# Compute Engine: Qwik Start - Windows - GSP093

## Overview

Compute Engine lets you create and run virtual machines on Google infrastructure. Compute Engine offers scale, performance, and value that allows you to easily launch large compute clusters on Google's infrastructure.

You can run your Windows applications on Compute Engine and take advantage of many benefits available to virtual machine instances, such as reliable [storage options](https://cloud.google.com/compute/docs/disks/), the speed of the [Google network](https://cloud.google.com/compute/docs/vpc), and [Autoscaling](https://cloud.google.com/compute/docs/autoscaler/).

In this hands-on lab, you learn how to launch a Windows Server instance in Compute Engine and use Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) to connect to it.

## Setup and requirements

### Before you click the Start Lab button

Read these instructions. Labs are timed and you cannot pause them. The timer, which starts when you click **Start Lab**, shows how long Google Cloud resources are made available to you.

This hands-on lab lets you do the lab activities in a real cloud environment, not in a simulation or demo environment. It does so by giving you new, temporary credentials you use to sign in and access Google Cloud for the duration of the lab.

To complete this lab, you need:

* Access to a standard internet browser (Chrome browser recommended).
    

**Note:** Use an Incognito (recommended) or private browser window to run this lab. This prevents conflicts between your personal account and the student account, which may cause extra charges incurred to your personal account.

* Time to complete the lab—remember, once you start, you cannot pause a lab.
    

**Note:** Use only the student account for this lab. If you use a different Google Cloud account, you may incur charges to that account.

### How to start your lab and sign in to the Google Cloud console

1. Click the **Start Lab** button. If you need to pay for the lab, a dialog opens for you to select your payment method. On the left is the Lab Details pane with the following:
    
    * The Open Google Cloud console button
        
    * Time remaining
        
    * The temporary credentials that you must use for this lab
        
    * Other information, if needed, to step through this lab
        
2. Click **Open Google Cloud console** (or right-click and select **Open Link in Incognito Window** if you are running the Chrome browser).
    
    The lab spins up resources, and then opens another tab that shows the Sign in page.
    
    ***Tip:*** Arrange the tabs in separate windows, side-by-side.
    
    **Note:** If you see the **Choose an account** dialog, click **Use Another Account**.
    
3. If necessary, copy the **Username** below and paste it into the **Sign in** dialog.
    
    ```apache
    student-04-5f7e7f6cd935@qwiklabs.net
    ```
    
    You can also find the Username in the Lab Details pane.
    
4. Click **Next**.
    
5. Copy the **Password** below and paste it into the **Welcome** dialog.
    
    ```apache
    kn4N5fD02EeE
    ```
    
    You can also find the Password in the Lab Details pane.
    
6. Click **Next**.
    
    **Important:** You must use the credentials the lab provides you. Do not use your Google Cloud account credentials.
    
    **Note:** Using your own Google Cloud account for this lab may incur extra charges.
    
7. Click through the subsequent pages:
    
    * Accept the terms and conditions.
        
    * Do not add recovery options or two-factor authentication (because this is a temporary account).
        
    * Do not sign up for free trials.
        

After a few moments, the Google Cloud console opens in this tab.

**Note:** To access Google Cloud products and services, click the **Navigation menu** or type the service or product name in the **Search** field.

![Navigation menu icon and Search field](https://cdn.qwiklabs.com/9Fk8NYFp3quE9mF%2FilWF6%2FlXY9OUBi3UWtb2Ne4uXNU%3D align="left")

### Activate Cloud Shell

Cloud Shell is a virtual machine that is loaded with development tools. It offers a persistent 5GB home directory and runs on the Google Cloud. Cloud Shell provides command-line access to your Google Cloud resources.

1. Click **Activate Cloud Shell** at the top of the Google Cloud console.
    
2. Click through the following windows:
    
    * Continue through the Cloud Shell information window.
        
    * Authorize Cloud Shell to use your credentials to make Google Cloud API calls.
        

When you are connected, you are already authenticated, and the project is set to your **Project\_ID**, `qwiklabs-gcp-03-fb91d70f5927`. The output contains a line that declares the **Project\_ID** for this session:

```apache
Your Cloud Platform project in this session is set to qwiklabs-gcp-03-fb91d70f5927
```

`gcloud` is the command-line tool for Google Cloud. It comes pre-installed on Cloud Shell and supports tab-completion.

3. (Optional) You can list the active account name with this command:
    

```apache
gcloud auth list
```

4. Click **Authorize**.
    

**Output:**

```apache
ACTIVE: *
ACCOUNT: student-04-5f7e7f6cd935@qwiklabs.net

To set the active account, run:
    $ gcloud config set account `ACCOUNT`
```

5. (Optional) You can list the project ID with this command:
    

```apache
gcloud config list project
```

**Output:**

```apache
[core]
project = qwiklabs-gcp-03-fb91d70f5927
```

**Note:** For full documentation of `gcloud`, in Google Cloud, refer to [the gcloud CLI overview guide](https://cloud.google.com/sdk/gcloud).

## Create a virtual machine instance

1. In the Cloud Console, on the **Navigation menu** (), click **Compute Engine > VM instances**, and then click **Create Instance**.
    
2. In the **Machine configuration**.
    
    Select the following values:
    
    | **Property** | **Value (type value or select option as specified)** |
    | --- | --- |
    | Region | `us-west1` |
    | Zone | `us-west1-a` |
    | Series | E2 |
    
3. Click **OS and storage**.
    
    Click **Change** to begin configuring your boot disk and select the following values:
    
    * **Operating system**: `Windows Server`
        
    * **Version**: `Windows Server 2022 Datacenter`
        
    
    Click **Select**.
    
4. Click **Create** to create the instance.
    

### Test completed task

Click **Check my progress** to verify your performed task.

Create a virtual machine instance.

**Check my progress**

## Remote Desktop (RDP) into the Windows Server

### Test the status of Windows Startup

After a short time, the Windows Server instance will be provisioned and listed on the VM Instances page with a green status icon.

The server instance may not be ready to accept RDP connections, as it takes a while for all OS components to initialize.

1. To see whether the server instance is ready for an RDP connection, run the following command at your Cloud Shell terminal command line and please make to replace `[instance]` with the VM Instance that you created earlier.
    

```apache
gcloud compute instances get-serial-port-output [instance] --zone=us-west1-a
```

2. If prompted, type N and press ENTER.
    

Repeat the command until you see the following in the command output, which tells you that the OS components have initialized and the Windows Server is ready to accept your RDP connection.

```apache
------------------------------------------------------------
Instance setup finished. instance is ready to use.
------------------------------------------------------------
```

### RDP into the Windows Server

1. To set a password for logging into the RDP, run the following command in Cloud Shell. Be sure you replace `[instance]` with the VM Instance that you created and set `[username]` as **admin**.
    

```apache
gcloud compute reset-windows-password [instance] --zone us-west1-a --user [username]
```

2. If asked `Would you like to set or reset the password for [admin] (Y/n)?`, enter Y. Record the password for use in later steps to connect.
    
3. Connect to your server. There are different ways to connect to your server through RDP, depending on whether you are on Windows or not:
    
    * If you are using a Chromebook or other machine at a Google Cloud event there is likely an RDP app already installed on the computer. Click the icon as below, if it is present, in the lower left corner of the screen and enter the external IP of your VM.
        
    
    ![RDP Chromebook icon](https://cdn.qwiklabs.com/pf7x2BA4rcyQtmHn7%2Bxvel9NxdcMLOZeBjyaeEGZKBk%3D align="left")
    
    * If you are not on Windows but using Chrome, you can connect to your server through RDP directly from the browser using the [Spark View](https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/spark-view-faster-than-an/ddnnpdbioplhcagobicknkjkbhdefjkg?hl=en) extension. Click on **Add to Chrome**. Then, click **Launch app**.
        
4. Once launched, the **Spark View (RDP)** window opens. Use your Windows username **admin** and password you previously recorded in Step 2.
    
5. Add your VM instance's External IP as your Domain. Click Connect to confirm you want to connect.
    

If you are on a Macintosh, there are several freely accessible RDP Client packages available to install, such as [CoRD](https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjthJbPzPDVAhVBZFAKHclnDRQQFgg_MAI&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcord.sourceforge.net%2F&usg=AFQjCNGyH4EJo932rqm3QgiuHfDRmQfFVA). After installing, connect as above to the External IP address of the Windows server. Once it has connected, it will open up a login page where you can specify Windows username **admin** and password from the output of above mentioned command to log in (ignore the Domain: field).

Once logged in, you should see the Windows desktop!

### Copy and paste with the RDP client

Once you are securely logged into your instance, you may find yourself copying and pasting commands from the lab manual.

To paste, hold the **CTRL-V** keys (if you are a Mac user, using **CMND-V** will not work.) If you are in a Powershell window, be sure that you have clicked into the window or else the paste shortcut won't work.

If you are pasting into putty, **right click**.

### Test completed task

Click **Check my progress** to verify your performed task.

RDP into the Windows Server.

**Check my progress**

## Test your understanding

The following multiple-choice questions can reinforce your understanding of this lab's concepts.

**We can create a Windows instance in Google Cloud by changing its \_\_\_\_ in the VM instance console.**

* Firewall rules
    
* Machine Type
    
* API Access
    
* Boot disk to Windows image
    

**Which command is used to check whether the server is ready for an RDP connection?**

* gcloud compute instances get-serial-port-output
    
* gcloud compute ssh
    
* gcloud compute instances list
    
* gcloud compute instances create
    

---

## Solution of Lab

%[https://youtu.be/INMNYHF9x4w] 

```apache
curl -LO raw.githubusercontent.com/ePlus-DEV/storage/refs/heads/main/labs/GSP093/lab.sh
source lab.sh
```

**Script Alternative**

```apache
curl -LO raw.githubusercontent.com/QUICK-GCP-LAB/2-Minutes-Labs-Solutions/main/Compute%20Engine%20Qwik%20Start%20-%20Windows/gsp093.sh
sudo chmod +x *.sh
./*.sh
```