Skip to main content
This guide explains how to install an System in (GCP). For details about GCP concepts, see these pages:
Ocient supports deployment in GCP for pilot or testing purposes, but this setup does not guarantee data durability. Stopping Compute Engine virtual machine (VM) instances can result in permanent data loss.
The steps for deploying an Ocient System in GCP are:
  1. Prepare GCP resources.
  2. Set up an initial instance.
  3. Create machine images from the initial instance.
  4. Launch other instances.
  5. Follow the standard Ocient installation procedure.

​
Example Configuration

The table below shows the recommended VM types for each node type.
Node TypeVM Type
Foundation Nodes (3)n2-highmem-96
Loader Nodes (1)n2-highmem-96
SQL Nodes (1)n2-highmem-96
Metadata and non-Ocient nodes use the n2-standard-X machine type, where X represents the number of Virtual Central Processing Units (vCPUs) for your workload. This diagram shows an example of an Ocient cluster in GCP. The system deploys the Compute Engine VMs (SQL, Loader, and Foundation) within a single subnet of a Virtual Private Cloud (VPC). GCP uses VPC firewall rules and network tags to control traffic to each node type.
Virtual private cloud for loading data from a Cloud Storage bucket using a JDBC client

​
Prepare GCP Resources

Create and configure these GCP resources:
If you are loading data from Cloud Storage, the Loader Nodes require IAM access to a Cloud Storage bucket. Assign the roles/storage.objectViewer role (or roles/storage.objectAdmin if you also need write access) to the service account used by the Loader Node VMs.

​
Node Setup (SQL Role) for the Initial Instance

1

Launch the Instance

Use this configuration for your machine image. Configuration steps differ depending on whether your setup uses a single-volume or multi-volume machine image. For details about creating instances, see Create and start a Compute Engine instance.

​
Operating System (OS)

To set up the machine image, you can use any Ocient-supported OS (see Ocient System Requirements).Single-Volume Machine ImageIf you use a single-volume machine image, specify this configuration:
  • Increase the boot disk to 128GB or more.
Multi-Volume Machine ImageIf you use a multi-volume machine image (e.g., CIS hardened (RHEL) 9), use this configuration:
This Persistent Disk volume supports key system directories in the image (/home, /var, /var/log, /var/log/audit, /var/tmp).
VM TypeUse n2-highmem-96 for Ocient nodes. Use n2-standard-X for Metadata and non-Ocient nodes.Secure BootDisable Shielded VM secure boot when creating the instance. Use the --no-shielded-secure-boot flag with the gcloud command.
Shell
gcloud compute instances create INSTANCE_NAME \
    --no-shielded-secure-boot
If you are using the Console, uncheck Turn on Secure Boot under Security > Shielded VM. For details, see Shielded VM.Firewall Rules and Network TagsCreate VPC firewall rules with network tags that enforce these rules:
  • Allow SSH to the nodes.
  • Allow communication internally between nodes.
  • Allow access to SQL Node endpoints. For details, see the Ocient Security Guide.
Assign the appropriate network tags to each VM so that the firewall rules apply to the correct node types. For details, see Create firewall rules and Add and remove network tags.
2

Access the Shell

Connect to your instance using Secure Shell (SSH). For details, see Connect to Linux VMs using Google tools.
3

Extend Logical Volume Manager (LVM) Volumes (Multi-Volume Machine Image Only)

This step applies only to multi-volume machine images. If you are using a single-volume instance, skip this step.
If you use a multi-volume manager, extend the /home and /var LVM volumes and their filesystems to fill up the expanded Persistent Disk volumes. These actions expand the LVM volume and the contained file system to accommodate the package, logging, and metadata of the Ocient System.These code examples show how to extend LVM volumes for a RHEL 9 image.
Other machine image types might require different sizing. Contact Ocient support for the best sizing for your system for multi-volume instances.
ExamplesResize the physical volumes of two drives to use their full capacity after expanding them (see Prepare GCP Resources).
Shell
sudo pvresize /dev/nvme0n1
sudo pvresize /dev/nvme1n1
Extend local volumes:
  • Add 66 percent of the available free space in vg-01 to the var_vol logical volume.
  • Add all (100 percent) of the remaining free space in vg-01 to the home_vol logical volume.
Shell
sudo lvextend -l +66%FREE /dev/vg-01/var_vol
sudo lvextend -l +100%FREE /dev/vg-01/home_vol
Extend the file system to use all available space on its underlying logical volume.
Shell
sudo xfs_growfs /home
sudo xfs_growfs /var
4

Update Packages

Update all your software packages to their latest versions and then reboot your instance.For RHEL-compatible systems, use this command.
Shell
sudo dnf update
For -compatible systems, use this command.
Shell
sudo apt update
Reboot after the update.
Shell
sudo reboot
5

Install GCP Kernel Modules

GCP Compute Engine VMs require additional kernel modules for full hardware support. Install the extra kernel modules package that matches your running kernel version.
Shell
sudo apt install linux-modules-extra-$(uname -r)
Reboot the node after the installation completes.
Shell
sudo reboot
This step is required for GCP Compute Engine VMs. Without the extra kernel modules, certain hardware drivers and features might not function correctly.
6

Install the Ocient Package

Copy over the ocient RPM or DEB package and install it.For RHEL-compatible systems, use this command.
Shell
sudo dnf install ./ocient-RELEASE-XX.X.X-xxxxxxxxxxxxxx-x86_64.rpm
For Debian-compatible systems, use this command.
Shell
sudo apt install ./ocient-RELEASE-XX.X.X-xxxxxxxx.xxxxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx-amd64.deb
7

Set Up Kernel Parameters

Use the ockernelparams utility to set up kernel parameters automatically, including the huge pages configuration. Repeat this step on other nodes.
Shell
sudo /opt/ocient/scripts/ockernelparams --node-role sql
Reboot the system for the parameters to take effect.
Shell
sudo reboot
Check that the local storage drive is attached to the uio or vfio driver after reboot (the Ocient package installs a service that runs on startup to perform this action).
Shell
sudo /opt/ocient/scripts/nvme-driver-util.sh
On GCP, drives bound to the uio_pci_generic driver display without a device name. This behavior is expected for GCP NVMe drives.
NVMe device status

BDF             Numa Node       Driver name             Device name
0000:00:04.0    -1              uio_pci_generic         -
For examples of attaching drivers to the NVMe drives, see NVMe Drive Firmware Upgrade Process.
8

Configure the Firewall

If you are not using an OS-level firewall, skip this step.
If your base machine image includes a system firewall, you must configure rules that explicitly allow required network communication for your Ocient deployment. For details, see the Ocient Security Guide.Required OS firewall rules:
  • Allow all necessary ports and protocols between Ocient nodes by:
    • Opening all TCP/UDP ports within the private network range (e.g., 10.0.0.0/16), or allowing known Ocient ports.
  • Allow external access where needed by:
    • Enabling SSH access (port 22) from your administrator IP range.
    • Allowing client access to SQL endpoints (for example, port 13101 or as specified in your setup).
    • Opening any additional ports required for monitoring or management tools.
For a list of required ports, see Network Exposure and Firewall.
In addition to OS-level firewall rules, ensure that your GCP VPC firewall rules and network tags are properly configured (see Prepare GCP Resources). Both layers must allow the required traffic for the Ocient System to function correctly.

​
Create the Machine Image

After your initial node is fully configured, you must replicate the setup process for the remaining nodes in your cluster. This action ensures consistency and allows for proper internal communication between nodes. For details about creating a machine image, see Create a machine image.

​
Set Up Remaining Nodes to Launch the Remaining Instances

Go through this process for each of your remaining nodes.
1

Set Up Parameters

Launch the remaining instances with these parameters. For details, see Create an instance from a machine image.
  • Machine image — Use the machine image created in the Node Setup (SQL Role) for Initial Instance step.
  • VM type — Use n2-highmem-96 for Ocient nodes. This VM type:
    • Provides sufficient memory and compute for high-performance Ocient workloads.
    • Has high throughput and network bandwidth for internal cluster communication.
  • Secure boot — Disable secure boot using the --no-shielded-secure-boot flag.
  • VPC firewall rules — Ensure these rules are in place using network tags associated with the nodes:
    • Allow SSH to the nodes.
    • Allow internal communication between all Ocient nodes.
    • Allow access to endpoints described in the Ocient Security Guide.
2

Access the Shell

Connect to your instance using SSH. For details, see Connect to Linux VMs using Google tools.
3

Set Up Kernel Parameters

Use the ockernelparams utility to automatically set up kernel parameters, including the hugepages parameters.This example specifies a Foundation Node foundation. Use a different node type as necessary.
Shell
sudo /opt/ocient/scripts/ockernelparams --node-role foundation
Reboot the system for the parameters to take effect.
Shell
sudo reboot

​
Bootstrap the Ocient System

Complete the bootstrapping process for your Ocient System. For details, see Node Bootstrapping Reference. Load Data Query Ocient
Last modified on July 1, 2026