# start_instance

Starts a Google Compute Engine virtual machine (VM) instance. Requires project, zone, and instance name as input. Proceed only if there is no error in response and the status of the operation is DONE without any errors. To get details of the operation, use the get_zone_operation tool.

Agent View of the PolicyLayer registry record for `start_instance`. HTML page: https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-compute-mcp/start-instance

## Facts

- Tool: `start_instance`
- Server: Mcp (`https://compute.googleapis.com/mcp`) — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-compute-mcp.md
- Homepage: https://github.com/https://compute.googleapis.com/mcp
- Risk category: Execute (High risk)
- Registry record: grade F, identity unverified
- Server auth posture: open
- Server rate-limited: no
- Parameters: 3 (3 required)
- Recommended policy verdict: Rate-limited

## Parameters

| Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `name` | string | yes | Required. Identifier. The instance name. |
| `zone` | string | yes | Required. The zone of the instance. |
| `project` | string | yes | Required. Project ID for this request. |

Parameters from the server's own tool schema.

## Example call (MCP tools/call, JSON-RPC 2.0)

```json
{
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "id": 1,
  "method": "tools/call",
  "params": {
    "name": "start_instance",
    "arguments": {
      "name": "<name>",
      "zone": "<zone>",
      "project": "<project>"
    }
  }
}
```

## Why start_instance is rated High

The tool executes an action (starting a VM instance) on external infrastructure. While not destructive (reversible via stop_instance), it meets the Execute category definition: 'runs code, shell commands, browser actions, or triggers external operations whose effects depend on arguments.' The high severity reflects that an agent could start numerous expensive compute resources, incurring unexpected costs and…

From the tool's own definition: "Tool description states it 'Starts a Google Compute Engine virtual machine (VM) instance' and requires project, zone, and instance name."

## Use case

AI agents invoke start_instance to trigger actions in Mcp. What it does depends on the arguments the agent supplies, and its effects often reach beyond the immediate call: builds kicked off, notifications sent, workflows started.

## Recommended policy (PolicyLayer)

Verdict: **Rate-limited**. Enforced by the PolicyLayer MCP gateway (https://policylayer.com/mcp-gateway) before a call reaches Mcp:

```json
{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "start_instance": {
      "limits": [
        {
          "counter": "start_instance_rate",
          "window": "minute",
          "max": 10,
          "scope": "grant"
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}
```

## Other tools on Mcp (28)

- `delete_instance` — Destructive — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-compute-mcp/delete-instance.md
- `reset_instance` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-compute-mcp/reset-instance.md
- `stop_instance` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-compute-mcp/stop-instance.md
- `get_commitment_basic_info` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-compute-mcp/get-commitment-basic-info.md
- `get_disk_basic_info` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-compute-mcp/get-disk-basic-info.md
- `get_disk_performance_config` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-compute-mcp/get-disk-performance-config.md
- `get_instance_basic_info` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-compute-mcp/get-instance-basic-info.md
- `get_instance_group_manager_basic_info` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-compute-mcp/get-instance-group-manager-basic-info.md
- `get_instance_template_basic_info` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-compute-mcp/get-instance-template-basic-info.md
- `get_instance_template_properties` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-compute-mcp/get-instance-template-properties.md
- `get_reservation_basic_info` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-compute-mcp/get-reservation-basic-info.md
- `get_reservation_details` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-compute-mcp/get-reservation-details.md
- `get_zone_operation` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-compute-mcp/get-zone-operation.md
- `list_accelerator_types` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-compute-mcp/list-accelerator-types.md
- `list_commitment_reservations` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-compute-mcp/list-commitment-reservations.md
- `list_commitments` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-compute-mcp/list-commitments.md
- `list_disks` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-compute-mcp/list-disks.md
- `list_images` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-compute-mcp/list-images.md
- `list_instance_attached_disks` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-compute-mcp/list-instance-attached-disks.md
- `list_instance_group_managers` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-compute-mcp/list-instance-group-managers.md
- `list_instance_templates` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-compute-mcp/list-instance-templates.md
- `list_instances` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-compute-mcp/list-instances.md
- `list_machine_types` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-compute-mcp/list-machine-types.md
- `list_managed_instances` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-compute-mcp/list-managed-instances.md
- `list_reservations` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-compute-mcp/list-reservations.md
- `list_snapshots` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-compute-mcp/list-snapshots.md
- `create_instance` — Write — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-compute-mcp/create-instance.md
- `set_instance_machine_type` — Write — https://policylayer.com/tools/com-googleapis-compute-mcp/set-instance-machine-type.md

## For agents

This record is a snapshot. Live verdicts and the full registry:

- Check every server in your MCP config at once: `npx -y policylayer stack`
- Vet a server before you add it: install the mcp-precheck skill — `npx skills add https://policylayer.com` (skill text: https://policylayer.com/skill.md)
- Query the registry over MCP: endpoint `https://api.policylayer.com/mcp` — tools `check_mcp_server`, `check_mcp_stack`, `check_tool`, `search_registry`, `get_change_events`

---

Source: the PolicyLayer MCP registry — one continuously verified record per MCP server. Full record: https://policylayer.com/registry?q=com-googleapis-compute-mcp · API: https://policylayer.com/registry/api · Policy library: https://policylayer.com/policies/com-googleapis-compute-mcp