Cloning instances

MySQL   |  PostgreSQL   |  SQL Server

This page describes how to clone a Cloud SQL instance.

When you clone a Cloud SQL instance, you create a new instance that is a copy of the source instance, but completely independent. After the cloning operation is complete, changes to the source instance are not reflected in the clone, and vice versa.

The source instance configuration (activation policy, database flags, connectivity, and so on) is copied to the clone. Instance IP addresses and replicas are not copied; you must configure these items explicitly on the clone. Cloning an instance does not clone any existing backups.

You cannot clone a replica. You can clone an instance that was cloned from another instance.

You can clone an instance from an earlier point in time, which helps you recover your database from a destructive event. For more information, see Performing a point-in-time recovery.

Cloning a Second Generation instance

Console

1. Go to the Cloud SQL Instances page in the Google Cloud Console.

   Go to the Cloud SQL Instances page

2. Find the instance you want to clone, and open its more actions menu at the far right of its listing.

   

3. Click Create clone.
4. In the Create clone page, update the instance ID if needed, and click Create clone, leaving Clone latest state of instance selected.

   You are returned to the instance listing page while the clone initializes.

gcloud

Clone the instance:

gcloud sql instances clone [SOURCE_INSTANCE_NAME] [TARGET_INSTANCE_NAME]

REST

Clone the instance.

Before using any of the request data below, make the following replacements:

• project-id: The project ID
• source-instance-id: The source instance ID
• target-instance-id: The target instance ID

HTTP method and URL:

POST https://www.googleapis.com/sql/v1beta4/projects/project-id/instances/source-instance-id/clone

Request JSON body:

{
  "cloneContext":
  {
    "destinationInstanceName": "target-instance-id"
  }
}

To send your request, expand one of these options:

curl (Linux, macOS, or Cloud Shell)

Note: The command below assumes that you have used either gcloud init or gcloud auth login to authenticate gcloud with your user account. You can check the currently active account by executing gcloud auth list.

Save the request body in a file called request.json, and execute the following command:

curl -X POST \
-H "Authorization: Bearer "$(gcloud auth print-access-token) \
-H "Content-Type: application/json; charset=utf-8" \
-d @request.json \
https://www.googleapis.com/sql/v1beta4/projects/project-id/instances/source-instance-id/clone

PowerShell (Windows)

Note: The command below assumes that you have used either gcloud init or gcloud auth login to authenticate gcloud with your user account. You can check the currently active account by executing gcloud auth list.

Save the request body in a file called request.json, and execute the following command:

$cred = gcloud auth print-access-token
$headers = @{ "Authorization" = "Bearer $cred" }

Invoke-WebRequest `
  -Method POST `
  -Headers $headers `
  -ContentType: "application/json; charset=utf-8" `
  -InFile request.json `
  -Uri "https://www.googleapis.com/sql/v1beta4/projects/project-id/instances/source-instance-id/clone" | Select-Object -Expand Content

You should receive a JSON response similar to the following:

Response

{
  "kind": "sql#operation",
  "targetLink": "https://www.googleapis.com/sql/v1beta4/projects/project-id/instances/target-instance-id",
  "status": "PENDING",
  "user": "[e-mail]",
  "insertTime": "2020-01-21T22:43:37.981Z",
  "operationType": "CLONE",
  "name": "operation-id",
  "targetId": "target-instance-id",
  "selfLink": "https://www.googleapis.com/sql/v1beta4/projects/project-id/operations/operation-id",
  "targetProject": "project-id"
}

Cloning a First Generation instance

Note: Second Generation has replaced First Generation; support for First Generation instances ended January 30, 2020 and you no longer can create First Generation instances. To upgrade a First Generation instance to Second Generation, see Upgrading a First Generation Instance to Second Generation.

Console

1. Go to the Cloud SQL Instances page in the Google Cloud Console.

   Go to the Cloud SQL Instances page

2. Find the First Generation instance you want to clone, and open its more actions menu at the far right of its listing.

   

3. Select Create clone.
4. If you do not have backups and binary logging enabled for the instance, enable them now and click Continue, then Wait for backup. After the backup window, restart this task from the beginning to create the clone.
   Note: Enabling binary logging on an existing instance causes the instance to be restarted. Existing database connections are lost and must be reopened.

   

5. When you see the Create clone page with the ability to update the instance ID, do so if needed, and click Create clone.

   

   You are returned to the instance listing page while the clone initializes.

gcloud

1. Get the instance details:

   gcloud sql instances describe [INSTANCE_NAME]
   

2. Find the values for binaryLogEnabled and enabled under backupConfiguration.
3. If either of the values are not Enabled, enable them now:
   1. Enable backups:

      gcloud sql instances patch [INSTANCE_NAME] --backup-start-time [HH:MM]
      

   2. Enable binary logging:

      gcloud sql instances patch [INSTANCE_NAME] --enable-bin-log
      

4. If backups or binary logging were not enabled, wait for a backup to be taken.

   This could take up to a day, depending on the backup window.

5. Clone the instance:

   gcloud sql instances clone [SOURCE_INSTANCE_NAME] [TARGET_INSTANCE_NAME]
   

cURL

1. Get the values of the current backup configuration.

   gcloud auth login
   ACCESS_TOKEN="$(gcloud auth print-access-token)"
   curl --header "Authorization: Bearer ${ACCESS_TOKEN}" \
        -X GET \
        https://www.googleapis.com/sql/v1beta4/projects/[PROJECT-ID]/instances/[SOURCE_INSTANCE_NAME]?fields=settings
   

   The output will contain the backupConfiguration:

   "backupConfiguration": [
    {
       "kind": "sql#backupConfiguration",
       "startTime": "12:00",
       "enabled": false,
       "binaryLogEnabled": false
    }
   

2. If either enabled or binaryLogEnabled are false, use the patch method of the instances resource to enable them both. Specify the properties of the backup configuration you want to keep as is and those you want to change.

   To enable backups, set enabled to true and the startTime to a value which is the start of the backup window. To enable binary logging, set binaryLogEnabled to true.

   gcloud auth login
   ACCESS_TOKEN="$(gcloud auth print-access-token)"
   curl --header "Authorization: Bearer ${ACCESS_TOKEN}" \
        --header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
        --data '{"settings" : {"backupConfiguration" : {"startTime": "[HH:MM]", "enabled": true, "binaryLogEnabled": true}}}' \
        -X PATCH \
        https://www.googleapis.com/sql/v1beta4/projects/[PROJECT-ID]/instances/[SOURCE_INSTANCE_NAME]
   

3. If backups or binary logging were not enabled, wait for a backup to be taken.

   This could take up to a day, depending on the backup window.

4. Clone the instance:

   gcloud auth login
   ACCESS_TOKEN="$(gcloud auth print-access-token)"
   curl --header "Authorization: Bearer ${ACCESS_TOKEN}" \
        --header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
        --data '{"cloneContext": {"kind": "sql#cloneContext",
                 "destinationInstanceName": "[TARGET_INSTANCE_NAME]" }}' \
        -X POST \
        https://www.googleapis.com/sql/v1beta4/projects/[PROJECT-ID]/instances/[SOURCE_INSTANCE_NAME]/clone