Google Cloud Storage

Comentarios: The most direct and consistent way I have been interacting with Google Cloud Platform was when I took the course "Google IT Support Professional Certificate". This course frequently makes use of GCP to explain real-life situations and I learnt a ton thanks to the doors that GCP open for you. It is possible to set up modified instances, which makes it a perfect learning platform for many different backgrounds in technology, including topics such as technical support, data analysis, data visualization, machine learning, security, etc. I have benefited tremendously from its many features and I expect to solve more complex problems in the near future with new skills under my belt. I loved how simple it was to set up instances, get them running, working with them for a while and then how they can easily be discarded or modified on the fly.

Puntos a favor: In the context of education, Google Cloud Platform (GCP) is wonderfully accessible, powerful and useful. Connecting to virtual instances is simple when deploying both Linux and Windows. The instances can be accessed through SSH and there is even a Chrome extension (Chrome RDP) that facilitates connections to Windows under any operating system in use. The platform is extremely well integrated with courses that the same company offers as part of their MOOCs. Instances are responsive and allow to really dig deep without the fear of breaking anything for real. They each get their own IP address accessible publicly so it is a breeze to launch background services and servers inside an instance and test functionality from the outside world. I am not personally familiar with all the tools available, but I know I can count on the platform to support any future development I might do with big data and machine learning. Because Google also offers open source libraries such as TensorFlow which are an integral part of the platform, I know I will not be limited with scalability issues anytime soon when relying on this service.

Contras: Like any software of comparable complexity, the hardest part is always getting started, because everything feels so overwhelming. When opening the dashboard for the first time, you can click on the menu to access an impressive long list of available products. Since there are so many aspects to learn, I would find it very useful to have a shortcut next to each item that goes directly to the most relevant documentation page on the subject. I have also been annoyed once or twice in a MOOC connected to a virtual instance on Google Cloud Platform when I was informed that the instance was ready but in reality I would still need to wait longer for all tools to be properly loaded, hence some confusion was generated from the fact that I would have to close and re-open the instance to see a new file appear or something similar. I wish the communication between GCP and the information available from a course connected to the platform could be more accurate. Knowing this little pitfall and knowing there is a very good documentation available with many tutorials does help to get pass those initial hurdles.

Comentarios: For any enterprise, a cloud based platform is must. This one helped us to free up our space frm devices and without occupying any infra, does most of the work on site.
Security and back up options are too good. We will never lose our data when after by mistake.

Puntos a favor: The only way to store your documents and rely on cloud security is Google cloud storage. Save everything and use it from anywhere you need.
Storage limit is quiet large for the cost.
Interface is simple and easy to use.
Customisation is awesome and integration with docs or sheets helps alot.

Contras: Storage limit can be increased.
More flexible plans should be added.
Need to scan large files as well.

Comentarios: Google Cloud Storage is a universal tool that anyone can use with virtually no problem, whether that be via the free account or by paying monthly depending on your specific needs. Without it, all of Google's programs would not be appreciated as much, nor would they be as useful. I use the cloud storage daily to keep all my files updated and all in one place, and I can access them wherever I go without lugging around company laptops or flash drives.

Puntos a favor: The best part about Google Cloud Storage is the fact that for starting out as a free account, you get 15 GB. That doesn't sound like much, but compared to another big cloud-based program like Dropbox, they only allow free account users 2 GB. The integration across all Google programs (Sheets, Docs, etc) is another key feature that stands out.

Contras: Of course, this comes as no surprise: for non-Google programs, it is not easily integrated into Google Cloud storage. This is most likely not something that Google would want to change and fix, however. Google does not want other programs to steal the show from their spotlighted programs that all work together.

Comentarios: True story - I somehow stumbled upon a YouTube video entitled "Free Wordpress Hosting on Google Cloud Platform!" So I watched it. Within an hour, I had my own cloud platform account open, had claimed my $300 credit (useful for playing around with paid services later), had claimed a free virtual machine space, reserved a static IP, and had installed Wordpress and was busy customizing the site. All that's left for me is to register a domain name and copy in DNS info, and set up an SSL. This was just as easy to use as any "web host" interface. The only cost I will incur for the first 12 months is that of registering the domain name. After that, my VM Wordpress will cost about $6 a month to host. I haven't seen anything else that beats this yet.

Puntos a favor: I was inspired to make a switch to the Google Cloud Platform as a hosting option for my website after seeing a YouTube video explaining how easy Google had made this process. I really liked the ease of the one-button installations and configurations. I also like the fact that I got a huge credit and 12 months to use it, to try out additional features aside from the main hosting that I originally planned to test. I also like the fact that Google de facto billing procedure at the end of their free trial is to pause your service, not ding your credit card. Finally, I was impressed with the list of Always Free services that Google makes available through this service. Also, my Wordpress runs faster on this platform than I have ever seen it run besides being locally hosted. Seriously impressive. Also, think about all that time you spend trying to get your web site's info INTO GOOGLE. Well, this way, they already have it because it's in their data center!

Contras: I sometimes find it difficult to locate which segment of the main navigation in the management console I need to go to in order to accomplish certain tasks, but it's always something that can be easily looked up. There also doesn't immediately appear to be a phone option for support, which some users may expect from a web host - but this is Google. They aren't exactly a web host, they just give you a way to use their cloud computing engine to set up a web server. You can, however, pay for higher levels of support if you need them. Also, if I hadn't watched a YouTube video specifically explaining how to get the least expensive virtual machine setup, I wouldn't have known how to do it - if you're new to VM, you're going to want to either get some advice or educate yourself a little bit in advance.

Comentarios: I'm not that found of Google Cloud, though I am sold on everything else google. Maybe it's just me that hasn't taken the time to understand Cloud. I guess I'd like a more obvious customer service for this program.

Puntos a favor: The cloud is connected to your phone, your computer, your ipad, any electronics that you have. It's almost instant connect.

Contras: I have a hard time tracking these stored files down. Everything gets sent to my cloud, but where is my cloud exactly? It's so automatic that there's no instructions on where it is or how to retrieve it. And then suddenly it's full.