Google Cloud (Google Cloud Platform / GCP) is Google’s cloud computing platform, offering compute, storage, databases, networking, AI, and data services.
What it’s used for
- Hosting apps and APIs.
- Storing data (objects, backups).
- Big data/analytics.
- Managed services (databases, queues, etc.).
Where to use it
- Google Cloud Console (web)
- gcloud CLI / SDKs
Key concepts
- Project: most resources belong to a project.
- Billing: without active billing, some resources can’t be created.
- IAM permissions: access errors are usually IAM.
Status
- For official incidents, check Google Cloud Service Health (status.cloud.google.com).