About the Book
Master FinOps principles and tools on Google Cloud Platform. Learn to monitor, control, and optimize cloud costs through hands-on strategies, real-world use cases, and GCP-native solutions and frameworks.
Key Features
- Learn FinOps tailored for GCP, from cost allocation and budgeting to cost governance and value realization.
- Optimize GCP spend, align engineering with finance, and support business efficiency.
- Through real-world use cases, hands-on tutorials, and tool-driven workflows using GCP-native services.
Book DescriptionGoogle Cloud Platform (GCP) offers unparalleled scalability, but controlling costs is critical. FinOps on GCP is your practical guide to managing and optimizing cloud spend while maximizing business value. Designed for cloud architects, FinOps professionals, and platform engineers, this book covers key FinOps principles and how they are implemented specifically in the GCP ecosystem.
Starting with the foundations of FinOps and cloud economics, you’ll explore GCP’s billing structure, pricing models, and cost optimization strategies. You’ll learn to create budgets, monitor usage with BigQuery and Looker Studio, and use tools like the Google Cloud FinOps hub to surface actionable savings opportunities. You’ll also develop automation for reporting, implement quota guardrails, and drive accountability across teams.
Packed with hands-on labs and real-world scenarios, this book helps you establish a culture of cost transparency and financial accountability across engineering, finance, and operations for your multi-cloud environments.
By the end of this book, you’ll be equipped to build a mature, automated, and collaborative FinOps practice on GCP.
What you will learn
Apply FinOps principles to the Google Cloud environment.
Establish the FinOps operating model, define roles, and enable cross-functional collaboration.
Navigate GCP billing models, pricing, FOCUS specs, and cost allocation.
Set budgets, quotas, and alerts to manage spend proactively.
Analyze usage with BigQuery and visualize spend in Looker.
Automate reporting, forecasting, and communication using AI.
Optimize compute, storage, networking, and databases with FinOps Hub.
Enforce guardrails and foster a strong FinOps culture.
Who this book is forThis book is ideal for FinOps practitioners, cloud architects, platform engineers, and DevOps professionals who want to optimize cloud spend and implement financial accountability in Google Cloud environments. A working knowledge of GCP services, billing concepts, and basic cloud operations is assumed. Familiarity with tools like BigQuery and GCP IAM will be helpful but not mandatory.
Table of Contents:
Table of Contents- The Google Cloud FinOps Framework
- Cloud FinOps Operating Model
- Building the Cloud FinOps Function
- Managing your cloud bill throughout its lifecycle
- Allocating your costs using Resource hierarchy, tags and labels
- Understanding Cost Drivers using BigQuery Exports
- Leveraging FinOps hub to drive FinOps capabilities
- Optimizing Compute and Containers
- Optimizing Storage
- Optimizing Databases and Data Warehouses
- Optimizing Cloud Operations
- Cost Optimization Governance at Scale
- Implement Tagging at Scale
- Proactive Cost Controls with Policy as Code
- Building a multi-cloud FinOps solution with Looker
- Maximize AI Investments with Cloud FinOps
About the Author :
Eric is the Head of Cloud FinOps and AI Value Realization in the Google Cloud Consulting organization. A passionate and strategic leader, Eric has over 20 years of experience working with Fortune 100 customers and partners to transform global organizations leveraging Google Cloud technologies. In partnering with cross-functional business leaders to deliver on enterprise scale technology initiatives, Eric is recognized for helping clients create sustainable business outcomes, drive financial accountability, and accelerate value realization through AI & digital transformation. Eric is a graduate of Harvard University and Boston College with degrees in Information Management and Computer Science. Pathik Sharma is a Cost Optimization Leader in Google Cloud's FinOps Consulting Practice, specializing in helping organizations maximize their cloud investments. As FinOps rapidly transforms cloud technology, Pathik has guided over 100 clients, partners, and industry experts in developing and implementing effective cloud cost management solutions. His work spans the entire FinOps lifecycle, from establishing governance and fostering cost-conscious cultures to deploying advanced AI-powered tooling. A passionate advocate for open-source collaboration, Pathik actively contributes to the FinOps Foundation community through insightful case studies and easy-to-understand FinOps sketchnotes. Prior to Google, he served as a Technical Advisor at Amazon Web Services. Pathik holds an MS in Computer Science from Stony Brook University. When I'm not immersed in the world of cloud technology, I'm spending time with my wife Kejul and son Orion in New Jersey, exploring the depths as a scuba diver, or enjoying a game of pickleball. Connect with him on LinkedIn to learn more about Cloud FinOps. Bruce Warner is a seasoned leader at the intersection of IT and Finance, dedicated to helping organizations realize tangible value from their technology investments. A co-founder and Practice Lead for the Cloud FinOps and Office of the CFO practices within Google Cloud's Consulting business, Bruce collaborates with IT and Finance executives to build robust Cloud FinOps capabilities and optimize P&L outcomes through strategic cloud adoption. Prior to Google, Bruce headed the Americas Cloud Economics team at AWS, building upon 30 years of experience in financial services and asset management at HPE and IBM. Bruce holds a BSE in Biomechanical Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA in Finance from the University of Virginia's Darden School of Business. Bruce enjoys exploring new cuisines, traveling the world, and the ongoing pursuit of a respectable golf game in his free time.
