Google Cloud Infrastructure Manager

What Google Cloud Infrastructure Manager is

Google Cloud Infrastructure Manager is a managed service for deploying and managing Google Cloud infrastructure with Terraform configurations. It organizes work into deployments and revisions, keeping revision logs, configuration, resource lists and state files. Preview deployments let users inspect how proposed changes may affect infrastructure before applying them; drift detection and importing existing resources are also supported. Terraform configurations can come from Cloud Storage buckets, Git repositories or local directories. Infrastructure Manager uses Cloud Build for automated workflows, with connections through Cloud Build for GitHub, GitHub Enterprise, GitLab, GitLab Enterprise and Developer Connect. Users can deploy through the Google Cloud console or Google Cloud CLI, and REST and RPC API references are provided. IAM controls access, and deployment service accounts need permissions for the resources being deployed. Google advises against putting personal or sensitive information in Terraform configuration values. Deployments and updates have a two-hour timeout, while previews have a one-hour timeout. The pay-as-you-go plan charges for Cloud Build execution and Cloud Storage storage; build-minute charges may apply above a threshold, and storage costs vary by location. The service does not manage application deployment onto provisioned resources.

Who it suits

It suits users familiar with Terraform who deploy and manage Google Cloud infrastructure. Teams needing application deployment onto provisioned resources will need to account for the stated scope limit.

Limits

Deployments and updates time out after two hours, while preview deployments time out after one hour. Per-project, per-region quotas include 1,000 deployments and 1,000 previews, with Cloud Build and Cloud Storage limits also applying. The pay-as-you-go plan bills Cloud Build execution and Cloud Storage storage, with possible build-minute charges above a threshold.

Getting started

1. Open the Infrastructure Manager documentation website.
2. Prepare an HCL Terraform configuration.
3. Store the configuration in Cloud Storage, a Git repository, or a local directory.
4. Use the Google Cloud console or Google Cloud CLI to create a deployment.
5. Set IAM permissions for the deployment service account and target resources.
6. Connect Cloud Build workflows and supported Git services when needed.

Verdict

Infrastructure Manager supports Terraform-based Google Cloud deployments, previews and managed state information. Users should account for its time limits, usage charges and infrastructure-only scope.