Guide: Creating custom base images for GCP with Jenkins and Packer

Google Cloud Platform (GCP) has a rich set of Compute Engine images to choose from to meet a wide range of compute needs. However, you may want to bring your own customized images with you when migrating to GCP, to meet specific compliance, security or other business requirements.  

To reuse these existing investments, you can easily turn your own custom installations into GCP base images using nested virtualization on GCP.  We recently created a guide that will help you do just that: use your ISO CD-ROM images and Kickstart scripts to create your own customized Compute Engine base images. The guide walks you through setting up Jenkins, a Jenkins agent with accelerated nested virtualization and Packer. It also shows you how to set up the Jenkins job and Packer script to create custom base images that you can use in GCP.

Don’t let the fact that you have particular requirements for your base images prevent you from moving to GCP.You can access the brand new guide here. Then, be sure to let us know about other ideas for guides and tutorials by clicking on the “Send Feedback” button.