AlloyDB Core Concepts
AlloyDB for PostgreSQL is a fully managed, PostgreSQL-compatible database service designed for high performance, scale, and availability. It is built on top of a cloud-native storage engine that separates compute from storage, allowing for efficient scaling and high availability.
AlloyDB is ideal for enterprise-grade transactional workloads, such as ERP or CRM systems, as well as for analytical workloads that benefit from its columnar engine, and vector workloads using its vector search capabilities.
Regional Availability
AlloyDB is a regional service. A cluster consists of a primary instance and optional read pool instances, all of which are located in the same region. The storage is replicated across multiple zones within the region to ensure high availability.
AlloyDB Auth Proxy
The AlloyDB Auth Proxy is a standalone tool that can be deployed in any environment, and works by opening a local socket and proxying connections to your AlloyDB instance.
Connectivity Options
Private vs Public IP
When connecting to AlloyDB, you can use either a Private IP or a Public IP:
- Private IP: Your client must be deployed either in the same VPC network as your AlloyDB cluster (when using PSA), or have a PSC endpoint in your VPC (when using PSC) to connect directly using Private IP. For indirect methods of connecting outside your VPC, see Enable private services access.
- Public IP: If enabled on your instance, you can connect from outside the VPC network.
Connection Pooling
For production workloads, use connection poolers like PgBouncer (integrated in AlloyDB) to manage high numbers of concurrent connections efficiently.
Pricing
For up-to-date pricing information, visit the official AlloyDB Pricing page. Pricing is based on the number of vCPUs and memory for each instance, as well as the storage used.