GCP Vertex AI
Last updated
Last updated
Overview
GCP Vertex AI: A fully managed service that provides access to leading generative AI models—such as Anthropic’s Claude 3.5 Sonnet v2—through Google Cloud. .
This guide is tailored for organizations with established GCP environments (leveraging IAM roles, service accounts, and best practices in resource management) to ensure secure and compliant usage.
Sign in to the GCP Console: .
Select or Create a Project: Use an existing project or create a new one dedicated to Vertex AI.
(Screenshot suggestion: Project selection/creation screen in the GCP Console)
Assign Required Roles:
Grant your user (or service account) the Vertex AI User role (roles/aiplatform.user).
For service accounts, also attach the Vertex AI Service Agent role (roles/aiplatform.serviceAgent) to enable certain operations.
Consider additional predefined roles as needed:
Vertex AI Platform Express Admin
Vertex AI Platform Express User
Vertex AI Migration Service User
(Screenshot suggestion: IAM console showing role assignments)
Cross-Project Resource Access:
For BigQuery tables in different projects, assign the BigQuery Data Viewer role.
For Cloud Storage buckets in different projects, assign the Storage Object Viewer role.
For external data sources, refer to the .
Vertex AI supports eight regions. Select a region that meets your latency, compliance, and capacity needs. Examples include:
us-east5 (Columbus, Ohio)
us-east1 (South Carolina)
us-east4 (Northern Virginia)
us-central1 (Iowa)
us-west1 (The Dalles, Oregon)
us-west4 (Las Vegas, Nevada)
europe-west1 (Belgium)
asia-southeast1 (Singapore)
(Screenshot suggestion: List or map of supported regions in the Vertex AI dashboard)
Open Vertex AI Model Garden: In the Cloud Console, navigate to Vertex AI → Model Garden.
Enable Claude 3.5 Sonnet v2: Locate the model card for Claude 3.5 Sonnet v2 and click Enable.
(Screenshot suggestion: Model Garden showing the Claude 3.5 Sonnet v2 model card with the Enable button)
Install the Cline Extension:
Open VS Code.
Navigate to the Extensions Marketplace (Ctrl+Shift+X or Cmd+Shift+X).
Search for Cline and install the extension.
Open Cline Settings: Click the settings ⚙️ icon within the Cline extension.
Set API Provider: Choose GCP Vertex AI from the API Provider dropdown.
Enter Your Google Cloud Project ID: Provide the project ID you set up earlier.
Select the Region:
Choose one of the supported regions (e.g., us-east5).
Select the Model: From the available list, choose Claude 3.5 Sonnet v2.
Save and Test: Save your settings and test by sending a simple prompt (e.g., “Generate a Python function to check if a number is prime.”).
(Screenshot suggestion: Cline settings showing project ID, region, and model selection)
Initialize and Authenticate:
This sets up Application Default Credentials (ADC) using your Google account.
(Screenshot suggestion: Terminal output for successful gcloud auth application-default login)
Restart VS Code: Ensure VS Code is restarted so that the Cline extension picks up the new credentials.
Create a Service Account:
In the GCP Console, navigate to IAM & Admin > Service Accounts.
Create a new service account (e.g., “vertex-ai-client”).
Assign Roles:
Attach Vertex AI User (roles/aiplatform.user).
Attach Vertex AI Service Agent (roles/aiplatform.serviceAgent).
Optionally, add other roles as required.
(Screenshot suggestion: Creating a service account with role assignments)
Generate a JSON Key:
In the Service Accounts section, manage keys for your service account and download the JSON key.
Set the Environment Variable:
This instructs Google Cloud client libraries (and Cline) to use this key.
(Screenshot suggestion: Terminal showing the export command)
Restart VS Code:
Launch VS Code from a terminal where the GOOGLE_APPLICATION_CREDENTIALS variable is set.
Principle of Least Privilege: Only grant the minimum necessary permissions. Custom roles can offer finer control compared to broad predefined roles.
Project vs. Resource-Level Access: Access can be managed at both levels. Note that resource-level permissions (e.g., for BigQuery or Cloud Storage) add to, but do not override, project-level policies.
Model Observability Dashboard:
In the Vertex AI Console, navigate to the Model Observability dashboard.
Monitor metrics such as request throughput, latency, and error rates (including 429 quota errors).
(Screenshot suggestion: Model Observability dashboard with error metrics highlighted)
Quota Management:
If you encounter 429 errors, check the IAM & Admin > Quotas page.
Service Agents: Be aware of the different service agents:
Vertex AI Service Agent
Vertex AI RAG Data Service Agent
Vertex AI Custom Code Service Agent
Vertex AI Extension Service Agent
Cross-Project Access: For resources in other projects (e.g., BigQuery, Cloud Storage), ensure that the appropriate roles (BigQuery Data Viewer, Storage Object Viewer) are assigned.
By following these steps, your enterprise team can securely integrate GCP Vertex AI with the Cline VS Code extension to harness the power of Claude 3.5 Sonnet v2:
Prepare Your GCP Environment: Create or use a project, configure IAM with least privilege, and ensure necessary roles (including the Vertex AI Service Agent role) are attached.
Verify Regional and Model Access: Confirm that your chosen region supports Claude 3.5 Sonnet v2 and that the model is enabled.
Configure Cline in VS Code: Install Cline, enter your project ID, select the appropriate region, and choose the model.
Set Up Authentication:
Use either user credentials (via gcloud auth application-default login) or a service account with a JSON key.
Implement Security and Monitoring: Adhere to best practices for IAM, manage resource access carefully, and monitor usage with the Model Observability dashboard.
This guide will be updated as GCP Vertex AI and Cline evolve. Always refer to the latest documentation for current practices.
Download VS Code: .
Install the Google Cloud CLI: Follow the .
Best Practices: Refer to .
Request a quota increase if necessary. .
For further details, please consult the and your internal security policies. Happy coding!
