# GCP Cloud SQL optimization | Cloud Efficiency Hub Canonical: https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/cloud-services/gcp-cloud-sql 8 documented GCP Cloud SQL cost inefficiencies, each with how to detect it and how to fix it. [Cloud Efficiency Hub](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub) 8 documented GCP Cloud SQL cost inefficiencies, each with how to detect it and how to fix it. ## 8 inefficiencies [All services](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub#browse-by-service) - GCP Cloud SQL CER-0279 ### [Excessive Automated Backup Retention in Cloud SQL](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/inefficiencies/excessive-automated-backup-retention-in-cloud-sql) Automated Cloud SQL backups are retained longer than required by recovery objectives or governance needs. Because backups accumulate over the retention window (and can grow quickly for high-change databases), excessive retention drives... Databases - GCP Cloud SQL CER-0183 ### [Underutilized Cloud SQL Instance](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/inefficiencies/underutilized-cloud-sql-instance) Cloud SQL instances are often over-provisioned or left running despite low utilization. Since billing is based on allocated vCPUs, memory, and storage - not usage - any misalignment between actual workload needs and provisioned capacity... Databases - GCP Cloud SQL CER-0475 ### [Idle Cloud SQL Instance](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/inefficiencies/idle-cloud-sql-instance) An idle Cloud SQL instance is one that is still running but no longer serves any workload: no meaningful connections, queries or data changes. Common sources are databases left behind after a migration, instances created for a test or... Databases - GCP Cloud SQL CER-0476 ### [Outdated Cloud SQL Versions Triggering Extended Support Charges](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/inefficiencies/outdated-cloud-sql-versions-triggering-extended-support-charges) Cloud SQL automatically enrolls every instance running a community end-of-life major version of MySQL or PostgreSQL in extended support, and has charged for it since May 1, 2025. The surcharge is added on top of normal instance pricing for... Databases - GCP Cloud SQL CER-0477 ### [High Availability Enabled on Non-Production Cloud SQL Instances](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/inefficiencies/high-availability-enabled-on-non-production-cloud-sql-instances) A Cloud SQL instance configured for high availability (regional availability) runs a primary and a standby in two zones and synchronously replicates writes to disks in both. Google states that an HA-configured instance costs twice as much... Databases - GCP Cloud SQL CER-0478 ### [Oversized Cloud SQL Storage After Automatic Storage Increase](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/inefficiencies/oversized-cloud-sql-storage-after-automatic-storage-increase) Cloud SQL enables automatic storage increase by default. The service checks available storage every 30 seconds and adds capacity when free space drops below a threshold, and by default there is no upper limit. Google documents these... Databases - GCP Cloud SQL CER-0479 ### [Cloud SQL Enterprise Plus Edition on Workloads That Do Not Need It](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/inefficiencies/cloud-sql-enterprise-plus-edition-on-workloads-that-do-not-need-it) Cloud SQL has two editions. Enterprise Plus adds a 99.99% availability SLA that includes maintenance, sub-second maintenance downtime, the optional data cache, larger machine types and up to 35 days of point-in-time recovery. Enterprise... Databases - GCP Cloud SQL CER-0480 ### [Missed Committed Use Discounts for Cloud SQL](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/inefficiencies/missed-committed-use-discounts-for-cloud-sql) Production Cloud SQL instances typically run around the clock at a stable size, which makes them a good fit for commitments that are often left unbought. Cloud SQL has its own spend-based committed use discounts, separate from Compute... Databases ## More GCP services - [GCP Compute Engine 14](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/cloud-services/gcp-compute-engine) - [GCP BigQuery 9](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/cloud-services/gcp-bigquery) - [GCP GKE 9](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/cloud-services/gcp-gke) - [GCP GCS 6](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/cloud-services/gcp-gcs) - [GCP Cloud Logging 5](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/cloud-services/gcp-cloud-logging) - [GCP Vertex AI 5](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/cloud-services/gcp-vertex-ai) - [GCP Dataflow 4](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/cloud-services/gcp-dataflow) - [GCP Cloud Run 3](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/cloud-services/gcp-cloud-run) - [GCP Cloud Memorystore 2](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/cloud-services/gcp-cloud-memorystore) - [GCP Cloud NAT 2](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/cloud-services/gcp-cloud-nat) --- Source: the public page above. Product screenshots and illustrative interfaces are examples, not live customer data.