How can I host websites on Google cloud?

Before you start

First of all, you must register for the free Google cloud platform category, which will entitle you to a $ 300 credit () for 12 months and to a host of other products always free.

Select or create a cloud platform project. CHECK THE PROJECTS PAGE

Enable billing for your project. ACTIVE INVOICING
Have a domain that you own or manage. If you do not have an existing domain, register a new domain

Create a new project

Access the application engine and create a new project. We will do this using Node.js, so click here to create a new project! When the page loads, you should see something like this:

Go ahead and click “Create” and then choose a project name.

Tip: Click Edit and also edit your project ID. The URL of the site is based on the ID, so choose wisely!

He will then ask you to select a region (go ahead and choose us-central).

You will need to activate billing (they ask for a credit card for verification purposes, do not worry, you still have your $ 300 free credit).

Google Compute Engine Configuration

The virtual machines on the Google Compute engine infrastructure are called instances. You can customize an instance by choosing your preferred operating system, physical storage, CPU, and RAM. It will depend on your budget.

Google has a price estimator that allows you to roughly determine the monthly cost of your instance, which is a good guide.

You can also use Google Cloud Launcher to deploy a complete stack of Web site servers and install many software applications used in websites, including: WordPress, Joomla, Django e.t.c.

If you want to completely customize the virtual machine, you must install an operating system that supports Web development. Although Windows is a good bet for those who run. Net and ASP technologies, most developers choose to host their websites on Linux.

Link your domain to your hosting

You now have a domain name and a Google hosting solution. You will need to link both to make your websites work. In most cases, you will need to change the A record to point to the public IP address of your server. You can also use Google’s DNS cloud service to manage your domain name servers. Finally cloud host is ready, test your websites by visiting your domain name on the browser.

To host websites on Google Cloud, you can follow these steps:

Set up a Google Cloud account: Create a Google Cloud account at https://cloud.google.com/. You will need to provide billing information and set up a project.

Create a virtual machine (VM) instance: In Google Cloud Console, navigate to Compute Engine > VM Instances. Click “Create” to start creating a new VM instance.

Configure VM instance: Provide a name for the instance, select the region and zone, then choose the machine type and operating system.

Configure firewall rules: In the “Firewall” section, ensure HTTP and HTTPS traffic is allowed by creating firewall rules to allow incoming connections on ports 80 (HTTP) and 443 (HTTPS).

Connect to VM instance: Once the VM instance is created, you can connect to it using SSH from Google Cloud Console, or you can use an SSH client like PuTTY if you are on a Windows machine.

Install and configure web server: Install web server software, such as Apache or Nginx, on the VM instance. Follow the respective documentation of the web server you have chosen to install and configure it correctly.

Upload Website Files: Transfer your website files to the VM instance using SCP, SFTP, or any other method of your choice. Place the files in the appropriate web server directory, usually located in the /var/www/html directory for Apache or the /usr/share/nginx/html directory for Nginx.

Configure Domain and DNS: Point your domain name to your VM instance’s IP address by changing your domain registrar’s DNS settings. Create an “A” record with the appropriate IP address.

Set up an SSL certificate (optional): If you want to secure your website with SSL, you can obtain an SSL certificate from a certificate authority (CA) or use Let’s Encrypt to generate a free SSL certificate. Configure the web server to use the SSL certificate.

Test the website: Access your website by entering your domain name in a web browser. If everything is configured correctly, you should see your website.

Don’t forget to monitor your Google Cloud usage and billing to make sure you’re staying within your desired budget and resource limits. Additionally, regularly update and secure your VM instance to protect it from potential vulnerabilities and attacks.

This is a high-level overview of the process, and there may be additional configuration and optimization steps depending on your specific needs. It is recommended to consult the official Google Cloud documentation for detailed instructions and best practices specific to hosting websites on Google Cloud.