How to Host a Website on Google Cloud Platform (GCP) with CDN: A Step-by-Step Guide

Hosting a website on Google Cloud Platform (GCP) with a Content Delivery Network (CDN) is an excellent choice for scalability, reliability, and lightning-fast performance. This blog will walk you through the process of hosting a website on GCP and integrating it with Google Cloud CDN.

Why Host Your Website on GCP?

• Scalability: Seamlessly handle growing traffic with GCP’s infrastructure.
• Global Reach: Deliver content faster using Google’s global network.
• Security: Protect your site with built-in tools like Cloud Armor.

Steps to Host a Website on GCP with CDN

Step 1: Set Up a Google Cloud Project

1. Go to the Google Cloud Console.
2. Create a new project by clicking on the “New Project” button.
3. Give your project a name and click Create.

Step 2: Deploy Your Website

You can host your website using various services like Compute Engine, App Engine, or Cloud Storage. For simplicity, we’ll use Cloud Storage.

1. Enable Billing: Ensure billing is set up for your project.
2. Create a Bucket:
   • Navigate to Cloud Storage > Buckets.
   • Click Create Bucket and choose a globally unique name.
   • Select Multi-Regional storage class for better availability.
3. Upload Files:
   • Upload your website files (HTML, CSS, JS) to the bucket.
   • Set the permissions to Public for your files under the bucket permissions.

Step 3: Configure a Load Balancer

A load balancer is essential to distribute traffic and integrate with Google Cloud CDN.

1. Go to Network Services > Load Balancing.
2. Click Create Load Balancer and choose HTTP(S) Load Balancer.
3. Configure the following:
   • Backend: Use the storage bucket as your backend.
   • Frontend: Create a public IP for your website.
   • Save and deploy the load balancer.

Step 4: Enable Google Cloud CDN

1. Navigate to the Load Balancer you just created.
2. Enable CDN for your backend bucket.
3. Add a cache policy to define how long content is cached.

Step 5: Set Up a Custom Domain (Optional)

1. Map Your Domain: Use Cloud DNS to map your domain to the load balancer’s IP address.
2. SSL Certificate: Enable HTTPS for a secure connection by adding an SSL certificate, which GCP provides for free with its load balancer.

Step 6: Test Your Setup

• Visit your website using the public IP or custom domain.
• Test for performance using tools like Google Lighthouse or GTmetrix.

Benefits of Using Google Cloud CDN

1. Reduced Latency: Cache content closer to users with Google’s edge locations.
2. Scalability: Handle high traffic without compromising performance.
3. Improved Security: Protect your website with DDoS protection and SSL/TLS.

Conclusion

Hosting a website on GCP with CDN ensures your site is fast, reliable, and secure. By following the steps outlined above, you can deploy a scalable web presence on Google’s robust infrastructure.

Start hosting your website on GCP today and enjoy the benefits of world-class performance and global reach!