In this blog post, we will discuss some of GCP best practices. Google Cloud Platform is one of the most popular cloud computing platforms on the market today. This article outlines 10+ best practices for Google Cloud Platform users.
These best practices are designed to improve data retention, security, and cost efficiency for your company.
We will also discuss how these guidelines can help improve your business’s workflow and performance!
What is Google Cloud Platform?
Google Cloud Platform is a computing platform that allows you to create, run and manage applications on the internet. Google’s cloud services include everything from file storage to machine learning capabilities.
What are best practices?
Best practices are guidelines for using computer systems in an optimal manner.
These recommendations cover many aspects of IT management, including process improvement, software management, and project management.
What are the benefits of the Google Cloud Platform?
Google Cloud Platform is faster than traditional IT infrastructure. It also provides more security features and access to machine learning capabilities that make it easier for companies to manage their data storage needs.
All these benefits come at a lower cost (and in some cases no cost) compared to traditional systems.
How does Google Cloud Platform help with data retention?
Google Cloud is designed to preserve information for as long as you need it, which can be especially helpful in the event of litigation or audits.
Preserving records and evidence helps ensure that companies are prepared when faced with legal challenges related to their business practices.
What other benefits come from using Google Cloud Platform?
Using a cloud computing platform like GCP frees up time and resources within your company by allowing employees to focus on growing revenue instead of worrying about IT management issues such as software updates, backups, security patches, etc.
What are some of the GCP best practices?
1). Ensure You Have Total Visibility of Data
Google Cloud Platform provides companies with the ability to monitor their data usage, which can help them avoid expensive overage charges.
This also gives them insight into how employees are using GCP resources so they can make informed decisions about cloud spending.
For example, if most of your employees are storing files in one particular bucket then you know it is time to upgrade that storage space!
By implementing tools like Google Analytics for Firebase and Stackdriver Logging, businesses can get a better idea of what makes up their traffic pattern on GCP.
If they notice an increase in API activity or high volume logs being written to disk this might indicate different scaling needs within their app or even problems with security vulnerabilities.
With increased visibility companies will be able to make smarter decisions about their cloud usage and spend less time troubleshooting issues.
2). Ensure Your Security Policies Are Up To Date
Make sure your company has a security policy in place before launching any GCP project!
This will ensure that everyone on the team adheres to basic guidelines such as setting strong passwords, limiting access permissions where necessary, etc.
All these policies need to be clearly communicated with employees so they understand what’s expected from them while working on projects within Google Cloud Platform or even just logging into corporate email accounts.
If there is a security breach, having a solid policy in place can help your business avoid fines and other penalties.
3). Keep Your Systems Updated
Keeping GCP up to date is essential for ensuring optimal performance from Google’s infrastructure.
The data center you are using may be running behind on software updates which might cut off access or cause unexpected problems within the system.
You should constantly check for any available app updates so that users don’t encounter any snags when working with their cloud projects.
4). Utilize Stackdriver Logging & Monitoring Tools
These two tools will give companies better insight into how employees are accessing certain resources within the platform.
For example, if most of your traffic comes through one particular API endpoint then it may indicate an increased need for that resource.
By taking advantage of these tools you will be able to plan for future scaling needs and avoid unplanned costs down the line!
5). Enable Container Registry Access
If your company is using Kubernetes or any other containerized apps then it’s important to enable access within Google Cloud Platform.
This lets teams easily work with their containers without having to go through a lengthy process just so they can upload them into GCP.
It also keeps all related files in one place which prevents things from getting lost when employees move around projects.
6). Take Advantage Of Developer Tools & Support Resources
Whether it is Stackdriver support, Firebase APIs, Pub/Sub services, BigQuery data warehousing, etc., there are plenty of resources available within GCP that companies can take advantage of.
By utilizing these tools, businesses will be able to cut back on their own IT costs and make better use out of the cloud platform at hand.
7). Get Signed Up For Cloud Sourcing
If you are not taking full advantage of Google’s free trial for Cloud Sourcing then what are you waiting for?
This is a great opportunity to save time and money by letting experts handle all networking, storage, etc., so your employees only have access to certain resources they need to run their projects successfully.
You can utilize this service even if your business doesn’t currently have any projects running through Google Cloud Platform as it just takes some basic training sessions with an expert team before everything gets set up properly.
8). Integrate Cloud Malware Threat Protection
This is one of the most vital GCP best practices on security. If you are using Google Cloud Platform then it is important to take advantage of their malware protection tool.
This is an easy-to-use service that will automatically scan all files uploaded into GCP so there aren’t any security risks down the line.
9). Identity management
If your business is big enough to have a dedicated IT department, make sure everyone knows how important it is for them to follow basic authentication procedures when handling sensitive data.
If someone leaves the company and still has access rights then you might be in trouble!
10). Determine Which Data Files Belong To Whom
Google Cloud Platform lets employees share certain files with other people on their team but it’s always wise to establish rules about which files can be shared and who should receive them.
This will help keep all projects moving along smoothly while also preventing any accidental giveaways from happening within GCP.
11). Ensure That All Access Is Logged & Segregated From Other Projects
You don’t want employees sharing logs between different accounts so segregating data log files is important for businesses that are using different accounts within Google Cloud Platform.
This prevents things from getting muddled together so each business can keep track of their own data without having to rely on someone else’s account details.
12). Utilize Security & Identity Tools
A lot of companies don’t realize just how important it is to utilize tools like IAM, which lets you create multiple users with highly specific access rights, or two-factor authentication (this makes sure employees only have one password that they need to remember), firewalls, etc., but if your company doesn’t take advantage of these features then all the cloud platform in the world won’t help you stay protected!
Other GCP best practices include;
a). Ensure that your company’s privacy policy is compliant with GCP.
b). Utilize the automated backup capabilities of Google Cloud to ensure data retention for as long as necessary, without requiring additional work on your end.
c). Use managed disks instead of standard disks whenever possible – managed disks offer better performance and scalability than standard disks at a much lower price point (in some cases no cost at all).
d). Ensure you are utilizing any available discounts or special offers from Google Cloud if applicable; these can greatly reduce hardware costs associated with using GCP.
e) Put processes in place now before disaster strikes! Conduct regular backups and implement an IT incident response plan that addresses how employees should respond when there is suspicious activity detected on the company’s network.
What are some of the benefits of using managed disks?
a). They provide better performance and scalability than standard disks at a much lower price point (in some cases no cost at all).
b). Managed disks ensure that your data is secure by allowing only authorized users access to the disk image, and encrypting it with AES-128 encryption during transit and storage on Google Cloud Storage or Google Compute Engine.
c) You can easily change an unmanaged disk into a managed one if needed without having to copy data from one machine onto another. This is unlike traditional servers where you would need twice as many machines in order for your applications to run properly, resulting in high costs for additional hardware.
d). Managed disks are easier to use than traditional servers, saving you time and money.
e) Google Cloud’s managed services provide all the benefits of a cloud environment with none of the hassles!
What is one thing that companies can do now before disaster strikes?
One thing that companies can do now before disaster strikes is ensuring they have an incident response plan for when suspicious activity occurs on their network.
This helps employees know what steps should be taken in order to contain the problem as well as protect your company against future malware attacks.
An IT security consultant can help create a customized incident response plan based on your company’s needs and required budget.
GCP Best Practices Conclusion
Utilize these pieces of advice above and your company can start saving time and money on cloud usage!
You should never ignore these GCP best practices because they could help keep costs low, improve employee productivity with streamlined workflows, etc.
While every business has different needs when it comes to managing projects through GCP, following these recommendations is a great place for most companies to begin improving upon current processes within the platform today!
Remember, there is no “one size fits all” when it comes to GCP best practices, but these 8+ pieces of advice should keep you on the right track.
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