Underutilized Cloud SQL Instance

Service Category

Cloud Provider

GCP

Service Name

GCP Cloud SQL

Inefficiency Type

Underutilized Resource

Explanation

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 leads to unnecessary spend. Common causes include: * Initial oversizing during launch that was never revisited * Non-production environments with continuous uptime but minimal use * Databases used intermittently (e.g., for nightly reports) but kept running 24/7 Without rightsizing or scheduling strategies, these instances generate ongoing cost with limited business value.

Relevant Billing Model

Billed based on: * vCPU and memory provisioned per instance-hour * Storage provisioned (per GB-month) and IOPS for SSDs * Backups and network egress Charges accrue regardless of utilization levels; costs reflect provisioned capacity, not actual usage.

Detection

Review CPU and memory utilization trends over a representative period
Identify instances with consistently low usage relative to provisioned specs
Check for instances with uptime but no active connections or query activity
Evaluate whether the environment (dev, test, QA) requires full-time availability
Examine storage and IOPS usage to identify excessive disk allocation

Remediation

Right-size vCPU and memory allocations based on actual performance needs
Schedule automatic shutdown for non-production instances during off-hours
Use Cloud SQL’s stop/start capability for intermittent workloads
Evaluate if the workload can be moved to a lower-cost alternative like Cloud SQL Auth Proxy \+ serverless alternatives for occasional querying
Implement monitoring to trigger reviews when utilization stays below a threshold

Relevant Documentation

* Cloud SQL Pricing * View Cloud SQL Instance Metrics * Start and Stop a Cloud SQL Instance

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