MathMind API

Building a FastAPI-Powered Number Classification API on Mac & GCP

Deploying an application on Google Cloud Platform (GCP) using a Mac can be a rewarding experience, but it comes with its challenges. In this blog post, I will walk you through the steps taken to deploy my app successfully, including the commands used, scripts written, challenges faced on Mac and GCP Linux, and solutions. By the end, you will be equipped with the knowledge to deploy your own application.

Step 1: Setting Up GCP and Enabling Required Services

First, you need a GCP account. If you haven't set one up, go to Google Cloud Console and create a new project.

Next, enable the necessary APIs and services:

# Enable required APIs

 gcloud services enable compute.googleapis.com

 gcloud services enable iam.googleapis.com

 gcloud services enable sqladmin.googleapis.com

 gcloud services enable cloudbuild.googleapis.com

Step 2: Installing and Configuring gcloud CLI on Mac

On Mac, install the GCP SDK using Homebrew:

brew install --cask google-cloud-sdk

Then, initialize the gcloud CLI:

gcloud init

Follow the prompts to authenticate and set the default project.

Set the default compute region and zone:

gcloud config set compute/region us-central1

gcloud config set compute/zone us-central1-a

Step 3: Creating a Virtual Machine (VM) on GCP

To host the app, create a Compute Engine VM instance:

gcloud compute instances create my-app-instance \

    --machine-type=e2-medium \

    --image-family=debian-11 \

    --image-project=debian-cloud \

    --boot-disk-size=20GB \

    --tags=http-server,https-server

Allow HTTP and HTTPS traffic:

gcloud compute firewall-rules create allow-http \

    --allow=tcp:80 \

    --target-tags=http-server

Step 4: Deploying the App

SSH into the VM:

gcloud compute ssh my-app-instance

Install dependencies:

sudo apt update && sudo apt install -y git python3-pip nginx

Clone your app repository:

git clone https://github.com/your-repo/your-app.git

cd your-app

Install Python dependencies:

pip3 install -r requirements.txt

Run the application:

python3 main.py

If using a web server like Flask, start it on a public IP:

flask run --host=0.0.0.0 --port=5000

Step 5: Configuring a Domain and SSL (Optional)

To attach a domain, set up a static IP:

gcloud compute addresses create my-app-ip --region=us-central1

Retrieve the assigned IP:

gcloud compute addresses list

Update your domain’s DNS settings to point to this IP.

For HTTPS, install Certbot:

sudo apt install certbot python3-certbot-nginx

Then, generate an SSL certificate:

sudo certbot --nginx

Challenges Faced on Mac and GCP Linux

1. Homebrew Issues on Mac

Homebrew sometimes fails due to permission errors. Running:

sudo chown -R $(whoami) /usr/local/*

helped resolve this.

2. GCP Firewall Rules

Even after allowing HTTP traffic, the app was not accessible. Running:

gcloud compute firewall-rules list

showed that the firewall rule was missing, so I added it manually.

3. File Permission Errors on Linux

Some files lacked execution permissions. Running:

chmod +x your_script.sh

fixed this issue.

Conclusion

Deploying an app on GCP using a Mac requires setting up the CLI, creating a VM, installing dependencies, and configuring firewall rules. Despite challenges with Mac’s permissions and GCP's networking, solutions exist. I hope this guide helps you deploy your own application seamlessly. Happy coding!