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Create a Google Cloud Storage Bucket

You can create a Google Cloud Storage bucket using either:

  • Google Cloud Console (GUI): The easiest method for beginners, using a web browser
  • Google Cloud CLI (gcloud): A faster method for those who prefer the command line or need to automate tasks

Step 1: Create a Google Cloud Storage Bucket

  1. Login to your Google Cloud account in the browser

  2. Navigate to Cloud Storage

  3. On the top-left corner, click the Navigation menu (☰)
  4. Scroll down to the "Storage" section and click on Cloud Storage > Buckets

Pro Tip

You can also type "Buckets" into the search bar at the top of the console and select the Cloud Storage Buckets page from the results.

  1. Start bucket creation
  2. On the "Buckets" page, click the "+ CREATE" or "CREATE BUCKET" button

  3. This will open the bucket creation wizard

  4. Name your bucket

  5. Give your bucket a globally unique name (e.g., eddie-ngugi-cloud-mastery)
  6. Naming rules: Must contain only lowercase letters, numbers, dashes (-), and underscores (_). Cannot begin or end with a dash
  7. Suggestion: Use your project ID or company name as a prefix for uniqueness (e.g., mycompany-vm-image-storage)

  8. Click "CONTINUE"

  9. Choose where to store your data (Location)

  10. Location type: Select "Region" (best choice for this migration task)
    • Multi-region: Highest availability, most expensive
    • Dual-region: High availability across two regions
    • Region: Single geographic location, best balance of cost and performance
  11. Region: Select a region close to where you'll create your VM (e.g., us-central1 (Iowa))

  12. Click "CONTINUE"

  13. Choose a default storage class

  14. Select "Standard" - best choice for frequently accessed data
  15. The VMDK file will be accessed frequently during the import process

  16. Click "CONTINUE"

  17. Choose how to control access to objects

  18. Select "Uniform" (Enforce public access prevention is recommended)
  19. This ensures all access control is managed at the bucket level using IAM permissions
  20. This approach is simpler and more secure

  21. Click "CONTINUE"

  22. Choose how to protect object data (Optional)

  23. For this temporary migration task, leave these settings as "None"
  24. Advanced features like versioning and retention policies aren't needed
  25. Click "CREATE"

Using Google Cloud CLI (Alternative)

If you prefer using the command line, you can create a bucket with:

gsutil mb gs://your-project-migration-images

Step 2: Verify Your Cloud Storage Bucket

  1. Navigate back to the Cloud Storage > Buckets page
  2. Verify that your bucket appears in the list
  3. Click on your bucket name to view its contents (it should be empty)
  4. Note the bucket name as you'll need it in the next phases

Cloud Storage Bucket

Bucket Configuration Best Practices

Security Considerations

  • Use uniform bucket-level access for better security management
  • Consider enabling Object Versioning if you want to keep multiple versions of your images
  • Set up appropriate IAM permissions for your team members

What's Next

Your Google Cloud Storage bucket is now ready to receive the VMDK file you created in Phase 2. In the next phase, we'll install and configure the Google Cloud CLI to authenticate and upload your disk image.

← Previous: Create VM Disk Image
Section 4 - Create GCS Bucket
Next: Install & Configure gcloud CLI →