The article discusses the deployment of a Next.js static website on Google Cloud Platform (GCP) using Pulumi for infrastructure as code.
The author covers setting up the development environment with Node.js, npm, Pulumi CLI, and Google Cloud SDK.
Next.js was chosen for features like static site generation, performance optimization, developer experience, and scalability.
Pulumi was selected for native language support, immutable infrastructure, CI/CD integration, state management, and multi-cloud support.
Prerequisites include Node.js, npm, Google Cloud Platform account, Pulumi CLI, Google Cloud SDK, and a code editor.
The process involves creating a Next.js project, configuring it for static export, setting up Pulumi, and writing the infrastructure code.
Deployment to Google Cloud involves creating a storage bucket, defining infrastructure components, and deploying with Pulumi commands.
Optional steps include setting up a custom domain, implementing CI/CD with GitHub Actions, and performance optimization techniques.
Monitoring and maintenance suggestions include Google Cloud Monitoring setup, logging, and maintenance tasks for the deployed site.
Lessons learned and best practices cover infrastructure as code, security, performance, maintainability, cost optimization, and potential future enhancements.
The article concludes by highlighting the journey from setting up a Next.js project to a fully deployed static website using Pulumi, providing a strong foundation for high-performance and secure deployment.