Enable deletion protection for an existing VM without stopping the VM.

## Explore further


For detailed documentation that includes this code sample, see the following:

- [Prevent accidental VM deletion](https://docs.cloud.google.com/compute/docs/instances/preventing-accidental-vm-deletion)

## Code sample

### Go


Before trying this sample, follow the Go setup instructions in the
[Compute Engine quickstart using
client libraries](https://docs.cloud.google.com/compute/docs/api/using-libraries).


For more information, see the
[Compute Engine Go API
reference documentation](https://docs.cloud.google.com/go/docs/reference/cloud.google.com/go/compute/latest/apiv1).


To authenticate to Compute Engine, set up Application Default Credentials.
For more information, see

[Set up authentication for a local development environment](https://docs.cloud.google.com/docs/authentication/set-up-adc-local-dev-environment).

    import (
    	"context"
    	"fmt"
    	"io"

    	compute "cloud.google.com/go/compute/apiv1"
    	computepb "cloud.google.com/go/compute/apiv1/computepb"
    	"google.golang.org/protobuf/proto"
    )

    // setDeleteProtection updates the delete protection setting of given instance.
    func setDeleteProtection(w io.Writer, projectID, zone, instanceName string, deleteProtection bool) error {
    	// projectID := "your_project_id"
    	// zone := "europe-central2-b"
    	// instanceName := "your_instance_name"
    	// deleteProtection := true

    	ctx := context.Background()
    	instancesClient, err := compute.https://docs.cloud.google.com/go/docs/reference/cloud.google.com/go/compute/latest/apiv1.html#cloud_google_com_go_compute_apiv1_InstancesClient_NewInstancesRESTClient(ctx)
    	if err != nil {
    		return fmt.Errorf("NewInstancesRESTClient: %w", err)
    	}
    	defer instancesClient.Close()

    	req := &computepb.SetDeletionProtectionInstanceRequest{
    		Project:            projectID,
    		Zone:               zone,
    		Resource:           instanceName,
    		DeletionProtection: proto.Bool(deleteProtection),
    	}

    	op, err := instancesClient.SetDeletionProtection(ctx, req)
    	if err != nil {
    		return fmt.Errorf("unable to set deletion protection: %w", err)
    	}

    	if err = op.Wait(ctx); err != nil {
    		return fmt.Errorf("unable to wait for the operation: %w", err)
    	}

    	fmt.Fprintf(w, "Instance updated\n")

    	return nil
    }

### Java


Before trying this sample, follow the Java setup instructions in the
[Compute Engine quickstart using
client libraries](https://docs.cloud.google.com/compute/docs/api/using-libraries).


For more information, see the
[Compute Engine Java API
reference documentation](https://docs.cloud.google.com/java/docs/reference/google-cloud-compute/latest/overview).


To authenticate to Compute Engine, set up Application Default Credentials.
For more information, see

[Set up authentication for a local development environment](https://docs.cloud.google.com/docs/authentication/set-up-adc-local-dev-environment).


    import com.google.cloud.compute.v1.https://docs.cloud.google.com/java/docs/reference/google-cloud-compute/latest/com.google.cloud.compute.v1.InstancesClient.html;
    import com.google.cloud.compute.v1.https://docs.cloud.google.com/java/docs/reference/google-cloud-compute/latest/com.google.cloud.compute.v1.SetDeletionProtectionInstanceRequest.html;
    import java.io.IOException;
    import java.util.concurrent.ExecutionException;
    import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
    import java.util.concurrent.TimeoutException;

    public class SetDeleteProtection {

      public static void main(String[] args)
          throws IOException, ExecutionException, InterruptedException, TimeoutException {
        // TODO(developer): Replace these variables before running the sample.
        // project: project ID or project number of the Cloud project you want to use.
        // zone: name of the zone you want to use. For example: "us-west3-b"
        // instanceName: name of the new virtual machine.
        // deleteProtection: boolean value indicating if the new virtual machine should be
        // protected against deletion or not.
        String projectId = "your-project-id-or-number";
        String zone = "zone-name";
        String instanceName = "instance-name";
        boolean deleteProtection = true;
        setDeleteProtection(projectId, zone, instanceName, deleteProtection);
      }

      // Updates the "Delete Protection" setting of given instance.
      public static void setDeleteProtection(String projectId, String zone,
          String instanceName, boolean deleteProtection)
          throws IOException, ExecutionException, InterruptedException, TimeoutException {

        try (Insthttps://docs.cloud.google.com/java/docs/reference/google-cloud-compute/latest/com.google.cloud.compute.v1.InstancesClient.htmltancesClient = Insthttps://docs.cloud.google.com/java/docs/reference/google-cloud-compute/latest/com.google.cloud.compute.v1.InstancesClient.htmlate()) {

          SetDhttps://docs.cloud.google.com/java/docs/reference/google-cloud-compute/latest/com.google.cloud.compute.v1.SetDeletionProtectionInstanceRequest.htmluest =
              SetDhttps://docs.cloud.google.com/java/docs/reference/google-cloud-compute/latest/com.google.cloud.compute.v1.SetDeletionProtectionInstanceRequest.htmlBuilder()
                  .setProject(projectId)
                  .setZone(zone)
                  .setResource(instanceName)
                  .setDeletionProtection(deleteProtection)
                  .build();

          instancesClient.setDhttps://docs.cloud.google.com/java/docs/reference/google-cloud-compute/latest/com.google.cloud.compute.v1.InstancesClient.html#com_google_cloud_compute_v1_InstancesClient_setDeletionProtectionAsync_com_google_cloud_compute_v1_SetDeletionProtectionInstanceRequest_uest).get(3, TimeUnit.MINUTES);
          ;
          // Retrieve the updated setting from the instance.
          System.out.printf("Updated Delete Protection setting: %s",
              instancesClient.get(projectId, zone, instanceName).getDeletionProtection());
        }
      }
    }

### Node.js


Before trying this sample, follow the Node.js setup instructions in the
[Compute Engine quickstart using
client libraries](https://docs.cloud.google.com/compute/docs/api/using-libraries).


For more information, see the
[Compute Engine Node.js API
reference documentation](https://docs.cloud.google.com/nodejs/docs/reference/compute/latest).


To authenticate to Compute Engine, set up Application Default Credentials.
For more information, see

[Set up authentication for a local development environment](https://docs.cloud.google.com/docs/authentication/set-up-adc-local-dev-environment).

    /**
     * TODO(developer): Uncomment and replace these variables before running the sample.
     */
    // const projectId = 'YOUR_PROJECT_ID';
    // const zone = 'europe-central2-b';
    // const instanceName = 'YOUR_INSTANCE_NAME';
    // const deleteProtection = True;

    const compute = require('https://docs.cloud.google.com/nodejs/docs/reference/compute/latest/overview.html');

    // Update the delete protection setting of given instance.
    async function setDeleteProtection() {
      const instancesClient = new compute.https://docs.cloud.google.com/nodejs/docs/reference/compute/latest/overview.html();

      const [response] = await instancesClient.setDeletionProtection({
        project: projectId,
        zone,
        // Set the delete protection bit.
        deletionProtection: deleteProtection,
        resource: instanceName,
      });
      let operation = response.latestResponse;
      const operationsClient = new compute.https://docs.cloud.google.com/nodejs/docs/reference/compute/latest/overview.html();

      // Wait for the create operation to complete.
      while (operation.status !== 'DONE') {
        [operation] = await operationsClient.wait({
          operation: operation.name,
          project: projectId,
          zone: operation.zone.split('/').pop(),
        });
      }

      console.log('Instance updated.');
    }

    setDeleteProtection();

### Python


Before trying this sample, follow the Python setup instructions in the
[Compute Engine quickstart using
client libraries](https://docs.cloud.google.com/compute/docs/api/using-libraries).


For more information, see the
[Compute Engine Python API
reference documentation](https://docs.cloud.google.com/python/docs/reference/compute/latest).


To authenticate to Compute Engine, set up Application Default Credentials.
For more information, see

[Set up authentication for a local development environment](https://docs.cloud.google.com/docs/authentication/set-up-adc-local-dev-environment).

    from __future__ import annotations

    import sys
    from typing import Any

    from google.api_core.extended_operation import ExtendedOperation
    from google.cloud import https://docs.cloud.google.com/python/docs/reference/compute/latest


    def wait_for_extended_operation(
        operation: ExtendedOperation, verbose_name: str = "operation", timeout: int = 300
    ) -> Any:
        """
        Waits for the extended (long-running) operation to complete.

        If the operation is successful, it will return its result.
        If the operation ends with an error, an exception will be raised.
        If there were any warnings during the execution of the operation
        they will be printed to sys.stderr.

        Args:
            operation: a long-running operation you want to wait on.
            verbose_name: (optional) a more verbose name of the operation,
                used only during error and warning reporting.
            timeout: how long (in seconds) to wait for operation to finish.
                If None, wait indefinitely.

        Returns:
            Whatever the operation.result() returns.

        Raises:
            This method will raise the exception received from `operation.exception()`
            or RuntimeError if there is no exception set, but there is an `error_code`
            set for the `operation`.

            In case of an operation taking longer than `timeout` seconds to complete,
            a `concurrent.futures.TimeoutError` will be raised.
        """
        result = operation.result(timeout=timeout)

        if operation.error_code:
            print(
                f"Error during {verbose_name}: [Code: {operation.error_code}]: {operation.error_message}",
                file=sys.stderr,
                flush=True,
            )
            print(f"Operation ID: {operation.name}", file=sys.stderr, flush=True)
            raise operation.exception() or RuntimeError(operation.error_message)

        if operation.warnings:
            print(f"Warnings during {verbose_name}:\n", file=sys.stderr, flush=True)
            for warning in operation.warnings:
                print(f" - {warning.code}: {warning.message}", file=sys.stderr, flush=True)

        return result


    def set_delete_protection(
        project_id: str, zone: str, instance_name: str, delete_protection: bool
    ) -> None:
        """
        Updates the delete protection setting of given instance.
        Args:
            project_id: project ID or project number of the Cloud project you want to use.
            zone: name of the zone you want to use. For example: "us-west3-b"
            instance_name: name of the instance to update.
            delete_protection: boolean value indicating if the virtual machine should be
                protected against deletion or not.
        """
        instance_client = comphttps://docs.cloud.google.com/python/docs/reference/compute/latestthttps://docs.cloud.google.com/python/docs/reference/compute/latest/google.cloud.compute_v1.services.instances.InstancesClient.html    request = comphttps://docs.cloud.google.com/python/docs/reference/compute/latestDhttps://docs.cloud.google.com/python/docs/reference/compute/latest/google.cloud.compute_v1.types.SetDeletionProtectionInstanceRequest.html   request.project = project_id
        request.zone = zone
        request.resource = instance_name
        request.deletion_protection = delete_protection

        operation = instinstance_client.https://docs.cloud.google.com/python/docs/reference/compute/latest/google.cloud.compute_v1.services.instances.InstancesClient.html#google_cloud_compute_v1_services_instances_InstancesClient_set_deletion_protectionuest)
        wait_for_extended_operation(operation, "changing delete protection setting")

## What's next


To search and filter code samples for other Google Cloud products, see the
[Google Cloud sample browser](https://docs.cloud.google.com/docs/samples?product=computeengine).