# How do I add local node to head node on GCP

**URL:** <https://discuss.ray.io/t/how-do-i-add-local-node-to-head-node-on-gcp/3832>\
**Category:** Ray Clusters\
**Created:** [October 15, 2021, 4:11pm UTC](https://discuss.ray.io/t/how-do-i-add-local-node-to-head-node-on-gcp/3832 "2021-10-15T16:11:41Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![denmarc](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/discuss.ray.io/denmarc/32/6529_2.png) [@denmarc](https://discuss.ray.io/u/denmarc)\
**Post date:** [October 15, 2021, 4:11pm UTC](https://discuss.ray.io/t/how-do-i-add-local-node-to-head-node-on-gcp/3832/1 "2021-10-15T16:11:41Z")

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I set up a GCP instance to serve as the head node/cluster coordinator to execute ray tasks. The idea was to use local PCs scattered throughout the world 🙂 as worker nodes. After starting the head note (regular `ray start --head`), I try to add my local PC with `ray.init(address=<external_ip_of_gcp_instance>:6379, _redis_password=<password>)`, but the process hangs indefinitely at `-- Connecting to existing Ray cluster at address: <external_ip_of_gcp_instance>:6379`. I tracked that the code gets stuck around `global_state.get_node_to_connect_for_driver(node_ip_address)` (line 286 of `services.py`). I did forward ports alright from the instance (inwards, TCP 6379). The same happens both on Windows and Linux.

I did also try to tunnel the [\<internal\_ip\_of\_gcp\_instance\>:]6379 port through ssh, passing then `localhost:6379` as the address, but then I got `redis.exceptions.ConnectionError: Error 10061`.

If I do the same things to ports 8265 and 10001, I can access the dashboard and the client service either from the external\_ip and from the ssh tunnel through localhost. It seems the issue is somehow related to the Redis server setup.

Any help to make this work would be much appreciated.