Google Cloud database news roundup, October 2024 edition

Leaves are falling, temperatures are dropping, but things were heating up in the world of Google Cloud databases this October! Here’s a recap of the latest news and updates.

Key databases announcements 

• Database Center simplifies database management with a single, unified view of our customer’s entire database landscape. This month we launched two exciting features for Database Center:

• Spanner support is now available, joining the already supported Cloud SQL and AlloyDB services, with additional databases on the way.

• Database Center is now available to everyone. The most advanced AI-powered capabilities, like intelligent chat or advanced security recommendations, can be unlocked once you enable Gemini.

• ScaNN index for AlloyDB is now generally available. ScaNN index is the first PostgreSQL-compatible index that can scale to support more than one billion vectors while maintaining state-of-the-art query performance — enabling high-performance workloads for every enterprise.

• Firebase Data Connect is now in preview. Firebase Data Connect is a new backend-as-a-service that is integrated with a fully managed PostgreSQL database powered by Cloud SQL. Now developers can rapidly build secure and immersive apps using rich GraphQL queries including vector search for AI-enabled apps. It supports a variety of SDKs including Android, iOS, Web, and Flutter. (Documentation)

• We announced a strategic partnership with Aiven, the multi-cloud data infrastructure company. With Aiven for AlloyDB Omni, you can now run high-performance transactional, analytical, and vector workloads with a single platform across Google Cloud, AWS, and Azure, providing a simplified and secure way to deploy, manage, and scale AlloyDB Omni.

Database product updates

Cloud SQL

• Cloud SQL now supports PostgreSQL 17. You can now create PostgreSQL 17 instances in Cloud SQL, via the console, cli and API.

• Cloud SQL integration with Certificate Authority Service (CAS) is in preview. You can now create Cloud SQL instances with a shared CA (Certificate Authority) option to simplify TLS certificate management (documentation).

• Cloud SQL for SQL Server Transaction Log Export now in preview. You can now export transaction log to your selected Google Cloud Storage bucket from your PITR-enabled Enterprise Plus instances (documentation).

AlloyDB

• You can now create AlloyDB free trial clusters using a copy of your Cloud SQL for PostgreSQL backup. 

• Enhanced Query Insights for AlloyDB will now be available for our AlloyDB customers without the need for Gemini enablement. You can enable Enhanced Query Insights from the settings page of Query Insights directly.

• PostgreSQL version 16 is generally available (GA). You can now create AlloyDB clusters using PostgreSQL 16. Database Migration Service also supports homogeneous migrations from PostgreSQL to AlloyDB for PostgreSQL version 16.

• Model endpoint management in AlloyDB Studio: Register and call models seamlessly leveraging the new AlloyDB Studio UI for model endpoint management. View all of your registered models in the Explorer Pane.

Memorystore

• Memorystore for Valkey 8.0 is now in preview. Valkey 8.0 is a major release and first in the series of extensive updates planned by the Valkey open-source community that quickly assembled after Redis changed its licensing terms earlier this year.

• Vector search is now available on both Memorystore for Valkey and Memorystore for Redis Cluster, combining 1) ultra-low latency in-memory vector search, with 2) zero-downtime scalability (in or out), and 3) powerful high performance vector search across millions or billions of vectors.

• Cross-region replication and single-shard clusters are now available in preview. 

• Cross-region replication boosts business continuity, lowers latency for global users, and reduces cost.

• Single-shard clusters provide cost-effective high availability for smaller workloads.

Database Migration Service (DMS)

• DMS now supports MySQL version 8.4. See Supported source and destination databases in Cloud SQL for MySQL migrations.

• DMS now supports PostgreSQL version 16. See Supported source and destination databases in AlloyDB for PostgreSQL migrations.

Spanner

• Now generally available, Spanner Editions offers a new way to buy Spanner, delivering more flexibility and cost transparency.

• Spanner full-text search lets you use Google’s differentiated full-text search capabilities directly within Spanner.

• Access your Spanner data directly from BigQuery! With the preview of BigQuery External Datasets with Spanner, data analysts can now browse, explore and query Spanner tables as if they were native BigQuery tables.

Bigtable

• Want to learn how you can perform similarity vector search in Bigtable using K-nearest neighbors? Check out this step-by-step tutorial that goes from embedding generation to query with Bigtable’s newly released SQL capabilities.

• Now you can use Bigtable DataBoost, also from Spark, for fully isolated serverless queries. 

• Hot backups, optimized to restore your data to production performance availability more quickly, are now generally available (GA). For more information, see Backups overview.

Firestore

• Property transforms (setToServerValue, increment, maximum, minimum, appendMissingElements, removeAllFromArray) are now available in preview for Firestore in Datastore Mode. This helps ensure feature parity with transforms available for Firestore in Native Mode.

Transforming businesses with Google Cloud databases

Discover how Google Cloud database solutions are driving innovation and success:

• Prefab adopted Spanner as their horizontally scalable operational database, finding it easier to use than HBase while offering similar scaling capabilities and reduced management overhead.

• Palo Alto Networks boosted performance and slashed costs by switching their Advanced WildFire product from Cassandra to Bigtable, resulting in 5x lower latency and cutting their total cost of ownership in half.

• Searching for a solution that scales better for various use cases and reduces maintenance overhead, Unity migrated their workloads to Memorystore for Redis Cluster. Their infrastructure now handles up to 10 million Redis operations per second for a single instance.

• Bayer migrated to AlloyDB to help streamline operations, centralize solutions, and improve collaboration across the company.

• Deckmatch powers insights for venture capitalists with Cloud SQL for PostgreSQL.

Database webinars and events

• Product webinars
  • Modernize your database with Cloud SQL: Explore the value of fully managed Cloud SQL and how it can help you achieve improved performance, increase data security, and access higher availability for your mission-critical applications. Also, hear firsthand how Workday boosted performance with Cloud SQL to support their evolving business.

• • Fire up your innovation engine with Spanner: Today's applications demand more than traditional databases can deliver. Join us in this webinar on Nov. 26, as we explore Spanner, the 'always-on' globally available database that scales effortlessly to power your next-generation innovations.

  • Maximize performance with Cloud SQL and Memorystore: In this webinar on Dec. 3, we’ll show you the combined power of CloudSQL and Memorystore in order to reduce costs, improve efficiency, and deliver exceptional application experiences.

• Saudi Arabia Google Cloud Summit
  • It’s been one year since we launched our cloud region here, bringing innovation and scalability to the area! Network with peers, connect with Google Cloud leaders, and explore technology trends across AI, application modernization, collaboration, data cloud, open infrastructure, and security — all to help you innovate faster and drive more impactful business outcomes. Register now!

Database Days with Gen AI

• We’re hosting an in-person series of events in North America called Database Days, showcasing potential ITDMs and practitioners on the possibility of gen AI app development with Google Cloud databases. Join us at one of our upcoming cities:  

• Toronto: November 19. Sign up here!

Stay tuned for more exciting developments in next month’s roundup! In the meantime, explore our Google Cloud databases homepage to discover how we can help you achieve your goals or contact us today!