Compute Engine Storage - Images
What is an Image ?
• An image is a replica of a disk that contains the applications and operating system needed to start a VM
How many types of Images available in GCP GCE ?
• Public Images
• Custom Images
What are Public Images?
• Provided and maintained by Google, open-source communities, and third-party vendors
• By default, all Google Cloud projects have access to these images and can use them to create VM instances.
• Pricing: Most of them are free to use (no cost), some premium images that do add additional cost
Compute Engine Storage - Custom Images
What are Custom Images ?
• You can create custom images from other boot disks
• You can also create custom images from other public images listed in gcp (only can be done using gcloud command line and api)
• Custom Images are available only to your cloud project
• Pricing:
Custom Images imported to GCP adds no cost for the image.
Custom Images do incur an image storage charge while you keep your custom image in your project.
Why do we use custom Images ?
• To import a boot disk image from our on-premise environment to GCP
• Create an image from the boot disks of existing GCE VM Instances (Pre-configured VM with all application software). Then use that disk image to create new boot disks for new VM Instances.
Compute Engine Storage - Image Families
What are Image Families ?
• Image families are used to simplify image versioning
• Public Images are by default grouped into image families
• The image family always points to the most recent image in that family, so your instance templates and scripts can use that image without having to update references to a specific image version
What is the advantages of using Image Families ?
• Image Versioning
• Image grouping for the similar type of images (java-apps, webserver-apps)
• Rollback to previous version if the latest has any issues
When to use Image Families ?
• If we have regular updates (more frequent) to our custom images with newer configurations, it is recommended to use Image Families concept.
Compute Engine Storage - Image Deprecation States
ACTIVE
• The Image is active and can be used as normal
• Image Families point to the most recent and active image in a family
DEPRECATED
• The Image is marked as deprecated but still be used to create a VM Instance
• Image families no longer point to this image even if it is the most recent image in the family.
OBSOLETE
• The image is marked obsolete and is no longer available for use.
• An error message is returned if you try to use this image in a request.
DELETED
• This image is deleted. An error message is returned if you try to use a deleted image.
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