Resource definitions for GCP - Cheat Sheet & Quick Revision

Recall & Review

beginner

What is a resource definition in Google Cloud Platform (GCP)?

A resource definition in GCP describes a specific cloud service or component, like a virtual machine or storage bucket, including its properties and configuration.

beginner

Name three common resource types you can define in GCP.

Compute Engine VM instances, Cloud Storage buckets, and Cloud Pub/Sub topics are common resource types in GCP.

intermediate

Why is it important to define resources declaratively in GCP?

Declarative resource definitions let you specify the desired state of resources, making it easier to manage, automate, and reproduce infrastructure reliably.

beginner

What file format is commonly used for defining GCP resources in Infrastructure as Code?

YAML or JSON files are commonly used to define GCP resources in Infrastructure as Code tools like Deployment Manager or Terraform.

intermediate

How does GCP identify a resource uniquely?

GCP uses a resource name and a unique identifier within a project and region or zone to uniquely identify each resource.

Which of the following is NOT a typical GCP resource?

A Cloud Pub/Sub topic

B Cloud Storage bucket

C Compute Engine VM instance

D Local desktop folder

Local desktop folders are not managed resources in GCP; the others are common GCP resources.

What is the main benefit of defining resources declaratively in GCP?

A Manual configuration is faster

B It only works for storage resources

C It allows specifying the desired state for automation

D It requires no permissions

Declarative definitions specify the desired state, enabling automation and consistent management.

Which file formats are commonly used for GCP resource definitions?

A YAML and JSON

B XML and CSV

C TXT and DOCX

D HTML and CSS

YAML and JSON are standard formats for defining infrastructure resources.

In GCP, what uniquely identifies a resource?

A Only the resource name

B Resource name and project ID

C User email address

D Operating system version

Resources are uniquely identified by their name combined with the project and location.

Which GCP service is used to manage resource definitions declaratively?

A Cloud Deployment Manager

B Cloud Functions

C BigQuery

D Cloud Run

Cloud Deployment Manager allows declarative resource management using configuration files.

Explain what a resource definition is in GCP and why it is useful.

Think about how you tell GCP what you want to create and manage.

Describe how GCP uniquely identifies resources and why this is important.

Consider how GCP keeps track of many resources without confusion.

Practice

1. What is the main purpose of a resource definition in Google Cloud Platform (GCP)?

easy

A. To manually start and stop virtual machines

B. To write application code that runs on GCP

C. To monitor the usage of cloud resources

D. To tell GCP what cloud parts to create and how to configure them

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand the role of resource definitions

   Resource definitions specify what cloud resources to create and their settings.

2. Step 2: Compare options to the definition role

   Only To tell GCP what cloud parts to create and how to configure them describes creating and configuring cloud parts, which matches resource definitions.

3. Final Answer:

   To tell GCP what cloud parts to create and how to configure them -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   Resource definitions = create and configure cloud parts [OK]

Hint: Resource definitions describe cloud parts to create [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing resource definitions with application code
• Thinking resource definitions monitor usage
• Believing resource definitions manually control VMs

2. Which of the following is the correct minimal structure for a GCP resource definition in YAML?

easy

A. resources:\n - name: my-vm\n type: compute.instance\n properties:\n location: us-central1-a

B. resources:\n - id: my-vm\n kind: compute.v1.instance\n settings:\n zone: us-central1-a

C. resources:\n - name: my-vm\n type: compute.v1.instance\n properties:\n zone: us-central1-a

D. resource_list:\n - name: my-vm\n type: compute.v1.instance\n properties:\n zone: us-central1-a

Solution

1. Step 1: Check the required keys in GCP resource definitions

   GCP expects 'resources' list with each item having 'name', 'type', and 'properties'.

2. Step 2: Validate each option

   resources:\n - name: my-vm\n type: compute.v1.instance\n properties:\n zone: us-central1-a uses correct keys and valid type 'compute.v1.instance'. Others use wrong keys like 'id', 'kind', or wrong root key 'resource_list'. resources:\n - name: my-vm\n type: compute.instance\n properties:\n location: us-central1-a uses incorrect type 'compute.instance'.

3. Final Answer:

   resources:\n - name: my-vm\n type: compute.v1.instance\n properties:\n zone: us-central1-a -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   Correct keys and type = resources:\n - name: my-vm\n type: compute.v1.instance\n properties:\n zone: us-central1-a [OK]

Hint: Look for 'resources', 'name', 'type', 'properties' keys [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using 'id' instead of 'name'
• Using 'kind' instead of 'type'
• Wrong root key like 'resource_list'
• Incorrect resource type format

3. Given this resource definition snippet, what will be the zone of the created VM?

resources:
  - name: test-vm
    type: compute.v1.instance
    properties:
      zone: europe-west1-b
      machineType: n1-standard-1
      disks:
        - deviceName: boot
          boot: true
          autoDelete: true
          initializeParams:
            sourceImage: projects/debian-cloud/global/images/family/debian-11

medium

A. europe-west1-b

B. us-central1-a

C. asia-east1-a

D. No zone specified, deployment will fail

Solution

1. Step 1: Locate the zone property in the resource definition

   The 'zone' property is set to 'europe-west1-b' under 'properties'.

2. Step 2: Understand zone usage in VM creation

   The VM will be created in the specified zone 'europe-west1-b'.

3. Final Answer:

   europe-west1-b -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Zone property value = europe-west1-b [OK]

Hint: Check 'zone' under 'properties' for VM location [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Assuming default zone if specified
• Confusing machineType with zone
• Thinking deployment fails without explicit zone

4. Identify the error in this resource definition snippet:

resources:
  - name: my-bucket
    type: storage.v1.bucket
    properties:
      location: us-east1
      storageClass: STANDARD
  - name: my-bucket
    type: storage.v1.bucket
    properties:
      location: us-west1
      storageClass: NEARLINE

medium

A. Invalid storageClass values used

B. Duplicate resource names cause deployment failure

C. Missing 'type' field in second resource

D. Location values are not allowed in bucket properties

Solution

1. Step 1: Check resource names for uniqueness

   Both resources have the same name 'my-bucket', which is not allowed.

2. Step 2: Verify other fields

   Both have 'type' and valid 'storageClass' and 'location'. Only duplicate names cause error.

3. Final Answer:

   Duplicate resource names cause deployment failure -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   Unique resource names required = Duplicate resource names cause deployment failure [OK]

Hint: Resource names must be unique in definitions [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Ignoring duplicate names
• Thinking storageClass values are invalid
• Believing location is disallowed

5. You want to define a GCP resource that creates a Compute Engine VM with a specific network interface and a startup script. Which of the following resource definitions correctly includes both properties?

hard

A. resources:
- name: vm-with-script
type: compute.v1.instance
properties:
zone: us-central1-a
machineType: n1-standard-1
networkInterfaces:
- network: global/networks/default
metadata:
items:
- key: startup-script
value: |-
#!/bin/bash
echo Hello World > /var/log/startup.log

B. resources:
- name: vm-with-script
type: compute.v1.instance
properties:
zone: us-central1-a
machineType: n1-standard-1
network: default
startupScript: |
#!/bin/bash
echo Hello World > /var/log/startup.log

C. resources:
- name: vm-with-script
type: compute.v1.instance
properties:
zone: us-central1-a
machineType: n1-standard-1
networkInterfaces:
- network: default
metadata:
startup-script: |
#!/bin/bash
echo Hello World > /var/log/startup.log

D. resources:
- name: vm-with-script
type: compute.v1.instance
properties:
zone: us-central1-a
machineType: n1-standard-1
networkInterfaces:
- network: default
metadata:
items:
- key: startup
value: echo Hello World

Solution

1. Step 1: Check network interface property format

   Correct format uses 'networkInterfaces' list with 'network' as full resource path or relative path like 'global/networks/default'.

2. Step 2: Check metadata startup script format

   Metadata must have 'items' list with 'key' and 'value' pairs. The key for startup script is 'startup-script'.

3. Step 3: Validate each option

   resources: - name: vm-with-script type: compute.v1.instance properties: zone: us-central1-a machineType: n1-standard-1 networkInterfaces: - network: global/networks/default metadata: items: - key: startup-script value: |- #!/bin/bash echo Hello World > /var/log/startup.log correctly uses 'networkInterfaces' with full network path and metadata with 'items' list and proper startup script. Others have incorrect keys or missing 'items' list.

4. Final Answer:

   Option A correctly defines network interface and startup script -> Option A

5. Quick Check:

   Correct networkInterfaces and metadata items = resources: - name: vm-with-script type: compute.v1.instance properties: zone: us-central1-a machineType: n1-standard-1 networkInterfaces: - network: global/networks/default metadata: items: - key: startup-script value: |- #!/bin/bash echo Hello World > /var/log/startup.log [OK]

Hint: Use 'networkInterfaces' list and metadata 'items' with key/value [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using 'network' instead of 'networkInterfaces'
• Missing 'items' list in metadata
• Wrong key name for startup script
• Incorrect network path format