Cloud SQL Basics

Cloud SQL is a fully managed relational database service for MySQL, PostgreSQL,
and SQL Server. It automates time-consuming tasks like patches, updates,
backups, and replicas, while providing high performance and availability for
your applications.

Prerequisites

Ensure you have the necessary IAM permissions to create and manage Cloud SQL
instances. The Cloud SQL Admin (roles/cloudsql.admin) role provides full
access to Cloud SQL resources.

Quick Start (PostgreSQL)

1. Enable the API:

   bash gcloud services enable sqladmin.googleapis.com --quiet

2. Create an Instance:

   bash gcloud sql instances create INSTANCE_NAME \ --database-version=POSTGRES_18 \ --cpu=2 \ --memory=7680MiB \ --region=REGION \ --quiet

3. Set a password for the default user:

   Because this is a Cloud SQL for PostgreSQL instance, the default admin user
   is postgres:

   bash gcloud sql users set-password postgres \ --instance=INSTANCE_NAME --password=PASSWORD \ --quiet

4. Create a database:

   bash gcloud sql databases create DATABASE_NAME \ --instance=INSTANCE_NAME \ --quiet

5. Get the instance connection name:

   You need the instance connection name (which is formatted as
   PROJECT_ID:REGION:INSTANCE_NAME) to connect using the Cloud SQL Auth
   Proxy. Retrieve it with the following command:

   bash gcloud sql instances describe INSTANCE_NAME \ --format="value(connectionName)" \ --quiet

6. Connect to the instance:

   The Cloud SQL Auth Proxy must be running to be able to connect to the
   instance. In a separate terminal, start the proxy using the connection name:

   bash ./cloud-sql-proxy INSTANCE_CONNECTION_NAME

   With the proxy running, connect using psql in another terminal:

   bash psql "host=127.0.0.1 port=5432 user=postgres dbname=DATABASE_NAME password=PASSWORD sslmode=disable"

Reference Directory

• Core Concepts: Cloud SQL editions (Enterprise
  & Enterprise Plus), instance architecture, read pools, high availability (HA),
  and supported database engines.

• CLI Usage: Essential gcloud sql commands for
  instance, database, and user management.

• Client Libraries & Connectors:
  Connecting to Cloud SQL using Python, Java, Node.js, and Go.

• MCP Usage: Using the Cloud SQL remote MCP
  server and Gemini CLI extension.

• Infrastructure as Code: Terraform
  configuration for instances, databases, and users.

• IAM & Security: Predefined roles, SSL/TLS
  certificates, and Auth Proxy configuration.

• Disaster Recovery & Backups: Backup types,
  Point-in-Time Recovery (PITR), replicas, read pools comparison, and Enterprise Plus Advanced DR.

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