Google Cloud Platform (GCP)
Learn how to connect Google Cloud Platform to Pelanor, for automatic billing data ingestion.
Pelanor provides multiple ways to ingest Google Cloud Platform (GCP) billing and metadata, so you—and your customers—can analyse spend in one place. This guide explains the options, recommends a workflow for managed-service providers (MSPs) handling multiple tenants, and reviews the integration’s architecture and required permissions.
Glossary
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Billing Account | GCP account that receives and pays charges |
| Project | GCP organisational unit that owns resources |
| Workspace | Pelanor environment for a customer or team |
| BigQuery Export | Billing data sent to BigQuery for analysis |
| Metadata | Service-specific data beyond the billing export (API calls, logs, etc.) |
Integration Components
- Billing Integration – connects to the BigQuery export and surfaces cost by project, SKU, etc. (billing-account level)
- Metadata Integration – pulls extra service data (e.g., BigQuery job IDs) for deep dives (project level)
Prerequisites
- GCP Console admin access to the billing account / projects
- A BigQuery billing export configured with:
- Hourly granularity
- Detailed usage enabled
- Resources & tags included
Haven’t set up a billing export yet? Follow Google’s guide
https://cloud.google.com/billing/docs/how-to/export-data-bigquery
Integration Options
Option 1 – Automatic Billing Account Integration
Best for: seeing cost and metadata for all projects with minimal setup.
- Billing integration at the billing-account level
- Automatic metadata integration for every project on that billing account
Option 2 – Manual Billing Account Integration
Best for: cost for every project but metadata only for selected ones.
- Billing integration at the billing-account level
- Selective metadata integration for specific projects (configured manually)
Option 3 – List of Projects Integration
Best for: adding metadata to extra projects when billing is already integrated.
- Metadata-only integration for specified projects
- No new billing integration (assumes billing already exists)
Recommended Workflow for MSPs
Initial setup (one-time)
Integrate the shared billing account with Option 1 or Option 2.
For each new customer
- Create a Workspace in Pelanor
- Link the customer’s projects to that workspace
- Invite customer users (they’ll see billing data immediately)
- If needed, use Option 3 to add project-level metadata
Important: Complete the billing integration (Option 1 or 2) before creating customer Workspaces—otherwise cost data won’t populate.
Choosing the Right Option
| Scenario | Use | Benefits | Limitations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Need cost & metadata for all projects quickly | Option 1 | Single setup, full coverage | May grant more access than necessary |
| Need cost for every project but metadata for a subset | Option 2 | Balanced, selective metadata | Manual project selection |
| Billing already integrated; add metadata for extra projects | Option 3 | Quick add-on | Requires existing billing integration |
| Onboard a new MSP customer (billing already integrated) | Option 3 | Keeps customers separate | Must update if projects change |
Validating Your Integration
Confirm billing data appears
Check the Dashboards page in Pelanor after ~4–6 hours.
Check service metadata
Drill into services—metadata should appear within 24–48 hours.
Architecture & Permissions
Directly-Attached Permissions
Pelanor requests the minimum practical IAM permissions. You may reduce them—affected insights will simply be disabled.
| Permission | Purpose |
|---|---|
bigquery.datasets.get | Access billing datasets |
bigquery.jobs.create | Run cost-report queries |
bigquery.jobs.get | Retrieve query details |
bigquery.jobs.list | Build usage trends |
bigquery.jobs.listAll | Analyse jobs across projects |
bigquery.tables.get | Read table metadata |
bigquery.tables.list | Inventory tables |
cloudsql.instances.list | CloudSQL cost insights |
compute.instances.list | Map workloads to instances |
compute.networks.list | Analyse network configs |
compute.regions.list | Regional cost breakdowns |
compute.routers.get | Routing-cost analysis |
compute.routers.list | Inventory routers |
compute.routes.list | Traffic route mapping |
container.clusters.list | Discover GKE clusters |
container.nodes.list | Node-level allocation |
resourcemanager.projects.get | Discover projects |
resourcemanager.projects.getIamPolicy | Cross-project IAM analysis |
billing.resourceAssociations.list | Map resources to billing accounts |
Billing Export Requirements
To enable full visibility in Pelanor, your BigQuery export must be configured with:
- Hourly granularity
- Extended details enabled
- Cost-allocation tags enabled
These settings ensure accurate, granular insights in Pelanor.