How to Setup Kubernetes on GCP?

Kubernetes, often abbreviated as K8s, is a powerful container orchestration platform that automates the deployment, scaling, and management of containerized applications. Google Cloud Platform (GCP) provides a robust environment for running Kubernetes clusters, allowing users to leverage the scalability and reliability of both Kubernetes and GCP. In this guide, we'll walk you through the process of setting up Kubernetes on GCP, providing step-by-step instructions and useful commands.

Prerequisites:
Before we dive into the setup process, make sure you have the following prerequisites in place:

1. A Google Cloud Platform account.
2. The Google Cloud SDK installed on your local machine.
3. Access to the Google Cloud Console.

Step 1: Create a Google Cloud Project:
Open the Google Cloud Console and create a new project. This project will serve as the container for your Kubernetes cluster.

gcloud projects create [PROJECT_NAME]
gcloud config set project [PROJECT_NAME]

Step 2: Enable Kubernetes Engine API:
Enable the Kubernetes Engine API for your project to start using Kubernetes on GCP.

gcloud services enable container.googleapis.com

Step 3: Configure Google Cloud SDK:
Set your default compute zone and region for the project.

gcloud config set compute/zone [COMPUTE_ZONE]
gcloud config set compute/region [COMPUTE_REGION]

Step 4: Create a Kubernetes Cluster:
Now, it's time to create your Kubernetes cluster. Adjust the specifications according to your requirements.

gcloud container clusters create [CLUSTER_NAME]

Step 5: Connect to the Cluster:
Get authentication credentials to interact with the newly created cluster.

gcloud container clusters get-credentials [CLUSTER_NAME]

Step 6: Verify the Cluster:
Confirm that your cluster is up and running.

kubectl get nodes

Step 7: Deploy a Sample Application:
Let's deploy a simple application to ensure everything is working as expected.

kubectl create deployment hello-server --image=gcr.io/google-samples/hello-app:1.0
kubectl expose deployment hello-server --type=LoadBalancer --port 8080

Step 8: Scale the Application:
Scale the deployed application to multiple replicas.

kubectl scale deployment hello-server --replicas=3

Step 9: Clean Up:
Once you're done experimenting, you can delete the resources to avoid unnecessary charges.

kubectl delete service,deployment [SERVICE_NAME, DEPLOYMENT_NAME]
gcloud container clusters delete [CLUSTER_NAME]

Congratulations! You've successfully set up Kubernetes on Google Cloud Platform and deployed a sample application. This is just the beginning of your journey with Kubernetes on GCP, and you can now explore more advanced features and configurations based on your application needs.