This page describes the major features and capabilities of Cloud SQL for SQL Server. Cloud SQL is also available for [MySQL](https://docs.cloud.google.com/sql/docs/mysql/features.md.txt) and [PostgreSQL](https://docs.cloud.google.com/sql/docs/postgres/features.md.txt).
> [!NOTE] > **Note:** For information about the supported versions of database engines, see [Database versions and version policies](https://docs.cloud.google.com/sql/docs/sqlserver/db-versions.md.txt). ## SQL Server feature support for Cloud SQL - Fully managed SQL Server databases in the cloud. - Custom machine types with up to 624 GB of RAM and 96 CPUs. - Up to 64 TB of storage available, with the ability to automatically increase storage size as needed. - Create and manage instances in the [Google Cloud console](https://console.cloud.google.com/). - Instances available in the Americas, Europe, Asia or Australia. See [all locations where you can create Cloud SQL instances](https://docs.cloud.google.com/sql/docs/sqlserver/locations). - [Database Migration Service for SQL Server](https://docs.cloud.google.com/database-migration/docs/sqlserver/scenario-overview.md.txt). - Customer data encrypted on Google's internal networks and in database tables, temporary files, and backups. - Column- and cell-level encryption for user databases. - Support for secure external connections with the Cloud SQL Auth Proxy or with the SSL/TLS protocol. - Import databases using BAK and SQL files. - Export databases using BAK files. - Automated backups, on-demand backups, and point-in-time recovery. - Instance cloning. - Integration with Stackdriver logging and monitoring. - SQL Server Agent enabled to facilitate replication and other jobs. - Data replication between multiple regions. - Set a default collation for databases, when creating an instance. - High availability through a regional persistent disk. - Integration with customer-managed Active Directory (CMAD), including Windows Authentication. - Integration with Managed Service for Microsoft Active Directory, including Windows Authentication. - Integration with Microsoft Entra ID. - Change Data Capture (CDC). - Intelligent query processing. - Accelerated database recovery. - Enhanced data classification. - UTF-8 character encoding support. - Enhanced monitoring. - Dynamic Data Masking (DDM). - Processor affinity masking using [`affinity mask`](https://docs.cloud.google.com/sql/docs/sqlserver/flags.md.txt#list-flags-sqlserver) and [`affinity I/O mask`](https://docs.cloud.google.com/sql/docs/sqlserver/flags.md.txt#list-flags-sqlserver). - Linked Servers. - SQL Server Audit. - SQL Server Publisher. - SQL Server Subscriber. - SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS) that runs on a separate host and connects to Cloud SQL. You can't host SSIS packages on or execute them from Cloud SQL. - SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) that runs on a separate host and connects to Cloud SQL. You can't host SSRS packages on or execute them from Cloud SQL. - The bulk copy program (bcp) utility. To learn more about downloading and installing the bcp utility, see the [Microsoft documentation](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/tools/bcp-utility?view=sql-server-ver16#download-the-latest-version-of-bcp-utility). - BACPAC file imports and exports by using SqlPackage. To learn more about downloading and installing SqlPackage, see the [Microsoft documentation](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/tools/sqlpackage/sqlpackage-download?view=sql-server-ver16). - Bulk insert for importing data. This feature is supported only on SQL Server 2022. You can use a stored procedure for performing bulk insert. For more information, see [Use bulk insert for importing data](https://docs.cloud.google.com/sql/docs/sqlserver/import-export.md.txt#bulk-insert). - Transparent Data Encryption (TDE). For information, see [About TDE](https://docs.cloud.google.com/sql/docs/sqlserver/about-tde.md.txt). - Always Encrypted without secure enclaves. - Extended Events (XEvents). - Custom time zone support at instance creation and post instance creation. - Temporal tables. For more information, see [Temporal tables](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/relational-databases/tables/temporal-tables?view=sql-server-ver16). - Support for read pools - Storage shrink. For more information, see [About storage shrink](https://docs.cloud.google.com/sql/docs/sqlserver/about-storage-shrink.md.txt). ## SQL Server features unavailable for Cloud SQL The following features are unavailable in Cloud SQL and Google Cloud doesn't support them: ### General SQL Server features unavailable for Cloud SQL - SQL Server Analysis Services (SSAS) - SP_Configure settings. For more information about this feature, see [Configure database flags](https://docs.cloud.google.com/sql/docs/sqlserver/flags.md.txt). - Stretch database - Backing up to Microsoft Azure Blob Storage - Buffer pool extension - The OPENROWSET feature - Data Quality Services - Database Log Shipping - Database Mail - Dedicated Administrator Connection (DAC) - Distribution Transaction Coordinator (MSDTC) - File tables - FILESTREAM support - Installing a server that requires a full server installation with specific authentication mechanisms such as Azure DevOps Server. - Maintenance Plans - Performance Data Collector - Policy-Based Management - Machine Learning and R Services - Resource Governor - Server-level triggers - Service Broker endpoints - T-SQL endpoints (all operations using `CREATE ENDPOINT` are unavailable) - WCF Data Services - The `sysadmin` role and system stored procedures that require it - Hybrid buffer pool - Memory-optimized tempdb metadata - In-memory OLTP support for database snapshots - Registering external languages - Row-level security - Object storage backup and restore - [Persistent Memory (PMEM)](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/linux/sql-server-linux-configure-pmem?view=sql-server-ver16) - Real-time operational analytics - Integrated acceleration and offloading - Hybrid buffer pool with direct write - Multi-write replication - Link to Azure SQL Managed instance - Contained availability group - Always Encrypted with secure enclaves - Support for PFX certificates and other cryptographic improvements - MS-TDS 8.0 protocol and TLS 1.3 > [!NOTE] > **Note:** Cloud SQL is a managed service so it restricts access to certain system procedures and tables that require advanced privileges; you can't create or have access to users with superuser permissions. ### Other SQL Server operations unavailable for Cloud SQL - ADMINISTER BULK OPERATIONS - ALTER ANY CREDENTIAL - ALTER ANY EVENT NOTIFICATION - ALTER ANY EVENT SESSION - ALTER RESOURCES - ALTER SETTINGS - AUTHENTICATE SERVER - CONTROL_SERVER - CREATE DDL EVENT NOTIFICATION - CREATE ENDPOINT - CREATE TRACE EVENT NOTIFICATION - EXTERNAL ACCESS ASSEMBLY - RESTORE - SHUTDOWN - CLR ASSEMBLIES ## Supported syntax for Cloud SQL for SQL Server Cloud SQL supports the [Transact-SQL syntax](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/t-sql/language-elements/transact-sql-syntax-conventions-transact-sql?view=sql-server-2017). ## Supported languages for Cloud SQL for SQL Server You can use Cloud SQL with App Engine applications running in the flexible environment that are written in: - C# - Go - Java - Node.js - PHP - Python - Ruby ## How you can connect to Cloud SQL for SQL Server instances You can connect to a Cloud SQL instance from: - [SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS)](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/ssms/sql-server-management-studio-ssms?view=sql-server-2017). - A client. [Learn more](https://docs.cloud.google.com/sql/docs/sqlserver/connect-admin-ip.md.txt). - [The sqlcmd utility](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/ssms/scripting/sqlcmd-use-the-utility?view=sql-server-2017). Connecting to Cloud SQL with Private Google access isn't supported.