Authentication

Authentication for API calls is obtained directly from Google Cloud. Two options are implemented in pittgoogle. Complete at least one:

Service Account

These are instructions to create a service account and download a key file that can be used for authentication.

  1. Prerequisite: Access to a Google Cloud project.

  2. Follow Google’s instructions to create a service account. You will:

    • Create a service account with the Project > Owner role.

    • Download a key file that contains authorization credentials. Keep this file secret!

  3. Take note of the path to the key file you downloaded. Use it in the next step, Set environment variables.

Note

The Project > Owner role gives the service account permission to do anything and everything, within the project. It is the simplest option and allows you to avoid the headache of tracking down “permission denied” errors. However, this role is excessively permissive in essentially all cases. If you want to restrict the permissions granted to the service account, assign a different role(s). A good place to look is: Predefined roles.