Think the Google Cloud Console Is Enough? Think Again

Many of my learners, after getting comfortable with the Google Cloud Console, are often surprised when I break the news that, in the real world, they won’t typically have access to the console. Instead, they’ll be using Terraform — and this realization tends to disappoint them. They then ask, “Why Terraform?” So, here I am, writing this blog to explain exactly that.

Why Terraform and Not the Cloud Console?

(Hint: It’s not just because I said so!)

So, you’re getting comfy with the Google Cloud Console. You know where everything is, you can spin up a VM in no time, set up networks, storage buckets, and feel like a Cloud Wizard just by few clicks on the console & create your infra. Then, I drop the bomb:

“You won’t use the Cloud Console in the real world. You’ll use Terraform.”

Boom. There goes your happy cloud bubble. Why?! Why take away something that works perfectly fine? Why complicate your life? Well, stick around because I’m about to explain this, one use case at a time, in a way that’ll make you appreciate Terraform like your favorite comfort food.

1. Why the Console Isn’t Enough

Imagine I assign you the task of creating a single VM, and you complete it using the console — great job! But now, what if I ask you to create 100 identical VMs? And the next day, I ask you to update the labels for all 100 VMs? Just think about how tedious and painful that would be.

The Cloud Console is awesome for learning. You click here, set that there, and boom — your app is live. But here’s the reality:

• Manual setup doesn’t scale: Imagine clicking around to create 100 servers with identical configurations. Your mouse would file a workers’ comp claim.
• Error-prone: One misclick and you’ve set up a firewall rule to block your own traffic. Trust me, debugging that isn’t fun.
• No version control: You can’t track changes to your infrastructure. Did someone delete a VM? Change an IAM role? Console gives you no audit trail.
• No automation: Need to replicate an environment? Good luck remembering the 25 steps you took last week.

In short, the console is like making your grandma’s secret recipe by memory every single time — you’ll eventually mess it up. Terraform? It’s your cookbook.

2. What Makes Terraform the GOAT?

Terraform is like a magic wand for cloud infrastructure. Here’s why it’s every cloud engineer’s best friend:

a. Infrastructure as Code (IaC)

Terraform lets you describe your infrastructure in code. Think of it as a blueprint for your cloud setup. You don’t manually build the house; you give the blueprint to the builder (Terraform).

Example:
Want a VM with 4 CPUs and 16GB of RAM? Write it in a .tf file:hclCopyEdit

resource "google_compute_instance" "my_vm" {
  name         = "example-instance"
  machine_type = "n1-standard-4"
  zone         = "us-central1-a"
boot_disk {
    initialize_params {
      image = "debian-cloud/debian-11"
    }
  }
  network_interface {
    network = "default"
  }
}

Run terraform apply, and voilà, your VM is live! Need to replicate this in another region? Change the zone and reapply. Done.

b. Automation for the Win

Terraform makes it easy to create, update, or delete resources automatically. For example:

• Need to spin up 50 VMs for testing? Add a loop in your config.
• Need to tear everything down after testing? terraform destroy.

c. Team Collaboration

When you work in a team, you need consistency. Everyone uses the same Terraform files, so the infrastructure is predictable, repeatable, and version-controlled.

3. Challenges with the Console (Real-World Horror Stories)

Here are some real-world issues you’ll face if you rely on the Cloud Console:

a. Forgetfulness

You’ve set up a VM, but now you need another one just like it. You think, “I’ll just click the same options.” Except, you forget to:

• Enable an API.
• Add the correct IAM permissions.
• Set the right region.

Now, one VM works, the other doesn’t, and you’re tearing your hair out trying to figure out why.

b. Inconsistent Environments

Your dev, staging, and production environments should be identical. But if you manually set them up, tiny differences sneak in. For example:

• Dev has logging enabled; production doesn’t.
• Staging uses a smaller VM type than production.

With Terraform, you use the same config files for all environments. No surprises.

c. Debugging Nightmares

You deleted a resource manually. Now your app is breaking, and you don’t know why. The console won’t tell you what changed. Terraform, on the other hand, would’ve shown you the plan before making any changes.

4. Terraform Use Cases That Make You Look Like a Pro

a. Scaling Infrastructure

Launching a startup? Start with a single VM. Growing rapidly? Use Terraform to scale to 100 VMs, add load balancers, and auto-scaling groups — all in a few lines of code.

b. Disaster Recovery

Imagine your entire production environment gets wiped. If you set it up manually, you’re rebuilding everything from scratch. With Terraform, you can spin up the exact same environment in minutes.

c. Multi-Cloud Environments

Using both Google Cloud and AWS? Terraform works with both. You can define resources across multiple clouds in a single config file.

5. But Isn’t Terraform Hard to Learn?

At first, yes. Writing .tf files might feel like learning a new language. But think of it this way:

• The console is like driving an old stick-shift car. Fun for short trips but tiring for long ones.
• Terraform is a self-driving car. It takes time to program, but once it’s set up, it does all the heavy lifting.

6. Key Terraform Features That’ll Win You Over

• Plan Before You Apply: Terraform shows you exactly what changes it’ll make before applying them. No more surprises.
• State Management: Terraform tracks your resources in a state file, so it knows what’s already been created and what needs to change.
• Modules for Reusability: Create reusable modules for common setups (e.g., a VM with default networking).

Final Thoughts: Terraform > Console

The Cloud Console is like training wheels on a bike. It’s perfect when you’re learning. But once you’re ready for the big leagues, it’s time to graduate to Terraform.

Think of Terraform as your personal assistant for cloud infrastructure. It’s consistent, reliable, and doesn’t forget anything. Sure, there’s a learning curve, but once you get the hang of it, you’ll wonder how you ever lived without it.

So, next time I burst your Cloud Console bubble, just know it’s because I want you to succeed in the real world. And trust me, nothing beats the satisfaction of running terraform apply and watching your entire cloud infrastructure come to life!