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In the past decade, with the rise of cloud computing, the volume of data organizations are generating has increased tremendously. The technology landscape is changing rapidly as well, and businesses need to ensure they invest properly in modernizing their workloads to stay competitive.
A pivotal step in keeping up with the pace of modernization is the migration of on-premises production databases to cloud-based managed services. This process involves transferring data stored on local on-premises databases to cloud environments, thereby leveraging the full potential of cloud computing such as scalability, high availability, etc.
This article provides an overview of data migration and the benefits of migrating to Google Cloud SQL from on-premise databases. We will briefly touch on migration strategies, proper security, and some best practices while planning for migration.
Finally, we will delve into a detailed step-by-step guide on migrating a popular database to Google Cloud SQL, a fully managed platform as a service (PaaS) that allows users to run almost all popular relational databases, such as MySQL, PostgreSQL, and MS SQL Server.
While migrating on-premise databases to Cloud SQL may sound enticing, certain considerations and strategies need to be planned well in advance to avoid any last-minute surprises. In this section, we’ll take a look at some of the migration strategies and tools that can ensure your migration process remains uneventful.
Migration strategies revolve around “how the migration should happen,” with engineers choosing a strategy based on certain technical and functional factors. Some of the most common migration strategies are listed below.
This is a one-time migration where engineers move an on-premises database as-is to Google Cloud SQL with minimal mandatory changes. This approach is also called “rehosting.” While it is the quickest approach to migrate a database to the cloud, it is not often the best option, as cloud databases have much scope for optimizations versus traditional on-premises databases.
If you have a use case for immediate migration without a re-architecture, then this strategy is a good choice.
In this approach, engineers make some changes and optimizations to the on-premises database before migrating it to Google Cloud SQL. For instance, the database engine and optimized schema redesign may be a part of the exercise.
This involves a complete re-architecture of the existing database to leverage the benefits of cloud computing. Although there are benefits in the long run, this is an expensive and time-consuming process, and architects and engineers must work together to come up with a database or schema design optimized for cloud workloads.
This is a continuous migration strategy where migration is planned in multiple phases. The critical workloads are migrated in the beginning while the less critical workloads can then be migrated sequentially.
Also, it is possible to have an on-premises database replicate data to Cloud SQL for a while before completely migrating to the cloud. This approach allows ample time to thoroughly validate and test the system before pulling the plug on the on-premises database system.
Google offers several tools to help migrate your database to Google Cloud SQL. These solutions depend on the use case and other organizational requirements.
This is the most popular service for migrating databases to Cloud SQL. Using DMS, users can perform homogeneous migrations such as MySQL to Cloud SQL for MySQL as well as heterogeneous migrations such as PostgreSQL to Cloud SQL for MS SQL.
You will need an existing Google Cloud account to use DMS, as well as a Connection Profile to ensure both the source and destination databases are reachable.
Google provides tools to import or export data from any database that supports SQL. For example, you can export an SQL backup from your on-premises database and store it in Google Cloud Storage in an SQL file format.
Using the Cloud SQL import service, you can then import the SQL file into your chosen cloud database. This is usually recommended for easier and less complex migrations.
A plethora of SaaS applications exist to help users migrate workloads between on-premises and cloud. Companies such as Fivetran offer fully managed solutions with enhanced security and monitoring for transferring data between on-premises and Google Cloud SQL.
While migrating data between networks, data security and integrity are of the utmost importance. Below we cover some measures for safeguarding data while migrating databases.
Protecting users’ data—and thus ensuring business continuity—mandates data encryption. While Google Cloud SQL has support for SSL/TLS to encrypt data in transit, it also has built-in encryption for data at rest that uses Google’s or your own managed encryption keys.
Use Google Cloud VPN while moving data within Google Cloud or use the Cloud Interconnect service to create secure private channels for transferring data between on-premises and Cloud SQL.
Additionally, users can leverage IP whitelisting on Cloud SQL to only allow traffic to the cloud database from known sources.
Leverage Google Cloud’s IAM policies to control who has permission to access resources on the Cloud SQL database as well as service accounts for running automated backups.
Enable Audit Logs on both the source and destination databases to keep track of all activities performed on them. Make sure to also implement real-time monitoring to keep an eye on network traffic, database CPU and memory usage, and potential security incidents in real time.
Enable automated backups periodically, along with incremental snapshots of the data, to maintain data integrity and recover faster in case of any inconsistencies.
Organizations require a detailed migration plan for migrating popular on-premises databases such as MySQL, MS SQL Server, etc. to Google Cloud SQL. Although the exact steps for each database may be a bit different, in general, the basic actions listed below will still apply.
With this guidance, companies can meticulously plan their migration strategies for moving workloads from on-premises to Google Cloud SQL and start reaping the benefits of cloud computing.
Google Cloud SQL is part of a larger suite of products included with Google Cloud Platform that offer numerous services related to compute, storage, networking, and AI, to name a few.
By migrating their database to Google Cloud SQL, engineers take a step closer to using and integrating other Google Cloud services to fully utilize the potential of cloud computing.
Some common short-term benefits of making this step are listed below.
Nowadays, as a business grows, so does its data output. With Cloud SQL, users can start with a small instance and easily scale as the volume of their data increases, requiring bigger instances.
Starting small incurs lower costs, and then companies can gradually expand their workloads (and spend) only when demand increases.
Since Cloud SQL is a fully managed service from Google, users no longer need to maintain physical data centers and hardware to run their databases.
Additionally, the need for database administrators can be trimmed down, as Google takes care of securing, updating, and patching the underlying infrastructure on which Cloud SQL runs.
With Cloud SQL, users can configure high availability on their databases to replicate data to a secondary instance. In the event of a zone failure, this guarantees that data will not be lost.
Companies can also choose to back up their data in different regions, which might be useful for recovery from unforeseen disasters.
One of the primary benefits of hosting databases on the cloud is the elimination of managing physical data centers and hardware. This significantly reduces maintenance costs and complexity. Google Cloud SQL manages automated backups, replication, updates, and patches, and companies pay only for what they use.
In cloud computing, security is a shared responsibility. Google takes care of providing access control, security updates, and encryption. This guarantees that data in Google Cloud SQL is safe from malicious actors looking to gain unauthorized access or conduct an attack.
Migrating to the cloud also makes it easier to prepare for disaster recovery and high availability, thus minimizing the risk of data loss.
Migrating to Google Cloud SQL requires careful planning, testing, and monitoring to ensure success with minimal disruption. By adopting a solid migration strategy, organizations can unlock the benefits of the cloud, including scalability, cost efficiency, and enhanced security.
Post-migration, continuous monitoring is crucial for maintaining performance. Tools like Site24x7 offer comprehensive solutions for Google cloud platform monitoring, helping businesses optimize database performance, track health, and resolve issues proactively. Incorporating Site24x7 into your cloud strategy ensures a smooth transition and sustained operational efficiency.
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