- Home
- IT Automation Software
- Google Cloud VM Manager
Google Cloud VM Manager
What it is
Google Cloud VM Manager manages operating systems across large fleets of Windows and Linux virtual machines running on Compute Engine. It automates maintenance through patch management, OS inventory, and OS policies. Patch jobs apply updates on demand or on schedules, report patch compliance, and can include selected approvals and scripts before or after patching. OS inventory collects hostnames, OS and kernel versions, installed packages, available updates, Windows applications, and OS vulnerabilities. OS policies centralize and automate software configuration deployment, maintenance, and reporting. Teams can manage VM Manager through the Google Cloud console, Google Cloud CLI, or OS Config API; Terraform can extend its scope across projects. Patch jobs run only on VMs in one Google Cloud project at a time, though compliance information can be viewed across projects. It supports Windows Server and several Linux distributions. The listed price is $0.003 per hour per VM with an active OS Config agent after the free tier; 100 VMs per Cloud Billing account per month are free. Limited functionality mode is available at no cost for unlimited VMs.
For and against
For
- On-demand and scheduled patch jobs
- Patch compliance reporting
- Inventory includes packages, updates, and vulnerabilities
- OS policies automate software configuration
- Can be managed through console, CLI, or API
Against
- Only English-locale operating systems are supported
- Patch jobs are limited to one project
- IAM job permissions can allow code execution on VMs
The verdict
VM Manager brings patching, inventory, and software policy controls together for Compute Engine fleets. Check locale requirements, project boundaries, and the permissions needed to create jobs before adopting it.
Who it suits
VM Manager suits teams maintaining Windows or Linux VM fleets on Compute Engine that need patching, inventory, or software configuration policies. Its IAM permissions and single-project patch-job scope are relevant considerations for administrators.
Plans and prices
Free tier
100 VMs monthly usage · limited functionality mode is free for unlimited VMs
Read 15 Oct 2026 · cloud.google.com
Usage-based VM Manager
Charged for each VM with an active OS Config agent · 100-VM monthly allowance per billing account
Read 15 Oct 2026 · cloud.google.com
VM Manager
100 VMs per Cloud Billing account per month free · limited functionality mode has a subset of features at no cost for unlimited VMs
Read 7 Oct 2026 · cloud.google.com
On the record
- Access control
- Creating patch jobs or OS policy assignments requires IAM permissions that Google says can grant the ability to run code on VMs; Google recommends least privilege.docs.cloud.google.com · read 7 Oct 2026
- Agent requirement
- Using VM Manager requires the OS Config API and an active OS Config agent on managed VMs.docs.cloud.google.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Automation
- Google says VM Manager uses automation to improve efficiency and reduce the operational burden of maintaining VM fleets.docs.cloud.google.com · read 7 Oct 2026
- Company founding
- Gartner Peer Insights lists Google as founded in 1998 and headquartered in Mountain View, California.gartner.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Company headquarters and size
- LinkedIn lists Google as a public software-development company headquartered in Mountain View, California, with 10,001-plus employees.uk.linkedin.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Company legal name
- Crunchbase identifies the maker's legal name as Google LLC and lists it as a subsidiary of Alphabet.crunchbase.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Compliance
- Google Cloud lists auditor-validated offerings including ISO 27001, ISO 27017, ISO 27018, SOC 1, SOC 2, SOC 3, PCI DSS, FedRAMP, and HIPAA-related resources.cloud.google.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Cross-project limitation
- Patch jobs run only on VMs within one Google Cloud project, although compliance data can be viewed across projects.docs.cloud.google.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Data retention
- OS inventory and vulnerability report data remains until the VM is deleted, but is deleted if the OS Config agent stops reporting for a few days.docs.cloud.google.com · read 7 Oct 2026
- Documentation depth
- The documentation includes overview, setup, operating-system details, patch guides, policy guides, troubleshooting, API reference links, Terraform guides, quotas, and release-note links.docs.cloud.google.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Feature: OS inventory
- The OS Config agent collects operating-system inventory that can be reviewed and queried through Google Cloud tooling.docs.cloud.google.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Feature: OS policies
- OS policies install, remove, and automatically update software packages while maintaining a declared VM state.docs.cloud.google.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Feature: Patch compliance
- Patch compliance reporting compares VM inventory with distribution vulnerability data and shows update severity in the Cloud console.docs.cloud.google.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Feature: Patch deployment
- Patch schedules on-demand, one-time, or recurring patch jobs across selected VM instances.docs.cloud.google.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Integrations
- VM Manager works with the Google Cloud console, Google Cloud CLI, direct OS Config API calls, and Terraform resources.docs.cloud.google.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- License evidence
- The GoogleCloudPlatform/osconfig repository is marked Apache-2.0 licensed; this covers the repository contents and does not state that the hosted VM Manager service is open source.github.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Limitations
- VM Manager supports only operating systems configured with an English locale; a non-English locale can cause the OS Config agent and VM Manager features to fail.docs.cloud.google.com · read 7 Oct 2026
- Limited functionality mode
- Free limited mode allows viewing OS policy assignments for unlimited VMs but prevents creating OS policy assignments or patch jobs.cloud.google.com · read 15 Oct 2026
