GCP API Requirements & Justification

This page details why specific Google Cloud Platform (GCP) APIs are required for the nOps integration and addresses common concerns regarding costs.

Cost Concerns

None of these APIs cost money to turn on (enable).

Enabling an API in GCP is a configuration change that allows you to use that service. Costs will only start to incur if you start creating or running resources that use these APIs (e.g., creating a GKE cluster, running BigQuery queries). The nOps integration primarily uses these APIs for read-only access to metadata and metrics, which typically falls within free tier limits or incurs negligible costs for API calls.

API Justifications

The following APIs are required to provide nOps with the necessary visibility into your GCP environment:

1. Recommender API

Fetches Google-generated cost-saving suggestions, including the identification of idle virtual machines (VMs) and opportunities for Committed Use Discounts (CUDs).

2. Cloud Asset API

Provides a real-time inventory of cloud resources. This service is essential for infrastructure visualization, resource-to-cost mapping, and accurate change tracking over time.

3. Kubernetes Engine API

Retrieves configuration and utilization data from Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE) clusters. This data enables accurate container cost allocation and rightsizing recommendations.

4. BigQuery Reservation API

Facilitates the analysis of BigQuery slot usage and reservations to identify usage patterns and potential cost optimization opportunities.

5. Cloud Billing API

Grants programmatic access to billing account details, public pricing, and SKU data. This ensures that cost calculations and savings estimates in nOps are accurate and reflect your specific pricing.