How to use the command 'gcloud projects' (with examples)

The gcloud projects command is an integral tool within the Google Cloud SDK, allowing users to manage various aspects of Google Cloud projects. This command offers functionalities such as creating, listing, describing, and deleting projects, as well as managing access policies through IAM roles and bindings. Utilizing these commands helps streamline the management of cloud resources, ensuring efficient organization, access control, and operation within Google Cloud Platform.

Use case 1: Create a new project

Code:

gcloud projects create project_id|project_number

Motivation:

Creating a new project is often the first step in starting work within Google Cloud. Projects serve as the primary container for resources in Google Cloud Platform, where you can manage APIs, permissions, and billing settings. This command is crucial for developers, administrators, or organizations who are setting up a new environment or application stage (such as development, testing, or production).

Explanation:

• gcloud: The command-line tool for interacting with Google Cloud resources.
• projects: A sub-command indicating that the operation will pertain to projects within Google Cloud.
• create: Specifies that the intention is to create a new project.
• project_id|project_number: You must provide either a unique project ID or project number when creating a project. This serves as the identifier for your project and cannot be changed after the project is created.

Example output:

Create in progress for [project_id]. Waiting for [operations/cp.xxxxxxx] to complete...
Created [project_id].

Use case 2: List all active projects

Code:

gcloud projects list

Motivation:

Listing all active projects is an essential task for administrators who maintain multiple projects across Google Cloud. This capability helps in quickly assessing, auditing, or documenting the environment by providing a comprehensive view of all projects currently in use. It assists in ensuring compliance and managing costs by identifying active resources.

Explanation:

• gcloud: Calls the Google Cloud command-line interface.
• projects: Indicates that the command will address project-related actions.
• list: Directs the command to display a list of active projects.

Example output:

PROJECT_ID           NAME             PROJECT_NUMBER
my-project           My Project       123456789012
production-project   Production       987654321098

Use case 3: Display metadata for a project

Code:

gcloud projects describe project_id

Motivation:

Describing a project fetches detailed metadata about that particular project, including its lifecycle state, creation time, and other attributes. This is useful for project managers and developers who need to verify project settings or troubleshoot issues by reviewing specific configurations or states within the project.

Explanation:

• gcloud: Indicates usage of the Google Cloud CLI.
• projects: Relates to actions focused on projects.
• describe: Requests descriptive metadata about the specified project.
• project_id: The unique identifier of the project you want to describe, allowing you to target a specific project.

Example output:

createTime: '2023-02-01T12:34:56.789Z'
lifecycleState: ACTIVE
name: My Project
projectId: my-project
projectNumber: '123456789012'

Use case 4: Delete a project

Code:

gcloud projects delete project_id|project_number

Motivation:

Deleting a project is a critical operation that permanently removes all resources and data associated with a project. This is necessary when cleaning up unused or obsolete projects to optimize resource management and avoid unnecessary billing. It is particularly useful for organizations that handle a large number of projects and need to maintain only those actively in use.

Explanation:

• gcloud: Uses the Google Cloud command-line tool.
• projects: Specifies that the command affects project operations.
• delete: Indicates the intention to remove a project.
• project_id|project_number: Either the project ID or project number is needed to specify the precise project to be deleted.

Example output:

Deleted [project_id] in [operations/cp.xxxxxxx].

Use case 5: Add an IAM policy binding to a specified project

Code:

gcloud projects add-iam-policy-binding project_id --member principal --role role

Motivation:

Managing access control is vital in collaborative and multi-tenant environments. Adding an IAM policy binding helps secure projects by assigning appropriate roles and permissions to users or services. This ensures that only authorized individuals or accounts can access or modify resources within a project, thereby maintaining security and compliance.

Explanation:

• gcloud: Calls the Google Cloud command-line interface.
• projects: Refers to operations on projects.
• add-iam-policy-binding: Specifies the action of attaching an IAM policy to the project.
• project_id: Identifies the specific project to which the policy will be applied.
• --member: Specifies the principal, such as a user, group, or service account, to which the role should be assigned.
• principal: Placeholder for the specific user, group, or service account in the form user:email, group:email, serviceAccount:email, etc.
• --role: Indicates the specific IAM role to be assigned to the principal.
• role: Placeholder for the specific role, such as roles/viewer or roles/editor.

Example output:

Updated IAM policy for project [project_id].
bindings:
- members:
  - user:user@example.com
  role: roles/viewer

Conclusion:

The gcloud projects command offers a robust suite of tools for managing projects in Google Cloud. By understanding and utilizing these commands, users gain the ability to effectively create, list, describe, delete, and manage access policies for their projects. This streamlined project management process allows for improved security, organization, and operational efficiency within Google Cloud environments.