Database migration

This page provides architectural guidance and migration strategies for migrating relational and non-relational databases to Google Cloud.

If you are a database administrator, cloud architect, or data engineer, use the information on this page to evaluate database migration patterns, choose the right tools, ensure high data fidelity, minimize transaction replication lag, and control downtime during cutover.

Before you read this page, you should have completed an initial source assessment and have an understanding of your database schemas, sizing, and application network dependencies.

Database migration options

When planning database migrations, use the following table to choose a destination service and tool based on your source database engine:

Source database Destination platform Recommended tool Migration pattern
MySQL, PostgreSQL, or SQL Server Cloud SQL or AlloyDB for PostgreSQL Database Migration Service Continuous CDC replication
Oracle AlloyDB or Bare Metal Solution Google Cloud Modernization Hub, Database Migration Service Schema Conversion Homogeneous or heterogeneous migration
Cassandra, MongoDB, or HBase Bigtable, Spanner, or Firestore Dataflow or open-source connectors Batch or stream ingestion

Migrate databases by using Database Migration Service

Database Migration Service provides serverless migration jobs to move relational databases to Google Cloud.

Key capabilities of Database Migration Service

Database Migration Service provides the following capabilities:

  • Serverless architecture: you don't need to provision or manage dedicated replication VMs or migration infrastructure.
  • Continuous change data capture (CDC): replicates transactions by using source binary logs (binlog for MySQL, wal2json for PostgreSQL, and CDC for SQL Server) to keep target databases synchronized with minimal lag.
  • Flexible private connectivity: connects securely to source databases through VPC Network Peering, reverse SSH tunnels, Cloud VPN, or Cloud Interconnect.

For information about the end-to-end migration workflow, see Database Migration Service overview.

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