Set up an HTTP load balancer with a managed instance group of 2 nginx web servers on Google Cloud Platform (Qwiklab)

http_load_balancer_setup_gcp.sh

# setup
gcloud auth list
gcloud config set compute/zone us-east1-b
gcloud config set compute/region us-east1

# create an instance template
cat << EOF > startup.sh
#! /bin/bash
apt-get update
apt-get install -y nginx
service nginx start
sed -i -- 's/nginx/Google Cloud Platform - '"\$HOSTNAME"'/' /var/www/html/index.nginx-debian.html
EOF

gcloud compute instance-templates create nginx-template \
   --metadata-from-file startup-script=startup.sh

# create a target pool
gcloud compute target-pools create nginx-pool

# create a managed instance group of 2 nginx web servers
gcloud compute instance-groups managed create nginx-group \
	--base-instance-name nginx \
	--size 2 \
	--template nginx-template \
	--target-pool nginx-pool
gcloud compute instances list

# create a firewall rule
gcloud compute firewall-rules create www-firewall --allow tcp:80

# create a forwarding rule
gcloud compute forwarding-rules create nginx-lb \
	--region us-east1 \
	--ports=80 \
	--target-pool nginx-pool
gcloud compute forwarding-rules list

# create a health check
gcloud compute http-health-checks create http-basic-check

# create a backend service and attach the managed instasnce group
gcloud compute instance-groups managed \
	set-named-ports nginx-group \
	--named-ports http:80

gcloud compute backend-services create nginx-backend \
	--protocol HTTP \
	--http-health-checks http-basic-check \
	--global

gcloud compute backend-services add-backend nginx-backend \
	--instance-group nginx-group \
	--instance-group-zone us-east1-b \
	--global

# create a url map and target the HTTP proxy
gcloud compute url-maps create web-map \
	--default-service nginx-backend

gcloud compute target-http-proxies create http-lb-proxy \
	--url-map web-map

# create a forwarding rule
gcloud compute forwarding-rules create http-content-rule \
	--global \
	--target-http-proxy http-lb-proxy \
	--ports 80
gcloud compute forwarding-rules list

following command need to be corrected

gcloud compute backend-services create nginx-backend
--protocol HTTP
--health-checks http-basic-check
--global

Use this to create an instance template

cat << EOF > startup.sh
#! /bin/bash
apt-get update
apt-get install -y nginx
sed -i -- 's/nginx/Google Cloud Platform - '"$HOSTNAME"'/' /var/www/html/index.nginx-debian.html
service nginx start
EOF

My solution based on this repository as well as my notes and the general course.

First Task

gcloud config set project PROJECT_ID_CAN_BE_FOUND_ON_YOUR_LAB
gcloud config set compute/region REGION
gcloud config set compute/zone ZONE
gcloud compute instances create nucleus-webserver1 --machine-type=e2-micro

Seccond task - copy and past the following lines into your cloud console to create the startup.sh file which will be the base for your template startup script

cat << EOF > startup.sh
#! /bin/bash
apt-get update
apt-get install -y nginx
service nginx start
sed -i -- 's/nginx/Google Cloud Platform - '"$HOSTNAME"'/' /var/www/html/index.nginx-debian.html
EOF

Other commands starts here:

gcloud compute instance-templates create lb-backend-template
--region=REGION
--network=default
--subnet=default
--tags=allow-health-check
--machine-type=e2-medium
--image-family=debian-11
--image-project=debian-cloud
--metadata-from-file startup-script=startup.sh

Creating the pool

gcloud compute target-pools create nginx-pool

gcloud compute instance-groups managed create lb-backend-group --base-instance-name nginx --template=lb-backend-template --size=2 --target-pool nginx-pool --zone=us-east1-b

Creating a firewall for tcp:80

gcloud compute firewall-rules create www-firewall --allow tcp:80

Allowing tcp connection through the firewall

gcloud compute firewall-rules create permit-tcp-rule-586
--network=default
--action=allow
--direction=ingress
--source-ranges=130.211.0.0/22,35.191.0.0/16
--target-tags=allow-health-check
--rules=tcp:80
--target-pool nginx-pool

Creating an external IPV4 address

gcloud compute addresses create lb-ipv4-1
--ip-version=IPV4
--global

Health check for port 80

gcloud compute health-checks create http http-basic-check --port 80

Forwarding Rule to the nginx-pool

gcloud compute forwarding-rules create nginx-lb
--region REGION
--ports=80
--target-pool nginx-pool

Creating a basic http check

gcloud compute http-health-checks create http-basic-check

Defining the ports to http:80 to the mangened group

gcloud compute instance-groups managed set-named-ports lb-backend-group --named-ports http:80

Backend service

gcloud compute backend-services add-backend web-backend-service --instance-group=lb-backend-group --instance-group-zone=ZONE --global

URL Map

gcloud compute url-maps create web-map-http --default-service web-backend-service

##Proxy
gcloud compute target-http-proxies create http-lb-proxy --url-map web-map-http

Forwarding rule to the proxy

gcloud compute forwarding-rules create http-content-rule
--address=lb-ipv4-1
--global
--target-http-proxy=http-lb-proxy
--ports=80

Adding the VM Instances to the firewall, it won't load at the browser if you don't do the followings steps, neither count as done

gcloud compute instances add-tags NAME_OF_INSTANCE_1 --tags http-server,https-server

gcloud compute instances add-tags NAME_OF_INSTANCE_2 --tags http-server,https-server

gcloud compute firewall-rules create default-allow-http --direction=INGRESS --priority=1000 --network=default --action=ALLOW --rules=tc
p:80 --source-ranges=0.0.0.0/0 --target-tags=http-server

OPTIONAL

• you can check your instances from the loadbalancer external ip address only http will work, because of the certification need for https
  http://[EXTERNAL_IP]:80

JUST DON'T FORGET CHANGE THE PARAMETERS LIKE PROJECT, REGION, ZONE, INSTANCE NAME

gcloud config set project qwiklabs-gcp-00-eba4ac046480
gcloud config set compute/region europe-west4
gcloud config set compute/zone europe-west4-b
gcloud compute instances create nucleus-jumphost-589 --machine-type=e2-micro

cat << EOF > startup.sh
#! /bin/bash
apt-get update
apt-get install -y nginx
service nginx start
sed -i -- 's/nginx/Google Cloud Platform - '"$HOSTNAME"'/' /var/www/html/index.nginx-debian.html
EOF

gcloud compute instance-templates create lb-backend-template --region=europe-west4 --network=default --subnet=default --tags=allow-health-check --machine-type=e2-medium --image-family=debian-11 --image-project=debian-cloud --metadata-from-file startup-script=startup.sh

gcloud compute target-pools create nginx-pool

gcloud compute instance-groups managed create lb-backend-group --base-instance-name nginx --template=lb-backend-template --size=2 --target-pool nginx-pool --zone=europe-west4-b

gcloud compute firewall-rules create www-firewall --allow tcp:80

gcloud compute firewall-rules create permit-tcp-rule-522 --network=default --action=allow --direction=ingress --source-ranges=130.211.0.0/22,35.191.0.0/16 --target-tags=allow-health-check --rules=tcp:80

gcloud compute addresses create lb-ipv4-1 --ip-version=IPV4 --global

gcloud compute health-checks create http http-basic-check --port 80

gcloud compute forwarding-rules create nginx-lb --region europe-west4 --ports=80 --target-pool nginx-pool

gcloud compute http-health-checks create http-basic-check

gcloud compute instance-groups managed set-named-ports lb-backend-group --named-ports http:80

gcloud compute backend-services create web-backend-service --protocol=HTTP --port-name=http --health-checks=http-basic-check --global

gcloud compute backend-services add-backend web-backend-service --instance-group=lb-backend-group --instance-group-zone=europe-west4-b --global

gcloud compute url-maps create web-map-http --default-service web-backend-service

gcloud compute target-http-proxies create http-lb-proxy --url-map web-map-http

gcloud compute forwarding-rules create http-content-rule --address=lb-ipv4-1 --global --target-http-proxy=http-lb-proxy --ports=80

Hi, I'm wondering why do you all create a target pool ? I thought that only used on network/global loadbalancing and not on http loadbalancing but now I'm kind of confused..

the solutions doesn't work!

Please verify the web servers are serving on frontend of HTTP(s) Load Balancer.

Please create the managed instance group with 2 nginx web-server.

2024/november. What worked for me:

REGIONS AND ZONES MUST VARY IN YOUR CASE.

2 STEP.

1. gcloud compute instance-templates create lb-backend-template
   --region=us-east1 \
   --network=default
   --subnet=default
   --tags=allow-health-check
   --machine-type=e2-medium
   --image-family=debian-11
   --image-project=debian-cloud
   --metadata-from-file=startup-script=startup.sh

2. gcloud compute target-pools create nginx-pool --region=us-east1

3. gcloud compute instance-groups managed create lb-backend-group --base-instance-name nginx --template=lb-backend-template --size=2 --target-pool nginx-pool --zone=us-east1-c

4. gcloud compute firewall-rules create www-firewall --allow tcp:80

change the rule as necessary in your case
5. gcloud compute firewall-rules create permit-tcp-rule-649 --network=default --action=allow --direction=ingress --source-ranges=130.211.0
.0/22,35.191.0.0/16 --target-tags=allow-health-check --rules=tcp:80

6. gcloud compute addresses create lb-ipv4-1 --ip-version=IPV4 --global

7. gcloud compute health-checks create http http-basic-check --port 80

8. gcloud compute forwarding-rules create nginx-lb --region us-east1 --ports=80 --target-pool nginx-pool

9. gcloud compute http-health-checks create http-basic-check

10. gcloud compute instance-groups managed set-named-ports lb-backend-group
    --named-ports http:80
    --zone=us-east1-c

11. gcloud compute backend-services create web-backend-service --protocol=HTTP --port-name=http --health-checks=http-basic-check --global

12. gcloud compute backend-services add-backend web-backend-service --instance-group=lb-backend-group --instance-group-zone=us-east1-c --global

13. gcloud compute url-maps create web-map-http --default-service web-backend-service

14. gcloud compute target-http-proxies create http-lb-proxy --url-map web-map-http

15. gcloud compute forwarding-rules create http-content-rule --address=lb-ipv4-1 --global --target-http-proxy=http-lb-proxy --ports=80