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MySQL Database Added to Google App Engine Cloud
Free preview of Google Cloud SQL announced; MySQL database Web service added to Google's cloud-based App Engine development stack.
Google has released a free preview of Google Cloud SQL. The solution adds a Web service for MySQL database to the company's cloud-based App Engine development stack.
According Google Cloud SQL product manager Navneet Joneja, "One of App Engine's most requested features has been a simple way to develop traditional database-driven applications" as mentioned in a blog post about the limited preview.
The MySQL service works with Google App Engine applications written in Python or Java. Previously, App Engine offered only a non-relational "datastore" with a proprietary syntax called GQL that's similar to SQL syntax. The new preview allows Google Cloud SQL instances of as much as 10GB and "is ideal for small to medium-sized applications," Google said.
Other service described on the introductory Web site include:
- Performance similar to that of the Google App Engine datastore
- SQL prompt within the Google APIs console
- Synchronous or asynchronous replication
- Compatibility with Python and Java
- A command-line tool
- Import or export databases via mysqldump
Most MySQL features will be supported, Google said, with a few exceptions such as user-defined functions and MySQL replication. Several MySQL statements are not supported. More information is available on this FAQ page.
The company said the initial limited number of users won't be charged for the service in 2011; it did not give a target date for general availability and billing, but users will be given no less than a 30-day notice. The App Engine itself is free to use up to a given quota.
Instructions for signing up for the limited preview can be found here.
About the Author
David Ramel is an editor and writer at Converge 360.