To remove or delete a protected instance in Google Cloud Platform (GCP), you can follow these steps:
- Open the Google Cloud Console: Go to https://console.cloud.google.com/ and sign in with your GCP account.
- Navigate to the Compute Engine section: From the Console dashboard, select “Compute Engine” from the left-hand side menu. This will display a list of your instances.
- Identify the protected instance: Locate the protected instance you want to remove from the list. Protected instances usually have a lock icon next to their name.
- Disable protection for the instance: In order to delete a protected instance, you need to first disable the protection. To do this, select the protected instance from the list by clicking on its name. This will open the instance details page.
- Disable deletion protection: On the instance details page, scroll down to the “Deletion Protection” section and click on the “Edit” button. Uncheck the box that says “Enable deletion protection” and click “Save” to disable deletion protection for the instance.
- Delete the instance: Once deletion protection has been disabled, you can proceed with deleting the instance. On the instance details page, click on the “Delete” button located at the top of the page. Confirm the deletion when prompted.
- Verify deletion: After initiating the deletion, the instance will be scheduled for deletion. It may take a few moments to complete the process. You can monitor the progress in the “Operations” section of the Compute Engine menu.
Please note that removing a instance will permanently delete the instance and its associated data. Make sure you have a backup or have exported any necessary data before proceeding with the deletion.