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Using Bootstrap Scripts in Google Compute Engine

If you've ever had to set up more than one server, you know how tedious and error-prone running commands on several servers in a row can be. In this lab, we automate the basic set up of a new server in Google Compute Engine using bootstrap scripts. To start, we deploy a simple bootstrap script, then use the bootstrap script stored in Cloud Storage that references the Compute Engine metadata server.

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Path Info

Level
Clock icon Beginner
Duration
Clock icon 30m
Last updated
Clock icon Aug 27, 2025

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Table of Contents

  1. Challenge

    Deploy Apache with a Startup Script

    1. Create a new VM instance with the following settings:
      • Machine type: e2-small
      • Firewall: Set to Allow HTTP traffic
    2. Add a startup script to the instance configuration using the provided code: 
      #! /bin/bash
apt update
apt -y install apache2
cat <<EOF > /var/www/html/index.html
<html><body><h1>Hello Cloud Gurus</h1>
<p>This page was created from a startup script.</p>
</body></html>
EOF
    3. Use the generated external IP to view the web page created by your startup script.

  2. Challenge

    Deploy a Startup Script from a Cloud Storage Bucket

    1. In the GCP console, create a unique bucket name to store a startup script. For example, use the last 8 digits of the project name to create a name like 836bd4db-scripts.
    2. Create the startup.sh file on your local computer using the provided code: 
      #! /bin/bash
apt update
apt -y install apache2
ZONE=`curl -fs http://metadata/computeMetadata/v1/instance/zone -H "Metadata-Flavor: Google" | cut -d'/' -f4`
cat <<EOF > /var/www/html/index.html
<html><body><h1>Hello Cloud Gurus</h1>
<p>This server is serving from ${ZONE}.</p>
</body></html>
EOF
    3. Upload the file to your storage bucket and copu the URI of the object location.
    4. Create a new VM with the following settings:
      • Machine type: e2-small
      • Firewall: Set to Allow HTTP traffic
    5. In the Metadata section, set the following as:
      • Key: startup-script-url
      • Value: Startup script URI
    6. Use the generated external IP to view the web page created by your startup script.
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Pluralsight Skills

Pluralsight Skills gives leaders confidence they have the skills needed to execute technology strategy. Technology teams can benchmark expertise across roles, speed up release cycles and build reliable, secure products. By leveraging our expert content, skill assessments and one-of-a-kind analytics, keep up with the pace of change, put the right people on the right projects and boost productivity. It's the most effective path to developing tech skills at scale.

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