Introduction: Creating a Windows Server VM instance in Google Cloud's Compute Engine allows you to deploy and run your Windows-based applications in a flexible and scalable environment. This blog will guide you through the process of creating a Windows Server VM instance. By the end of this blog, you will have a Windows Server VM instance running in Compute Engine and will learn how to set up a basic IIS web server and deploy an ASP.NET app on Compute Engine.

Objectives:

• Create a Windows Server VM instance in Compute Engine

• Connect to the VM instance

• Configure the Windows Server

• Set up a basic IIS web server

• Deploy an ASP.NET app on Compute Engine

• Transfer your files to the instance

• Clean up resources after completion

Costs: Before starting, be aware that creating and using a Windows Server VM instance in Compute Engine may incur costs, including charges for the instance's resources, network egress, and storage. You can refer to the Google Cloud Pricing documentation for more details on pricing else reach us at cssdm@quadrasystems.net to estimate.

Before You Begin:

1. Create a Google Cloud project or use an existing one.

2. Enable the necessary APIs, including the Compute Engine API.

3. Set up the Cloud SDK and authenticate with your Google Cloud account.

4. Install an RDP client software on your local machine.

Create a Windows Server VM Instance:

In Google Cloud console and go to Create an instance page.

1. In the Google Cloud console, go to the Create an instance page.

2. In the Boot disk section, click Change to begin configuring your boot disk.

3. On the Public images tab, choose Windows Server from the Operating system list.

4. Choose Windows Server 2019 Datacenter from the Version list.

5. Click Select.

6. In the Firewall section, select Allow HTTP traffic.

7. To create the VM, click Create.

Connect to the VM Instance:

1. Obtain the external IP address of your Windows Server VM instance from the Compute Engine section in the Google Cloud Console.

2. Open your RDP client and establish an RDP connection to the VM instance using the following details:

• Host/Computer: [EXTERNAL_IP_ADDRESS]

• Username: [USERNAME]

• Password: [PASSWORD] Replace [EXTERNAL_IP_ADDRESS] with the external IP address of your VM instance, [USERNAME] with the username specified during instance creation, and [PASSWORD] with the password you set.

Configure the Windows Server:

1. Once connected to the Windows Server VM instance, perform initial configuration tasks, such as setting up Windows updates, configuring firewall rules, and enabling remote administration.

2. Install any required software or tools for your specific use case, following best practices and security guidelines.

Set Up a Basic IIS Web Server:

      1. Install Internet Information Services (IIS) on the Windows Server VM instance.

Deploy an ASP.NET App on Compute Engine:

Install .NET application on compute engine.

1. Install .NET Core SDK 2.1 or later on your local machine running in your Cloud.

2. Install Web Deploy 3.6 or later on your local machine running in your Cloud

Running the app locally:

Transfer Your Files to the Instance:

1. Copy your files or data from your local machine to the Windows Server VM instance using the RDP session or a file transfer tool.

2. Ensure that the necessary permissions and security measures are in place for accessing and managing the files on the instance.

Clean Up:

1. Once you have finished using the Windows Server VM instance, stop or delete the instance to avoid incurring unnecessary costs.

2. If you no longer need the instance, you can delete it using the Google Cloud Console or the command-line tool.

Conclusion: In this blog, you might have learnt how to create a Windows Server VM instance in Compute Engine while following Google Cloud's best practices. You also connected to the instance, configured the Windows Server, set up a basic IIS web server, and deployed an ASP.NET app on Compute Engine.

Compute Engine provides a powerful platform for running your Windows-based workloads with flexibility and scalability. Explore more advanced features and optimizations for your specific use cases by referring to the official Google Cloud documentation. else reach us at cssdm@quadrasystems.net to handhold wherever needed.

‍