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Compute Engine lets you create and run instances on Google infrastructure. This document provides an overview of the various configuration parameters that are available to you during a Compute Engine instance creation. If you are creating an instance for the first time, then this document provides a starting point for understanding the process.
The terms Compute Engine instance, compute instance or instance are synonymous. Based on the machine type that you specify, an instance can be either a bare metal instance or a virtual machine (VM) instance, as follows:
-metal
, an instance is a bare metal instance, which does not have a hypervisor installed.Synonymous terms are used interchangeably across the documentation and Google Cloud interfaces such as the Google Cloud console, the gcloud command-line tool, and the REST API.
Before you beginSelect the tab for how you plan to use the samples on this page:
ConsoleWhen you use the Google Cloud console to access Google Cloud services and APIs, you don't need to set up authentication.
gcloudInstall the Google Cloud CLI. After installation, initialize the Google Cloud CLI by running the following command:
gcloud init
If you're using an external identity provider (IdP), you must first sign in to the gcloud CLI with your federated identity.
Note: If you installed the gcloud CLI previously, make sure you have the latest version by runninggcloud components update
.To use the REST API samples on this page in a local development environment, you use the credentials you provide to the gcloud CLI.
Install the Google Cloud CLI. After installation, initialize the Google Cloud CLI by running the following command:
gcloud init
If you're using an external identity provider (IdP), you must first sign in to the gcloud CLI with your federated identity.
For more information, see Authenticate for using REST in the Google Cloud authentication documentation.
You can create instances in multiple ways, each with its own method of configuration, as follows:
Create your instance by manually specifying a custom configuration. Choose this option if you're creating an instance from the scratch and are facing any of the following scenarios:
If you choose this method, then also review the list of all configuration options available during instance creation.
Create a workload-optimized instance. In this method, you select your workload type while creating your instance and Google automatically populates a preset configuration that suits your workload. Choose this option if you're starting out with Compute Engine and don't know which configuration best suits your intended workload. This option is available only in the Google Cloud console.
Create your instance by using an instance template. An instance template is a resource that defines configuration settings for instances. Choose this option if you have a defined configuration template and want to create a lot of VMs with the same configuration.
Create your instance by making copies of a machine image. A machine image contains most of the information and data needed for cloning an instance. Choose this option if you want to make multiple copies of an existing source instance.
After you create your compute instance, Compute Engine automatically starts the instance.
Configuration options available during instance creationWhen you create a Compute Engine instance, you specify the configuration that you want for your instance. Compute Engine uses this configuration to create your instance. The following table lists the various parameters that you configure during Compute Engine instance creation:
Parameter What you can configure Machine configurationYou specify a container image name and other container configuration details. You can also specify mount directories to add `tmpfs` storage and additional disks to the container.
Note: The Compute Engine feature that deploys containers on VMs during VM creation is deprecated. Use thedocker run
commands in a startup script or use the cloud-init
tool to configure and to run containers on your VMs and MIGs. For more information, see Migrate containers that were deployed on VMs during VM creation.To learn how to choose the correct data protection option for your use case, see Data protection options.
You can also configure a project-wide default backup setting. This setting specifies which backup method is preselected by default every time you create an instance in the Google Cloud console. To learn more, see Configure the default backup setting for the consoleNetwork interfaces: By default, a new instance is configured with a single interface that uses the default auto mode Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) network. Alternatively, you can specify a custom mode VPC network and subnet that you created previously. You can also configure additional network interfaces and Dynamic NICs for the instance.
For each network interface, you can configure the following properties:
If you're creating an instance for the first time, then try one of the following tutorials for a basic configuration:
Learn about what happens to an instance after creation.
Except as otherwise noted, the content of this page is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License, and code samples are licensed under the Apache 2.0 License. For details, see the Google Developers Site Policies. Java is a registered trademark of Oracle and/or its affiliates.
Last updated 2025-08-07 UTC.
[[["Easy to understand","easyToUnderstand","thumb-up"],["Solved my problem","solvedMyProblem","thumb-up"],["Other","otherUp","thumb-up"]],[["Hard to understand","hardToUnderstand","thumb-down"],["Incorrect information or sample code","incorrectInformationOrSampleCode","thumb-down"],["Missing the information/samples I need","missingTheInformationSamplesINeed","thumb-down"],["Other","otherDown","thumb-down"]],["Last updated 2025-08-07 UTC."],[[["Compute Engine allows users to create and run instances on Google infrastructure, which can be bare metal or virtual machines (VMs) depending on the specified machine type."],["During instance creation, users can configure various parameters such as machine configuration, operating system and storage, networking, observability, security, and advanced settings."],["There are multiple ways to create instances, including specifying a custom configuration, using workload-optimized settings, utilizing instance templates, or creating copies from machine images."],["Authentication is necessary to access Google Cloud services and APIs, which can be set up via the Google Cloud console, gcloud CLI, or REST API, depending on the user's preferred method."],["After creating an instance in compute engine, the service will automatically start it, and the user can further explore tutorials for creating basic Linux or Windows Server VM instances."]]],[]]
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