GETTING NOTIFIED TO INFORM AND REPORT EVENTS IN YOUR GOOGLE ECOSYSTEM

The idea for this article arose as a result of multiple interactions with customers in need of having a notification solution when using the Google ecosystem, to inform and report events and key resource details. 

As businesses increasingly rely on Google Cloud, managing a growing infrastructure becomes crucial. Keeping tabs on everything from new resource creation to security events can be a challenge. That’s where smart notification systems come in. This article explores how to leverage tools from the Google ecosystem – specifically Google Cloud and Google Chat – to build custom, cost-effective solutions that keep your team informed and your cloud environment secure.

Industry context

Small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are constantly seeking ways to reduce IT costs while leveraging the power of cloud computing. In-house solutions built on Google’s versatile suite of services offer a promising path. However, the growing complexity and workloads on your IT infrastructure present new operational and security challenges and requirements, such as:

• Operational requirements from some on-premises or other Cloud Vendors systems.
• General security requirements

Solutions architects play a crucial role in designing adaptable, modular solutions that are easily repeatable for multiple use cases and that should be easy to deploy.

Solutions

We’ll explore two distinct approaches to build custom notification systems that fit your needs:

Cloud Logging-Based Notifications: This solution leverages Google’s robust logging service. By setting up filters to capture specific events, like new VM creation or security policy changes, you can trigger notifications in Google Chat. This is ideal for staying on top of operational changes.

Cloud Asset API-Driven Notifications: This solution taps into the Cloud Asset API to gather information about your cloud resources. Here is a list of supported resource types. This solution uses Cloud Run to execute a call to the Google Cloud Asset API using your parameters of interest. The API then sends back a response as a formatted message to a Google Chat channel. 

Architecture and deployment guidelines

To follow the architecture and deployment guidelines for both these solutions, please refer to our comprehensive downloadable guide, complete with instructions and commands.

Need help with configurations?

Both solutions can be adapted to cover a large range of use case scenarios, requiring only minor adjustments to filters or queries. Their serverless architecture ensures cost-effectiveness and seamless scalability, effortlessly adapting to your organization’s evolving needs.

If you require assistance with customization or implementation, our team at SE Cloud Experts is ready to help you tailor these solutions to your organization’s needs.