Next.js Cloud Run Demo

A demonstration Next.js application showcasing Google Cloud Run features including autoscaling, health checks, secret management, and environment configuration.

Live Demo: https://nextjs-cloud-run-demo-843666072335.us-central1.run.app

Features

• Health Check Endpoint - /api/health for Cloud Run health monitoring
• System Information - Displays Cloud Run environment variables and system info
• CPU Stress Test - Demonstrates autoscaling capabilities
• Secret Manager Integration - Create and retrieve secrets securely
• AI Chatbot - OpenAI GPT-3.5 Turbo integration with secure API key management
• Responsive UI - Modern interface built with Tailwind CSS
• Production-Ready - Optimized Docker build with multi-stage process

Prerequisites

• Node.js 18+ (for local development)
• Docker (for containerization)
• Google Cloud SDK (gcloud CLI)
• A Google Cloud Project with billing enabled
• Docker Buildx (for ARM Mac users)

Environment Variables

Set your Google Cloud project ID:

export GCP_PROJECT_ID=your-project-id

This environment variable is used throughout the deployment process and scripts.

Local Development

1. Install dependencies:

   npm install

2. Run the development server:

   npm run dev

3. Open http://localhost:3000 in your browser

Deployment to Cloud Run

Quick Deploy

1. Set your Google Cloud project ID as an environment variable:

   export GCP_PROJECT_ID=your-project-id
   # Example: export GCP_PROJECT_ID=halogen-basis-461109-u8

2. Run the deployment script:

   ./deploy.sh

The deployment script will use the GCP_PROJECT_ID environment variable automatically.

Manual Deployment

1. Set your project ID (if not already set):

   export GCP_PROJECT_ID=your-project-id

2. Build the Docker image:

   # For ARM-based Macs (Apple Silicon) - REQUIRED for Cloud Run
   docker buildx build --platform linux/amd64 -t gcr.io/${GCP_PROJECT_ID}/nextjs-cloud-run-demo .
   
   # For Intel/AMD systems
   docker build -t gcr.io/${GCP_PROJECT_ID}/nextjs-cloud-run-demo .

3. Push to Google Container Registry:

   docker push gcr.io/${GCP_PROJECT_ID}/nextjs-cloud-run-demo

4. Deploy to Cloud Run:

   gcloud run deploy nextjs-cloud-run-demo \
     --image gcr.io/${GCP_PROJECT_ID}/nextjs-cloud-run-demo \
     --platform managed \
     --region us-central1 \
     --allow-unauthenticated \
     --set-env-vars="GOOGLE_CLOUD_PROJECT=${GCP_PROJECT_ID}"

Testing Cloud Run Features

1. Health Checks

• Cloud Run automatically checks /api/health
• Monitor health status in the Cloud Console

2. Autoscaling

• Click "Run Stress Test" multiple times
• Open multiple browser tabs and run tests simultaneously
• Watch instance count increase in Cloud Console

3. Environment Variables

The app displays Cloud Run-specific environment variables:

• K_SERVICE - Service name
• K_REVISION - Revision name
• K_CONFIGURATION - Configuration name

4. Request Handling

• Test concurrent requests to see load distribution
• Monitor request latency in Cloud Console metrics

5. Secret Manager

• Create secrets using the web interface
• Retrieve secrets securely
• The deployment script automatically:
  • Enables Secret Manager API
  • Creates a demo secret
  • Grants the Cloud Run service account access

Testing Secret Manager:

# Create a secret manually
echo -n "my-secret-value" | gcloud secrets create test-secret --data-file=-

# Get your Cloud Run service account
SERVICE_ACCOUNT=$(gcloud run services describe nextjs-cloud-run-demo \
  --region=us-central1 \
  --format='value(spec.template.spec.serviceAccountName)')

# Grant access to Cloud Run service account
gcloud secrets add-iam-policy-binding test-secret \
  --member="serviceAccount:${SERVICE_ACCOUNT}" \
  --role="roles/secretmanager.secretAccessor"

# Use the web UI to retrieve the secret

Configuration Options

Memory and CPU

Edit deploy.sh or use gcloud commands:

--memory 256Mi|512Mi|1Gi|2Gi|4Gi|8Gi
--cpu 1|2|4

Concurrency

Control requests per container:

--concurrency 80  # Default
--concurrency 1000 # High concurrency

Scaling

Configure min/max instances:

--min-instances 0   # Scale to zero
--max-instances 100 # Maximum instances

Monitoring

View Logs

gcloud logging read "resource.type=cloud_run_revision AND resource.labels.service_name=nextjs-cloud-run-demo" --limit 50

View Metrics

Visit the Cloud Console to see:

• Request count and latency
• Instance count and CPU utilization
• Memory usage
• Error rates

Cost Optimization

• Scale to Zero: No charges when not in use
• Request-based Billing: Pay only for actual usage
• Efficient Containers: Optimized image size (~150MB)

Troubleshooting

Build Fails

• Ensure Docker daemon is running
• Check Node.js version compatibility
• Create a public directory if missing: mkdir -p public

Deployment Fails

• Verify gcloud authentication: gcloud auth list
• Check project permissions
• Ensure APIs are enabled
• Architecture Mismatch: If you see "Container manifest type must support amd64/linux", use docker buildx build --platform linux/amd64
• Wrong Project: Ensure your image registry project matches your deployment project

ARM Mac (Apple Silicon) Issues

Cloud Run requires AMD64/Linux images. Always build with:

docker buildx build --platform linux/amd64 -t gcr.io/PROJECT_ID/IMAGE_NAME .

High Latency

• Increase memory allocation
• Enable min-instances for warm starts
• Check region proximity to users

Project Structure

test-gcp/
├── app/                    # Next.js app directory
│   ├── api/               # API routes
│   │   ├── chat/         # AI chatbot endpoint
│   │   ├── health/       # Health check endpoint
│   │   ├── info/         # System information
│   │   ├── secrets/      # Secret Manager demo
│   │   └── stress/       # CPU stress test
│   ├── page.tsx          # Main dashboard
│   └── layout.tsx        # Root layout
├── Dockerfile            # Multi-stage build
├── deploy.sh            # Deployment automation
└── package.json         # Dependencies

Learn More

• Cloud Run Documentation
• Next.js Documentation
• Cloud Run Pricing
• Secret Manager Documentation
• GitHub Repository