Key Moments - 3 Insights

Why does the list command not change the state of instances or disks?

Listing commands only show current resources without modifying them, as seen in steps 3, 4, 7, and 8 where the state remains unchanged.

What happens if you try to delete a resource that does not exist?

The command will fail with an error because the resource is not found; this is implied after step 6 when resources are deleted and listing shows none.

Why do we specify the zone in create and delete commands?

Because instances and disks are regional resources, specifying the zone tells GCP exactly where to create or delete them, ensuring correct targeting as shown in all create/delete steps.

Visual Quiz - 3 Questions

Look at the execution table, what is the state of instances after step 2?

A ['my-vm']

B []

C ['my-disk']

D ['my-vm', 'my-disk']

💡 Hint

Check the 'State Change' column for step 2 in the execution table.

At which step does the disk 'my-disk' get deleted?

A Step 5

B Step 6

C Step 7

D Step 8

💡 Hint

Look for the command deleting 'my-disk' in the execution table.

If you omit the --zone flag when creating an instance, what would happen?

A The instance is created in a default zone

B The command fails asking for zone specification

C The instance is created globally

D The instance is created in all zones

💡 Hint

GCP requires zone for regional resources; see how zone is specified in all create commands.

Concept Snapshot

Compute commands manage VM instances and disks in GCP.
Use 'gcloud compute instances' or 'gcloud compute disks' commands.
Common actions: create, delete, list, start, stop.
Always specify zone for regional resources.
Listing shows current state without changes.

Full Transcript

This visual execution shows how to manage Google Cloud VM instances and disks using gcloud compute commands. First, a VM instance named 'my-vm' is created in a specific zone. Then, a disk named 'my-disk' is created with a size of 10GB in the same zone. Listing commands display the current instances and disks without changing their state. Later, the VM and disk are deleted, and listing confirms no resources remain. The zone flag is important to target the correct location. Listing commands do not modify resources. Deleting non-existent resources would cause errors. This step-by-step trace helps beginners understand how commands affect cloud resources.