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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.
Learn more about GCP Vertex AI.

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.

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Step 1: Prepare Your GCP Environment

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1.1 Create or Use a GCP Project

  • Sign in to the GCP Console:
    Google Cloud Console
  • Select or Create a Project:
    Use an existing project or create a new one dedicated to Vertex AI.

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1.2 Set Up IAM Permissions and Service Accounts

  • 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

  • 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 GCP Vertex AI Access Control documentation

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Step 2: Verify Regional and Model Access

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2.1 Choose and Confirm a Region

Vertex AI supports multiple regions. Select a region that meets your latency, compliance, and capacity needs. Examples include:

  • us-east5 (Columbus, Ohio)
  • us-central1 (Iowa)
  • europe-west1 (Belgium)
  • europe-west4 (Netherlands)
  • asia-southeast1 (Singapore)
  • global (Global)

The Global endpoint may offer higher availability and reduce resource exhausted errors. Only Gemini models are supported.

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2.2 Enable the Claude 3.5 Sonnet v2 Model

  • 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

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Step 3: Configure the Cline VS Code Extension

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3.1 Install and Open Cline

  • Download VS Code:
    Download Visual Studio Code
  • 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

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3.2 Configure Cline Settings

  • 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.”)

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Step 4: Authentication and Credentials Setup

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Option A: Using Your Google Account (User Credentials)

  1. Install the Google Cloud CLI:
    Follow the installation guide

  2. Initialize and Authenticate:

    gcloud init
gcloud auth application-default login
    • This sets up Application Default Credentials (ADC) using your Google account

  3. Restart VS Code:
    Ensure VS Code is restarted so that the Cline extension picks up the new credentials

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Option B: Using a Service Account (JSON Key)

  1. Create a Service Account:

    • In the GCP Console, navigate to IAM & Admin > Service Accounts
    • Create a new service account (e.g., “vertex-ai-client”)

  2. Assign Roles:

    • Attach Vertex AI User (roles/aiplatform.user)
    • Attach Vertex AI Service Agent (roles/aiplatform.serviceAgent)
    • Optionally, add other roles as required

  3. Generate a JSON Key:

    • In the Service Accounts section, manage keys for your service account and download the JSON key

  4. Set the Environment Variable:

    export GOOGLE_APPLICATION_CREDENTIALS="/path/to/your/service-account-key.json"
    • This instructs Google Cloud client libraries (and Cline) to use this key

  5. Restart VS Code:
    Launch VS Code from a terminal where the GOOGLE_APPLICATION_CREDENTIALS variable is set

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Step 5: Security, Monitoring, and Best Practices

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5.1 Enforce Least Privilege

  • Principle of Least Privilege:
    Only grant the minimum necessary permissions. Custom roles can offer finer control compared to broad predefined roles
  • Best Practices:
    Refer to GCP IAM Best Practices

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5.2 Manage Resource Access

  • 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

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5.3 Monitor Usage and Quotas

  • 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)

  • Quota Management:

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5.4 Service Agents and Cross-Project Considerations

  • 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

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Conclusion

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

For further details, please consult the GCP Vertex AI Documentation and your internal security policies.
Happy coding!

This guide will be updated as GCP Vertex AI and Cline evolve. Always refer to the latest documentation for current practices.