Some or all of the information on this page might not apply to Cloud de Confiance by S3NS. See Differences from Google Cloud for more details.

Clone instances

MySQL | PostgreSQL | SQL Server

This page explains cloning, and describes how to clone an instance.

Overview

Cloning a Cloud SQL instance creates a new instance that is a copy of the source instance. The new instance is completely independent from the source instance.

Standard clone

Standard clone creates a full backup of the source instance. The instance then uses that backup to provision a new, separate instance. The new instance is a functionally independent copy of the source at the time the operation began. The duration of a standard cloning operation is proportional to the database size.

Fast clone

Fast clone uses an Instant Snapshot to create a new instance, which is a significant evolution from standard clone.

When you initiate a clone operation in the same zone as the source instance, fast clone takes an Instant Snapshot. It then creates the new disk using this Instant Snapshot. This process is a metadata-only operation, so the size of the data does not affect the clone creation time.

When fast clone is used

Cloud SQL automatically uses fast clone when the following conditions are met:

Same-zone operations: the clone operation must be initiated within the same zone as the source instance. Specifying a different zone (or even re-specifying the same zone) will default the process to the standard clone workflow.
Disk properties consistency: the new clone's disk properties must exactly match the source instance (e.g., Persistent Disk versus Google Cloud Hyperdisk, encryption type, block size).
Database engine support: the database engine is Cloud SQL for MySQL or Cloud SQL for PostgreSQL

If your cloning operation requires restoring to a specific point-in-time recovery (PITR) timestamp, the system defaults to the standard clone workflow to ensure accuracy in log recovery.

Comparison of clone methods

The following table compares the fast clone and standard clone features:

Feature	Standard clone	Fast clone
Technology	Standard snapshots	Instant Snapshots
Data movement	Full data copy to and from Cloud Storage. Duration is proportional to database size.	Metadata-only operation for same-zone cloning. Data size does not affect clone creation time.
Duration	Hours for large databases.	Seconds to minutes for clone creation steps.
Backup requirement	Creates a temporary full backup in Cloud Storage.	Uses an Instant Snapshot that is discarded after the new disk is created.
Applicability	Supports cross-zone and cross-region clones.	Supports only same-zone clones.

Frequently asked questions

Question	Answer
Does cloning impact performance?	No. Cloning has no performance impact on the source instance.
Are backups copied to the new instance?	No. The new instance creates new automated backups. Manual backups are not copied over from the source instance.
Does the new instance have the same IP address or addresses?	No. The new instance has a new IP address or addresses.
Does the new instance have the same configuration settings?	Yes. The new instance has the same settings such as database flags, connectivity options, machine type, and storage and memory settings.
Are replicas copied to the new instance?	No. You need to create new replicas for the new instance.
Can you clone a replica?	No. You can't clone a replica.
Can you make a clone from an earlier point in time?	Yes. Point-in-time recovery uses cloning to restore an instance from an earlier point in time. This helps you recover your database from a destructive event.
Are the maintenance settings of the source instance automatically copied to the clone instance?	No. You need to configure the maintenance settings for the clone instance.
Can you clone an instance when the zone for the instance isn't available?	Yes. If you clone a zonal instance, then you can specify a different primary zone for the instance. If you clone a high-availability (regional) instance, then you can specify different primary and secondary zones for the instance.
Can you clone a database to another project?	No. You can't clone a database to another project.
Can you clone an instance that was once a clone?	Yes. You can clone an instance that was cloned from another instance.
Are database users copied to the new instance?	Yes, database users are copied to the new instance. Passwords for these users are also copied so they don't need to be recreated.

Clone an instance

You can clone a Cloud SQL instance by using the Cloud de Confiance console, gcloud CLI, Terraform, or the API.

Console

In the Cloud de Confiance console, go to the Cloud SQL Instances page.

Go to Cloud SQL Instances
Find the row of the instance to clone.
In the Actions column, click the More Actions menu.
Click Create clone.
On the Create a clone page, update the instance ID if needed, and click Create clone, leaving Clone current state of instance selected.
You are returned to the instance listing page while the clone initializes.

gcloud

To clone an instance, use the gcloud sql instances clone command:

gcloud sql instances clone SOURCE_INSTANCE_NAME DESTINATION_INSTANCE_NAME \
--project PROJECT_ID \
--preferred-zone ZONE_NAME \
--preferred-secondary-zone SECONDARY_ZONE_NAME

Make the following replacements:

SOURCE_INSTANCE_NAME: the name of the Cloud SQL instance to clone.
DESTINATION_INSTANCE_NAME: the name of the cloned instance.
PROJECT_ID: the ID or project number of the Cloud de Confiance project that contains the source and destination instances.
ZONE_NAME: Optional. The name of the primary zone for the destination instance. Use this if you want the destination instance to be in a different primary zone than the Cloud SQL instance that you're cloning. For a regional instance, this zone replaces the primary zone, but the secondary zone remains the same as the source instance.
SECONDARY_ZONE_NAME: Optional. The name of the secondary zone for the destination instance. Use this to specify a different secondary zone for the regional Cloud SQL instance that you want to clone.

If you're using the --preferred-zone and --preferred-secondary-zone parameters, then the following conditions apply:

Both the primary and secondary zones must be valid zones.
Both zones must belong to the same region as the source instance.
The primary and secondary zones must be different.
For zonal instances, you can't use the --preferred-secondary-zone parameter. If you do, then the process to clone the instance fails.
If you don't specify values for either the --preferred-zone or --preferred-secondary-zone parameters, then the cloned instance has the same primary and secondary zones as the source instance.

To run the gcloud sql instances clone command, you must have the cloudsql.instances.clone permission. For more information about required permissions to run gcloud CLI commands, see Cloud SQL permissions.

Terraform

To clone the instance, use a Terraform resource

resource "google_sql_database_instance" "clone" {
  name             = "postgres-instance-clone-name"
  region           = "us-central1"
  database_version = "POSTGRES_12"
  clone {
    source_instance_name = google_sql_database_instance.source.id
  }
  # set `deletion_protection` to true, will ensure that one cannot accidentally delete this instance by
  # use of Terraform whereas `deletion_protection_enabled` flag protects this instance at the GCP level.
  deletion_protection = false
}

Apply the changes

To apply your Terraform configuration in a Cloud de Confiance project, complete the steps in the following sections.

Prepare Cloud Shell

Launch Cloud Shell.
Set the default Cloud de Confiance project where you want to apply your Terraform configurations.

You only need to run this command once per project, and you can run it in any directory.
```
export GOOGLE_CLOUD_PROJECT=PROJECT_ID
```
Environment variables are overridden if you set explicit values in the Terraform configuration file.

Prepare the directory

Each Terraform configuration file must have its own directory (also called a root module).

In Cloud Shell, create a directory and a new file within that directory. The filename must have the .tf extension—for example main.tf. In this tutorial, the file is referred to as main.tf.
```
mkdir DIRECTORY && cd DIRECTORY && touch main.tf
```
If you are following a tutorial, you can copy the sample code in each section or step.

Copy the sample code into the newly created main.tf.

Optionally, copy the code from GitHub. This is recommended when the Terraform snippet is part of an end-to-end solution.
Review and modify the sample parameters to apply to your environment.
Save your changes.
Initialize Terraform. You only need to do this once per directory.
```
terraform init
```
Optionally, to use the latest Google provider version, include the -upgrade option:
```
terraform init -upgrade
```

Apply the changes

Review the configuration and verify that the resources that Terraform is going to create or update match your expectations:
```
terraform plan
```
Make corrections to the configuration as necessary.
Apply the Terraform configuration by running the following command and entering yes at the prompt:
```
terraform apply
```
Wait until Terraform displays the "Apply complete!" message.
Open your Cloud de Confiance project to view the results. In the Cloud de Confiance console, navigate to your resources in the UI to make sure that Terraform has created or updated them.

Delete the changes

To delete your changes, do the following:

To disable deletion protection, in your Terraform configuration file set the deletion_protection argument to false.
```
deletion_protection =  "false"
```
Apply the updated Terraform configuration by running the following command and entering yes at the prompt:
```
terraform apply
```

Remove resources previously applied with your Terraform configuration by running the following command and entering yes at the prompt:
```
terraform destroy
```

REST v1

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

PROJECT_ID: the ID or project number of the Cloud de Confiance project that contains the source and destination instances.
SOURCE_INSTANCE_NAME: the name of the Cloud SQL instance to clone.
DESTINATION_INSTANCE_NAME: the name of the cloned instance.
ZONE_NAME: Optional. The name of the primary zone for the destination instance. Use this if you want the destination instance to be in a different primary zone than the Cloud SQL instance that you're cloning. For a regional instance, this zone replaces the primary zone, but the secondary zone remains the same as the source instance.
SECONDARY_ZONE_NAME: Optional. The name of the secondary zone for the destination instance. Use this to specify a different secondary zone for the regional Cloud SQL instance that you want to clone.

HTTP method and URL:

POST https://sqladmin.googleapis.com/v1/projects/PROJECT_ID/instances/SOURCE_INSTANCE_NAME/clone

Request JSON body:

{
  "cloneContext":
  {
    "destinationInstanceName": "DESTINATION_INSTANCE_NAME",
    "preferredZone": "ZONE_NAME",
    "preferredSecondaryZone": "SECONDARY_ZONE_NAME"
  }
}

To send your request, expand one of these options:

curl (Linux, macOS, or Cloud Shell)

Note: The following command assumes that you have logged in to the gcloud CLI with your user account by running gcloud init or gcloud auth login , or by using Cloud Shell, which automatically logs you into the gcloud CLI . You can check the currently active account by running gcloud auth list.

Save the request body in a file named 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://sqladmin.googleapis.com/v1/projects/PROJECT_ID/instances/SOURCE_INSTANCE_NAME/clone"

PowerShell (Windows)

Note: The following command assumes that you have logged in to the gcloud CLI with your user account by running gcloud init or gcloud auth login . You can check the currently active account by running gcloud auth list.

Save the request body in a file named 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://sqladmin.googleapis.com/v1/projects/PROJECT_ID/instances/SOURCE_INSTANCE_NAME/clone" | Select-Object -Expand Content

You should receive a JSON response similar to the following:

Response

{
  "kind": "sql#operation",
  "targetLink": "https://sqladmin.googleapis.com/v1/projects/PROJECT_ID/instances/DESTINATION_INSTANCE_NAME",
  "status": "PENDING",
  "user": "user@example.com",
  "insertTime": "2020-01-21T22:43:37.981Z",
  "operationType": "CLONE",
  "name": "OPERATION_ID",
  "targetId": "DESTINATION_INSTANCE_NAME",
  "selfLink": "https://sqladmin.googleapis.com/v1/projects/PROJECT_ID/operations/OPERATION_ID",
  "targetProject": "PROJECT_ID"
}

If you're using the preferredZone and preferredSecondaryZone parameters, then the following conditions apply:

Both the primary and secondary zones must be valid zones.
Both zones must belong to the same region as the source instance.
The primary and secondary zones must be different.
For zonal instances, you can't use the preferredSecondaryZone parameter. If you do, then the process to clone the instance fails.
If you don't specify values for either the preferredZone or preferredSecondaryZone parameters, then the cloned instance has the same primary and secondary zones as the source instance.

To use the instances.clone API method, you must have the cloudsql.instances.clone permission. For more information about required permissions to use API methods, see Cloud SQL permissions.

REST v1beta4

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

PROJECT_ID: the ID or project number of the Cloud de Confiance project that contains the source and destination instances.
SOURCE_INSTANCE_NAME: the name of the Cloud SQL instance to clone.
DESTINATION_INSTANCE_NAME: the name of the cloned instance.
ZONE_NAME: Optional. The name of the primary zone for the destination instance. Use this if you want the destination instance to be in a different primary zone than the Cloud SQL instance that you're cloning. For a regional instance, this zone replaces the primary zone, but the secondary zone remains the same as the source instance.
SECONDARY_ZONE_NAME: Optional. The name of the secondary zone for the destination instance. Use this to specify a different secondary zone for the regional Cloud SQL instance that you want to clone.

HTTP method and URL:

POST https://sqladmin.googleapis.com/sql/v1beta4/projects/PROJECT_ID/instances/SOURCE_INSTANCE_NAME/clone

Request JSON body:

{
  "cloneContext":
  {
    "destinationInstanceName": "DESTINATION_INSTANCE_NAME",
    "preferredZone": "ZONE_NAME",
    "preferredSecondaryZone": "SECONDARY_ZONE_NAME"
  }
}

To send your request, expand one of these options:

curl (Linux, macOS, or Cloud Shell)

Save the request body in a file named 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://sqladmin.googleapis.com/sql/v1beta4/projects/PROJECT_ID/instances/SOURCE_INSTANCE_NAME/clone"

PowerShell (Windows)

Save the request body in a file named 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://sqladmin.googleapis.com/sql/v1beta4/projects/PROJECT_ID/instances/SOURCE_INSTANCE_NAME/clone" | Select-Object -Expand Content

You should receive a JSON response similar to the following:

Response

{
  "kind": "sql#operation",
  "targetLink": "https://sqladmin.googleapis.com/sql/v1beta4/projects/PROJECT_ID/instances/DESTINATION_INSTANCE_NAME",
  "status": "PENDING",
  "user": "user@example.com",
  "insertTime": "2020-01-21T22:43:37.981Z",
  "operationType": "CLONE",
  "name": "OPERATION_ID",
  "targetId": "DESTINATION_INSTANCE_NAME",
  "selfLink": "https://sqladmin.googleapis.com/sql/v1beta4/projects/PROJECT_ID/operations/OPERATION_ID",
  "targetProject": "PROJECT_ID"
}

If you're using the preferredZone and preferredSecondaryZone parameters, then the following conditions apply:

Both the primary and secondary zones must be valid zones.
Both zones must belong to the same region as the source instance.
The primary and secondary zones must be different.
For zonal instances, you can't use the preferredSecondaryZone parameter. If you do, then the process to clone the instance fails.
If you don't specify values for either the preferredZone or preferredSecondaryZone parameters, then the cloned instance has the same primary and secondary zones as the source instance.

To use the instances.clone API method, you must have the cloudsql.instances.clone permission. For more information about required permissions to use API methods, see Cloud SQL permissions.

Clone an instance that uses an internal IP address

If your Cloud SQL instance uses an internal IP address, you can optionally specify an allocated IP range for the clone's new IP address. For example, google-managed-services-default.

gcloud

Clone the instance, optionally specifying the allocated IP range you want to use:

gcloud sql instances clone SOURCE_INSTANCE_NAME TARGET_INSTANCE_NAME \
--allocated-ip-range-name ALLOCATED_IP_RANGE_NAME

The user or service account that's running the gcloud sql instances clone command must have the cloudsql.instances.clone permission. For more information about required permissions to run gcloud CLI commands, see Cloud SQL permissions.

REST v1

Clone the instance, optionally specifying the allocated IP range you want to use:

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

project-id: the project ID
source-instance-id: the source instance ID
target-instance-id: the target instance ID
allocated-ip-range-name: the name of an allocated IP range

HTTP method and URL:

POST https://sqladmin.googleapis.com/v1/projects/project-id/instances/source-instance-id/clone

Request JSON body:

{
  "cloneContext":
  {
    "destinationInstanceName": "target-instance-id",
    "allocatedIpRange": "allocated-ip-range-name"
  }
}

To send your request, expand one of these options:

curl (Linux, macOS, or Cloud Shell)

Save the request body in a file named 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://sqladmin.googleapis.com/v1/projects/project-id/instances/source-instance-id/clone"

PowerShell (Windows)

Save the request body in a file named 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://sqladmin.googleapis.com/v1/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://sqladmin.googleapis.com/v1/projects/project-id/instances/target-instance-id",
  "status": "PENDING",
  "user": "user@example.com",
  "insertTime": "2020-01-21T22:43:37.981Z",
  "operationType": "CLONE",
  "name": "operation-id",
  "targetId": "target-instance-id",
  "selfLink": "https://sqladmin.googleapis.com/v1/projects/project-id/operations/operation-id",
  "targetProject": "project-id"
}

The user or service account that's using the instances.clone API method must have the cloudsql.instances.clone permission. For more information about required permissions to use API methods, see Cloud SQL permissions.

REST v1beta4

Clone the instance, optionally specifying the allocated IP range you want to use:

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

project-id: the project ID
source-instance-id: the source instance ID
target-instance-id: the target instance ID
allocated-ip-range-name: the name of an allocated IP range

HTTP method and URL:

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

Request JSON body:

{
  "cloneContext":
  {
    "destinationInstanceName": "target-instance-id",
    "allocatedIpRange": "allocated-ip-range-name"
  }
}

To send your request, expand one of these options:

curl (Linux, macOS, or Cloud Shell)

Save the request body in a file named 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://sqladmin.googleapis.com/sql/v1beta4/projects/project-id/instances/source-instance-id/clone"

PowerShell (Windows)

Save the request body in a file named 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://sqladmin.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://sqladmin.googleapis.com/sql/v1beta4/projects/project-id/instances/target-instance-id",
  "status": "PENDING",
  "user": "user@example.com",
  "insertTime": "2020-01-21T22:43:37.981Z",
  "operationType": "CLONE",
  "name": "operation-id",
  "targetId": "target-instance-id",
  "selfLink": "https://sqladmin.googleapis.com/sql/v1beta4/projects/project-id/operations/operation-id",
  "targetProject": "project-id"
}

If you don't specify an allocated IP range, the following behavior is applied:

If the source instance was created with a specified range, the cloned instance is created in the same range.
If the source instance was not created with a specified range, the cloned instance is created in a random range.

Troubleshoot

Issue Troubleshooting

Issue	Troubleshooting
Cloning fails with `constraints/sql.restrictAuthorizedNetworks` error.	The cloning operation is blocked by the `Authorized Networks` configuration. `Authorized Networks` are configured for public IP addresses in the Connectivity section of the Cloud de Confiance console, and cloning is not permitted due to security considerations. Remove all `Authorized Networks` entries from the Cloud SQL instance if you can. Otherwise, create a replica without any `Authorized Networks` entries.
Error message: `Failed to create subnetwork. Couldn't find free blocks in allocated IP ranges. Please allocate new ranges for this service provider. Help Token: [help-token-id].`	You're trying to use the Cloud de Confiance console to clone an instance with a private IP address, but you didn't specify the allocated IP range that you want to use and the source instance isn't created with the specified range. As a result, the cloned instance is created in a random range. Use `gcloud` to clone the instance and provide a value for the `--allocated-ip-range-name` parameter. For more information, see Cloning an instance with a private IP.

Cloning fails with constraints/sql.restrictAuthorizedNetworks error.

The cloning operation is blocked by the Authorized Networks configuration. Authorized Networks are configured for public IP addresses in the Connectivity section of the Cloud de Confiance console, and cloning is not permitted due to security considerations.

Remove all Authorized Networks entries from the Cloud SQL instance if you can. Otherwise, create a replica without any Authorized Networks entries.

Error message:

Failed to create subnetwork. Couldn't find free
      blocks in allocated IP ranges. Please allocate new ranges for this service
      provider. Help Token: [help-token-id].

You're trying to use the Cloud de Confiance console to clone an instance with a private IP address, but you didn't specify the allocated IP range that you want to use and the source instance isn't created with the specified range. As a result, the cloned instance is created in a random range.

Use gcloud to clone the instance and provide a value for the
--allocated-ip-range-name parameter. For more information, see Cloning an instance with a private IP.