Windows workloads
This document provides links to information about creating and managing Windows
VMs, licensing and pricing, and deploying Microsoft workloads related to
Active Directory, .NET applications, IIS, and SQL Server.
Getting started, licensing, pricing
Quickly create Windows VMs, learn about Microsoft licensing options, and review
prices for Windows images.
OS images
Learn about the available Windows images and create and manage custom Windows
images.
Create VMs and Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE) nodes
Create and manage Windows Server VMs, deploy SQL Server, and create a GKE
cluster of Windows Server containers.
Manage VMs
Connect to your Windows VMs, customize the VMs, manage storage, and configure
passwords.
Active Directory, .NET, IIS, Windows, and SQL Server
The following is a sample of the tutorials for deploying Microsoft Windows
Server, IIS, SQL Server, and Active Directory workloads, and .NET applications.
Active Directory and SharePoint
.NET
IIS
SQL Server
Solutions
Get architectural guidance to deploy and manage Microsoft and Windows workloads
on Google Cloud.
Get help
Diagnose and troubleshoot issues with provisioning and managing Windows
workloads.
Except as otherwise noted, the content of this page is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License, and code samples are licensed under the Apache 2.0 License. For details, see the Google Developers Site Policies. Java is a registered trademark of Oracle and/or its affiliates.
Last updated 2025-08-26 UTC.
[[["Easy to understand","easyToUnderstand","thumb-up"],["Solved my problem","solvedMyProblem","thumb-up"],["Other","otherUp","thumb-up"]],[["Missing the information I need","missingTheInformationINeed","thumb-down"],["Too complicated / too many steps","tooComplicatedTooManySteps","thumb-down"],["Out of date","outOfDate","thumb-down"],["Samples / code issue","samplesCodeIssue","thumb-down"],["Other","otherDown","thumb-down"]],["Last updated 2025-08-26 UTC."],[[["\u003cp\u003eThis document provides comprehensive guidance on creating and managing Windows Virtual Machines (VMs), covering licensing, pricing, and best practices.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eYou can learn how to deploy and manage various Microsoft workloads, including Active Directory, .NET applications, IIS, and SQL Server, within the Google Cloud environment.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eThe content details available Windows operating system images, including Windows Server, Windows client BYOL, and SQL Server, and how to create and manage custom images.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eGuidance is offered on connecting to, customizing, and managing your Windows VMs, including managing storage, passwords, and joining domains.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eThe document includes troubleshooting tips, known issues, and support resources to assist with diagnosing and resolving problems related to provisioning and managing Windows workloads.\u003c/p\u003e\n"]]],[],null,["# Windows workloads\n\nWindows\n\n*** ** * ** ***\n\nThis document provides links to information about creating and managing Windows\nVMs, licensing and pricing, and deploying Microsoft workloads related to\nActive Directory, .NET applications, IIS, and SQL Server.\n\n### Getting started, licensing, pricing\n\nQuickly create Windows VMs, learn about Microsoft licensing options, and review\nprices for Windows images.\n\n- [Quickstart using a Windows Server VM](/compute/docs/create-windows-server-vm-instance)\n\n- [Best practices for Windows Server VMs](/compute/docs/instances/windows/windows-best-practices)\n\n- [Create a domain](/managed-microsoft-ad/docs/create-domain)\n\n- [Join a Windows VM automatically to a domain](/managed-microsoft-ad/docs/seamless-domain-join-gce)\n\n- [Licensing options](/compute/docs/instances/windows/ms-licensing)\n\n- [FAQ about licensing](/compute/docs/instances/windows/ms-licensing-faq)\n\n- [Bringing your own licenses](/compute/docs/nodes/bringing-your-own-licenses)\n\n- [Pricing](/compute/disks-image-pricing#premiumimages)\n\n### OS images\n\nLearn about the available Windows images and create and manage custom Windows\nimages.\n\n- [Windows Server](/compute/docs/images/os-details#windows_server)\n\n- [Windows client BYOL](/compute/docs/images/os-details#windows_client)\n\n- [SQL Server](/compute/docs/images/os-details#sql_server)\n\n- [Create a Windows OS image from an ISO file](/compute/docs/images/creating-an-image-from-an-iso-file)\n\n- [Create a custom Windows Server image](/compute/docs/instances/windows/creating-windows-os-image)\n\n- [Install or update the guest environment](/compute/docs/images/guest-environment#when-to-install)\n\n- [Choose an import method](/compute/docs/import)\n\n### Create VMs and Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE) nodes\n\nCreate and manage Windows Server VMs, deploy SQL Server, and create a GKE\ncluster of Windows Server containers.\n\n- [Create and manage Windows Server VMs](/compute/docs/instances/windows/creating-managing-windows-instances)\n\n- [Create SQL Server VMs](/compute/docs/instances/sql-server/creating-sql-server-instances)\n\n- [Create a cluster using Windows Server node pools](/kubernetes-engine/docs/how-to/creating-a-cluster-windows)\n\n### Manage VMs\n\nConnect to your Windows VMs, customize the VMs, manage storage, and configure\npasswords.\n\n- [Connect to VMs](/compute/docs/instances/connecting-to-instance#windows)\n\n- [Join Windows VMs automatically to a domain](/managed-microsoft-ad/docs/seamless-domain-join-gce)\n\n- [Transfer files](/compute/docs/instances/transfer-files-windows)\n\n- [VM Manager](/compute/docs/vm-manager)\n\n- [Use startup scripts on Windows VMs](/compute/docs/instances/startup-scripts/windows)\n\n- [Run shutdown scripts](/compute/docs/shutdownscript)\n\n- [Enable virtual displays](/compute/docs/instances/enable-instance-virtual-display)\n\n- [Install GPU drivers](/compute/docs/gpus/install-drivers-gpu)\n\n- [Add local SSDs](/compute/docs/disks/local-ssd)\n\n- [Create a Windows persistent disk snapshot](/compute/docs/instances/windows/creating-windows-persistent-disk-snapshot)\n\n- [Add or resize zonal persistent disks](/compute/docs/disks/add-persistent-disk)\n\n- [Create passwords for Windows instances](/compute/docs/instances/windows/generating-credentials)\n\n- [Automate Windows password generation](/compute/docs/instances/windows/automate-pw-generation)\n\n### Active Directory, .NET, IIS, Windows, and SQL Server\n\nThe following is a sample of the tutorials for deploying Microsoft Windows\nServer, IIS, SQL Server, and Active Directory workloads, and .NET applications.\n\n#### Active Directory and SharePoint\n\n- [Best practices for running Active Directory on Google Cloud](/compute/docs/instances/windows/best-practices)\n\n- [Deploying Microsoft SharePoint Server on Compute Engine](/compute/docs/instances/windows/deploying-microsoft-sharepoint-server-on-compute-engine)\n\n- [Deploying Microsoft Exchange Server 2016 on Compute Engine](/compute/docs/instances/windows/deploying-microsoft-exchange-server-2016-on-compute-engine)\n\n#### .NET\n\n- [Set up a .NET development environment](/dotnet/docs/setup)\n\n- [Get started with .NET](/dotnet/docs/getting-started)\n\n#### IIS\n\n- [Run a basic IIS web server](/compute/docs/tutorials/basic-webserver-iis)\n\n#### SQL Server\n\n- [Create a SQL Server instance](/compute/docs/instances/sql-server/creating-sql-server-instances)\n\n- [Create a high-performance SQL Server instance](/compute/docs/tutorials/creating-high-performance-sql-server-instance)\n\n- [Disaster recovery for Microsoft SQL Server](/compute/docs/instances/sql-server/disaster-recovery-for-microsoft-sql-server)\n\n- [Deploying Microsoft SQL Server for multi-regional disaster recovery](/compute/docs/instances/sql-server/deploying-microsoft-sql-server-multi-regional-disaster-recovery)\n\n### Solutions\n\nGet architectural guidance to deploy and manage Microsoft and Windows workloads\non Google Cloud.\n\n- [Get started with migrating to Google Cloud](/architecture/migration-to-gcp-getting-started)\n\n- [Lift-and-Shift a line-of-business application to Google Cloud](/static/files/Lift-and-Shift-onto-Google-Cloud.pdf)\n\n- [Deploy a fault-tolerant Microsoft Active Directory environment](/architecture/deploy-fault-tolerant-active-directory-environment)\n\n- [Create a virtual Windows workstation](/architecture/creating-a-virtual-windows-workstation)\n\n- [Set up cross-region load balancing for Microsoft IIS web servers](/compute/docs/tutorials/http-load-balancing-iis)\n\n- [Browse other Windows architecture solutions](/architecture?text=Windows)\n\n### Get help\n\nDiagnose and troubleshoot issues with provisioning and managing Windows\nworkloads.\n\n- [Known issues](/compute/docs/troubleshooting/known-issues#known_issues_for_windows_vm_instances)\n\n- [Use the serial console](/compute/docs/instances/interacting-with-serial-console)\n\n- [Collect diagnostic information](/compute/docs/instances/collecting-diagnostic-information)\n\n- [Capture VM screenshots](/compute/docs/instances/capturing-vm-screenshots)\n\n- [Troubleshoot Windows VMs](/compute/docs/troubleshooting/troubleshooting-windows)\n\n- [Troubleshoot RDP](/compute/docs/troubleshooting/troubleshooting-rdp)\n\n- [Windows end of support](/compute/docs/instances/windows/end-of-support)\n\n- [Google Cloud support](/support-hub)\n\n- Public discussion forums\n\n - [Google Cloud Community](https://www.googlecloudcommunity.com/gc/forums/searchpage/tab/message?filter=location,labels&q=windows&location=forum-board:cloud-infrastructure&sort_by=-topicPostDate&collapse_discussion=true&labels=compute%20engine)\n\n - [Stack Overflow](https://stackoverflow.com/search?q=%5Bgoogle-compute-engine%5D+windows&s=f0c9147d-467e-4cee-9f18-141c9dec018c)\n\n - [Server Fault](https://serverfault.com/search?q=%5Bgoogle-compute-engine%5D+windows)"]]
