The document discusses the evolution and current landscape of cloud databases, focusing primarily on managed relational database services (DBaaS). It outlines key factors to consider when choosing a cloud database, including database container types, compatibility, purchasing options, license mobility, and hybrid integration. The top cloud database providers highlighted are Amazon RDS, Google Cloud SQL, Microsoft Azure SQL Database, and Rackspace Cloud SQL, each with their strengths and weaknesses.

1. Choosing the Right
Cloud Database
Janakiram MSV
@janakiramm
Principal Analyst Head – Cloud Services
Janakiram & Associates Aditi Technologies
www.janakiram.com www.aditi.com

2. Agenda
• Evolution of Database on Cloud
• Key factors to consider
• Current landscape
• Roadmap and predictions
*Covers only RDBMS offered as a managed service (DBaaS)

3. Evolution of Database on Cloud
• Originally started with PaaS
• Deploy code and import data
• Microsoft Azure had SQL DB since 2009
• Amazon announced RDS in 2009
• Google App Engine introduced SQL database in 2011
• Heroku added PostgreSQL in 2012

4. Popular RDBMS on Cloud
• MySQL
• PostgreSQL
• MS SQL
• Oracle

5. Top 5 Factors to Consider
1. Database container types
2. Compatibility & supported database size
3. Purchasing options
4. License mobility
5. Hybrid capability and integration

6. 1. Database Container Types
• Analogues to VM instance types
• Varies in configuration
• CPU, Memory and I/O
• Have direct impact on cost and performance
• Look for choice of instance types

7. 2. Compatibility & Supported DB Size
• Cloud DB engine may not be compatible with the original
database
• Check the supported DB version and ability to apply
custom configuration
• Maximum supported size can make or break the
migration

8. 3. Purchasing Options
• Cloud DB provider may support
• On-demand pricing
• Commitment based pricing
• Utilization based pricing
• Purchasing option will have significant impact on cost

9. 4. License Mobility
• Check if your enterprise DB vendor certified the cloud
platform
• Evaluate if you can “bring your own license” to cloud
platform
• Help protect the investments made in volume licensing
deal with your DB vendor

10. 5. Hybrid capability and integration
• Cloud databases are mostly obscure resources not
exposed to the public
• Cloud databases should be launched in private subnets
with discreet access
• They should support easy integration with the on-
premise counter parts

11. High Availability & Monitoring
(Bonus)
• Mature cloud providers support HA
• Check how the cloud provider implements high
availability of database service
• Evaluate the monitoring tools provided by the vendor

12. Top 5 Cloud Databases
• Amazon RDS
• Google Cloud SQL
• HP Cloud SQL
• Microsoft Azure SQL Database
• Rackspace Cloud SQL

13. Amazon RDS
Strengths
• Choice of DB engines and
container types
• Support for Multi-AZ,
PIOPS and Read-replicas
• Can be launched in
Amazon VPC
• On-demand and reserved
instance based pricing
Weakness
• Lack of integration
between Amazon EC2
and Amazon RDS
• Feature parity among the
supported DB engines
• Inability to manipulate
global parameters

14. Google Cloud SQL
Strengths
• Tight integration with
Google Cloud Platform
services
• Choice of DB
container types
• Innovative package
based pricing
• Automatic replication
Weakness
• Supports only MySQL
• Uses public endpoint
for access; doesn’t
support launching in
private subnet
• Maximum supported
DB size is 500 GB

15. HP Cloud Relational Database
Strengths
• Based on OpenStack
• Choice of 6 container
types
• Supports automated
patching and
maintenance
• Supports automated
database backup and
restore
Weakness
• Supports only MySQL
• Maximum supported
DB size of 150GB
• No commitment based
pricing

16. Microsoft Azure SQL Database
Strengths
• Choice of container
types
• Integration with reporting
services
• Support for federated
databases
• Pay-by-use and
commitment based
pricing
Weakness
• Supports only MS SQL
DB engine
• Not 100% compatible
with MS SQL engine
• Cannot be launched in
a virtual network
• Max supported size is
500 GB

17. Rackspace Cloud SQL
Strengths
• Based on OpenStack
• Choice of 6 container
types
• Supports automated
patching and
maintenance
• Known for its
“Fanatical Support”
Weakness
• Supports only MySQL
• No scheduled or
automated backups
• Maximum supported
DB size of 150GB
• No commitment based
pricing

18. Category Feature AWS Azure Google Rackspace HP Cloud
Supported DB
Engines
MySQL Yes Yes* Yes Yes Yes
MS SQL Yes Yes No No No
Oracle Yes No No No No
PostgreSQL Yes No No No No
Purchasing Options
On-demand Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Commitment
based
Yes Yes No No No
Backup
Scheduled Yes Yes No No No
Automated Yes Yes Yes No Yes
Scalability
Scale up Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Read-
Replicas
Yes* No No No No
Sharding No Yes No No No
Container Types 9 3 7 6 6
Maximum Supported Size 3TB 500GB 500GB 150GB Not Available
Automated Patching Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Monitoring Yes Yes No Yes No
HA / Automatic Fail-over Yes No Yes No No
Supports Virtual Network Yes No No No No
Provisioned IOPS Yes No No No No
Bring Your Own License Yes* No N/A N/A N/A
SLA 99.95% 99.9% 99.95% 99.9% N/A

19. Summary
• Cloud databases are still evolving
• Check for
• Database container types
• Compatibility & supported database size
• Purchasing options
• License mobility
• Hybrid capability and integration
• AWS and Microsoft are more enterprise ready than
others

20. Thank You!
Janakiram MSV
jani@janakiram.com
@janakiramm