Item: Google Cloud SQL
Rating: 9
Author: Verified User

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

I used Google Cloud SQL in my previous organization to be database of apps that we developed such as safety management system in mining, workflow management system developed in-house, supplier management system, microservices for various apps in subsidiary company e.g. insurtech, crypto, media, fintech, and many others. At that time, I found no issue using Google Cloud SQL.

Pros and Cons

Autoscaling storage
Ease of use to scale up vertically when needed
High availability database

If storage that has been auto-scaled, it would be great if it can be shrunk to reduced cost
Auto sizing in Google Cloud SQL without downtime

Return on Investment

No need to apply security patch of server running the Google Cloud SQL
Minor database upgrade using a simple click
Major database upgrade using a simple click after testing
Automated backup reduce people effort and time to do DB backup
Great monitoring allows us visibility to optimize database

Usability

It's a great product with ease of use, great scalability and high availability. There's no need to have high effort on administration. Great visibility to what happens on database like CPU, memory, IO. We can also see the performance based on query. Overall good experience and really recommend it to others.

Ease of Integration

Very easy to integrate because it is same as your hosted SQL (apps can use ORM library or direct SQL query to connect). We just need to make sure we connect securely using TLS if using public IP or if we host the app also in GCP, we can connect using private connectivity.

Alternatives Considered

Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS) and Alibaba Cloud ApsaraDB

Actually Google Cloud SQL is similar to them, the difference is which engine each supports e.g. there's no managed Oracle DB in Google Cloud SQL but as long as you don't need Oracle, Google Cloud SQL should suffice and give you great user experience and performance. You also have lots of choices in the storage that you'd like to use.

Key Insights

Do you think Google Cloud SQL delivers good value for the price?

Yes

Are you happy with Google Cloud SQL's feature set?

Yes

Did Google Cloud SQL live up to sales and marketing promises?

Yes

Did implementation of Google Cloud SQL go as expected?

Yes

Would you buy Google Cloud SQL again?

Yes

Other Software Used

Google Compute Engine, Google Kubernetes Engine, Google Cloud Functions

Likelihood to Recommend

It is suited for application that requires relational database where relationship between table must be strict and database has to support join and transaction e.g. if a DML statement fails within a transaction the previously successful statement must be rolled-back, like finance app, supply chain, transaction app, etc.

It is not suited for application where data definition can't be defined in advance like NoSQL. And also not suited to contain cache for apps and receiving big amount of data (e.g. sensor) in short time.

Google Cloud SQL - Great Database for Your App

Overall Satisfaction with Google Cloud SQL