How to Add a Google Cloud Project to Your N2W Console

Integrating a Google Cloud Project (GCP) with your N2W console allows you to centralize your backup approach, streamline recovery, and meet security requirements across both AWS, Azure, and now, Google Cloud environments.

Below, we’ll walk step-by-step through integrating your GCP with N2W.

Step 1: Download the Required Permissions

Before connecting anything, you need to ensure your Google Cloud has the necessary permissions so N2W can perform backup and recovery operations.

Download the permissions from N2W’s knowledge base. Inside the download, select the file appropriate for your N2W license tier—Standard, Advanced, or Enterprise—and save it somewhere accessible, like your Downloads folder.

Step 2: Enable Key APIs and Services in Google Cloud

Next, log in to the Google Cloud project that you wish to connect to N2W. In the Google Cloud Console, search for “APIs & Services,” then select and enable the following APIs:

• Compute Engine API (for VM management)
• Identity and Access Management (IAM) API (for handling permissions)
• Cloud Resource Manager API (for organizing and managing resources)
• Cloud Key Management Service API (only needed if you use customer-managed encryption keys)

Some of these APIs may already be enabled if you’ve previously worked with VMs, but check each one individually to be certain.

Step 3: Create the IAM Role Using Cloud Shell

Open the GCP Cloud Shell to create the custom IAM role needed for N2W.

1. Upload your chosen YAML permissions file into Cloud Shell.
2. Use the appropriate gcloud command (provided in the N2W user guide) to create a new role, referencing both your project ID and the uploaded YAML file.
3. If you receive an error stating a role already exists, change the role name and run the command again.
4. Once complete, the system should display the permissions associated with the new role, confirming it’s set up correctly.

Step 4: Set Up a Service Account

Within your Google Cloud:

1. Go to “Service Accounts” from the Google Cloud search bar.
2. Create a new service account and give it an identifiable name (e.g., “N2W Demo”).
3. Assign the custom IAM role you just made to this service account.
4. Optionally, define which users or groups can access the service account.
5. After creating the service account, navigate to the “Keys” tab, add a new key, select the JSON format, and download the generated key file to your machine. This JSON key is essential for connecting GCP with N2W.

Step 6: Confirm the Connection

To verify everything is working:

• Create a new backup policy within the Policy section of N2W.
• Under “Backup Targets,” search for your GCP virtual machines. If you see your VM listed, the connection is successful and you’re ready to perform backup and recovery operations.

If you encounter issues or have questions, reach out to N2W support or your customer success manager who are ready to help every step of the way.