Google Cloud SDK is a set of tools that you can use to manage resources and applications hosted on Google Cloud Platform (GCP). It includes the gcloud command-line tool, which allows you to perform various tasks such as deploying applications, managing cloud resources, and configuring your GCP projects. This article will guide you through the process of installing and using Google Cloud SDK on a Windows environment.

Installation of Google Cloud SDK on Windows

1. Download the Installer:

   • Visit the Google Cloud SDK download page and download the installer for Windows.

2. Run the Installer:

   • Double-click the downloaded installer file to start the installation process.
   • Follow the on-screen instructions. During installation, you can choose to install additional components like kubectl (for Kubernetes) and App Engine extensions if needed.

3. Initialize the SDK:

   • Once installed, open a new Command Prompt window.

   • Run the following command to initialize the SDK:

     gcloud init

   • This command will guide you through the initial setup, including logging into your Google account, selecting a default project, and configuring other settings.

Using Google Cloud SDK on Windows

After installation, you can use the gcloud command-line tool to interact with your Google Cloud resources. Here are some common tasks:

1. List Projects:

   • To list all projects associated with your Google account, use:

     gcloud projects list

2. Set a Default Project:

   • To set a default project for your gcloud session, use:

     gcloud config set project [PROJECT_ID]

3. Deploy an App to App Engine:

   • If you have an application ready to deploy, navigate to its directory and use:

     gcloud app deploy

4. Check Active Configuration:

   • To view the current configuration and active settings, use:

     gcloud config list

5. Update Components:

   • To ensure you have the latest version of the SDK and its components, run:

     gcloud components update

Examples

Here is a practical example of deploying a simple Python application to Google App Engine:

1. Create a new directory for your project and navigate into it:

   mkdir my-python-app
   cd my-python-app

2. Create a simple Python application file, main.py:

   def hello_world():
      return "Hello, World!"

3. Create an app.yaml file to define the runtime environment:

   runtime: python39
   entrypoint: python main.py

4. Deploy the application:

   gcloud app deploy

5. Visit your deployed app by opening the URL provided after deployment.