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GCP Billing Export Integration with nOps

FAQs​

Expand FAQs

1. What if I don’t see my billing data in BigQuery?​

  • Ensure that Billing Export is enabled for the correct project.
  • Check if the dataset and table names match what was configured in nOps.
  • Wait up to 48 hours for the first full dataset to appear.

2. Can I use customer-managed encryption keys?​

No, Google Cloud only supports Google-managed encryption for billing data exports.

3. How often is billing data updated on nOps?​

Billing data is refreshed daily, but there might be a 48-hour delay for full updates.

4. How long does it take for the Pricing and Detailed Resource tables to be available?​

The tables under the Detailed Usage Cost and Pricing exports may take up to 48 hours to be created.

5. Do Pricing and Detailed Usage Cost exports need to be in the same location?​

Yes. Both exports must be configured to use the same location (US or EU) and preferably the same dataset. Using different locations or datasets will cause integration issues with nOps.

Setting Up the Integration​

To integrate GCP Billing Exports with nOps, follow these steps:

1. Configure GCP Billing Exports​

Before connecting to nOps, you must enable billing exports in GCP.

Step 1: Select or Create a GCP Project​

A Google Cloud project is required to store billing data. If managing multiple billing accounts, configure the export for each account separately.

Best Practices​

  • Create a dedicated project for billing exports instead of using an existing one.
  • Ensure the project is linked to the same Cloud Billing Account that you plan to export data from.
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For help setting up the Cloud Billing account, refer to this documentation.

Step 2: Configure BigQuery to Store Billing Data​

To collect billing exports, set up a BigQuery dataset in the selected project.

Steps:​

  1. Open BigQuery in the GCP Console.
  2. Choose the project where you want to store billing data.
  3. Click the three-dot menu next to the project name and select Create Dataset.
  4. Configure the dataset:
    • Dataset ID: Use a recognizable name (e.g., gcp_billing_exports).
    • Location: Choose US or EU for detailed usage data. Important: This location must be used consistently for both pricing and resource exports.
    • Encryption: Set to Google-managed encryption keys.
  5. Click Create Dataset.
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The location you select here (US or EU) is critical. Both pricing and resource exports must use the same location for proper integration with nOps.

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Customer-managed encryption keys are not supported for Cloud Billing data exports.

Step 3: Enable Cloud Billing Export (Detailed Usage Cost and Pricing) to BigQuery​

Step 1: Open Billing Settings​

  1. Navigate to the Billing section in the GCP Console.
  2. Select Billing Export from the left-hand menu.

Step 2: Configure Detailed Usage Cost Export​

  1. Go to the BigQuery Export tab.
  2. Locate the Detailed Usage Cost section and click Edit Settings.
  3. Choose the Project and BigQuery Dataset where the data should be stored.
  4. Click Save.

Step 3: Configure Pricing Export​

  1. In the Pricing section, click Edit Settings.
  2. Select the same Project and BigQuery Dataset as before. This is required for proper integration with nOps.
  3. Click Save.

This ensures that both detailed usage cost and pricing data are exported to BigQuery for analysis.

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Important: Both pricing and resource exports must be configured to use the same location (US or EU) and preferably the same dataset. Using different locations or datasets will cause integration issues with nOps.

note

The tables under the Detailed Usage Cost and Pricing exports may take up to 48 hours to be created.

Once billing exports are configured in GCP, connect them to nOps.

  1. Log in to nOps and go to Organization Settings.
  2. Navigate to BC+ Integrations.
  3. Select GCP Billing Export from the available integrations.
  4. Enter:
    • GCP Billing Account ID
    • BigQuery Table ID for Detailed Usage Cost
    • BigQuery Table ID for Pricing Export
  5. Click Create Integration.
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Finding Your Billing Account ID​

To locate your Billing Account ID in Google Cloud Platform (GCP):

  1. Open the Billing page in your GCP console.
  2. Your Billing Account ID will be displayed in the format 0115B9-C18400-A979DC.

Finding the Table ID for BigQuery Datasets​

To find the Table ID for your datasets in BigQuery:

  1. Navigate to BigQuery in the Google Cloud Console.
  2. Select the appropriate dataset.
  3. Click on the specific table you need.
  4. Open the Details tab and look for the highlighted Table ID value.
Click to view a screenshot of the Table ID location

Table ID Screenshot

After completing this step, nOps will generate a service account email.

3. Grant Service Account Permissions in GCP​

Once the nOps service account email is generated, grant it the required permissions.

Step 1: Grant IAM Permissions to the nOps Service Account​

  1. Open IAM & Admin in the GCP Console.
  2. Select the project that contains your BigQuery dataset.
  3. Click + GRANT ACCESS.
  4. In the New principals field, enter the nOps service account email.
  5. Assign the following role:
    • BigQuery Data Viewer
  6. Click SAVE.
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The Viewer role provides read-only access to all resources in the project, enabling nOps to gather data on active resources.

Why Use nOps for GCP Cost Management?​

  • Unified Cost Visibility – View all cloud spend, including AWS, Azure, and GCP, in a single platform.
  • Automated Cost Analysis – Identify inefficiencies and optimize resource allocation.
  • Custom Reporting – Create tailored reports for detailed GCP spend analysis.

By integrating GCP Billing Exports with nOps BC+, you gain deeper visibility into cloud costs, empowering smarter budget decisions.