Overview

This lab is similar to a Challenge Lab in the "Challenge: GCP Architecture" Quest.

For this Challenge Lab, you must complete a series of tasks within a limited time period. Instead of following step-by-step instructions, you'll be given a scenario and task - you figure out how to complete it on your own! An automated scoring system (shown on this page) will provide feedback on whether you have completed your tasks correctly.

To score 100% you must complete all tasks within the time period!

When you take a Challenge Lab, you will not be taught GCP concepts. You'll need to use your advanced Google Compute Engine (GCE) skills to assess how to build the solution to the challenge presented. This lab is only recommended for students who have GCE skills. Are you up for the challenge?

Topics tested

• Create a Linux Virtual Machine Instance
• Enable public access to VM instance
• Running basic Apache Web Server
• Test your server

Setup and requirements

For each lab, you get a new Google Cloud project and set of resources for a fixed time at no cost.

1. Sign in to Google Skills using an incognito window.

2. Note the lab's access time (for example, 1:15:00), and make sure you can finish within that time. There is no pause feature. You can restart if needed, but you have to start at the beginning.

3. When ready, click Start lab.

4. Note your lab credentials (Username and Password). You will use them to sign in to the Google Cloud Console.

5. Click Open Google Console.

6. Click Use another account and copy/paste credentials for this lab into the prompts. If you use other credentials, you'll receive errors or incur charges.

7. Accept the terms and skip the recovery resource page.

Activate Google Cloud Shell

Google Cloud Shell is a virtual machine that is loaded with development tools. It offers a persistent 5GB home directory and runs on the Google Cloud.

Google Cloud Shell provides command-line access to your Google Cloud resources.

1. In Cloud console, on the top right toolbar, click the Open Cloud Shell button.

   

2. Click Continue.

It takes a few moments to provision and connect to the environment. When you are connected, you are already authenticated, and the project is set to your PROJECT_ID. For example:

gcloud is the command-line tool for Google Cloud. It comes pre-installed on Cloud Shell and supports tab-completion.

• You can list the active account name with this command:

Output:

Example output:

• You can list the project ID with this command:

Output:

Example output:

Challenge scenario

Your company is ready to launch a brand new product! Because you are entering a totally new space, you have decided to deploy a new website as part of the product launch. The new site is complete, but the person who built the new site left the company before they could deploy it.

Your challenge

Your challenge is to deploy the site in the public cloud by completing the tasks below. You will use a simple Apache web server as a placeholder for the new site in this exercise. Good luck!

Task 1. Running a basic Apache web server

A virtual machine instance on Google Compute Engine can be controlled like any standard Linux server.

• Deploy a simple Apache web server (a placeholder for the new product site) to learn the basics of running a server on a virtual machine instance.

Task 2. Create a Linux VM instance

• Create a Linux virtual machine, name it apache and specify the zone as us-central1-a.

Click Check my progress to verify the objective.

Task 3. Enable public access to VM instance

• While creating the Linux instance, make sure to apply the appropriate firewall rules so that potential customers can find your new product.

Click Check my progress to verify the objective.

Task 4. Running a basic Apache web server

A virtual machine instance on Google Compute Engine can be controlled like any standard Linux server.

• Deploy a simple Apache web server (a placeholder for the new product site) to learn the basics of running a server on a virtual machine instance.

Click Check my progress to verify the objective.

Task 5. Test your server

• Test that your instance is serving traffic on its external IP. You should see the "Apache default" page (a placeholder for the new product site).

Task 6. Troubleshooting

If you are receiving a connection refused error, consider the following:

• Your VM instance is not publicly accessible because the VM instance does not have the proper tag that allows Compute Engine to apply the appropriate firewall rules. Or your project does not have a firewall rule that allows traffic to your instance's external IP address.
• You are trying to access the VM using an https address. Check that your URL is http://EXTERNAL_IP and not https://EXTERNAL_IP.

End your lab

When you have completed your lab, click End Lab. Google Skills removes the resources you’ve used and cleans the account for you.

You will be given an opportunity to rate the lab experience. Select the applicable number of stars, type a comment, and then click Submit.

The number of stars indicates the following:

• 1 star = Very dissatisfied
• 2 stars = Dissatisfied
• 3 stars = Neutral
• 4 stars = Satisfied
• 5 stars = Very satisfied

You can close the dialog box if you don't want to provide feedback.

For feedback, suggestions, or corrections, please use the Support tab.

Copyright 2026 Google LLC All rights reserved. Google and the Google logo are trademarks of Google LLC. All other company and product names may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated.