Google Cloud troubleshooting: permissions, quotas, SSH and network paths
The problems Google Cloud's troubleshooting pages cover most: finding out why a principal can't use a permission with Policy Troubleshooter, quota errors versus fixed system limits, Compute Engine SSH failures (OS Login versus metadata keys, firewall rules, IAP TCP forwarding), the serial console for VMs that won't answer, and Connectivity Tests for network paths.
- Level
- Intermediate
- Length
- About 50 minutes
- Contents
- 3 lessons · 1 video · final exam
- Status
- Published · updated 2 Oct 2026
- Google Cloud
Skills you'll practise
- Run Policy Troubleshooter with the right inputs and know which policies it does and doesn't evaluate
- Tell a quota from a system limit and choose the right response to a quota error
- Diagnose 'Permission denied (publickey)' on a Compute Engine VM, including OS Login versus metadata keys
- Configure SSH or RDP through IAP TCP forwarding: firewall source range, ports and the IAM role
- Use the serial console and serial port output safely when a VM won't accept SSH
- Read a Connectivity Tests result, distinguishing configuration analysis from live data plane analysis
Course outline
- 1.Google Cloud troubleshooting from the documentationVideo · 2 min
- 2.Why can't they? Policy Troubleshooter and quotasLesson · 15 min
- 3.Compute Engine SSH: keys, OS Login, firewalls and IAPLesson · 18 min
- 4.When the VM won't answer: serial console and Connectivity TestsLesson · 15 min
- 5.Google Cloud troubleshooting: permissions, quotas, SSH and network paths: knowledge checkKnowledge check · 16 questions
- 6.Final exam11 questions · passing it completes the course, so people who already know the material can test out
Sources it draws on
The lessons and questions are written from these references, so learners can go back to the original.
- Google Cloud docs: Troubleshooting SSH errors (Compute Engine)
- Google Cloud docs: Using IAP for TCP forwarding
- Google Cloud docs: Policy Troubleshooter for IAM (troubleshoot access)
- Google Cloud docs: Quotas overview
- Google Cloud docs: Troubleshooting using the serial console
- Google Cloud docs: Connectivity Tests overview
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