Connect to a Cloud SQL for SQL Server instance with private IP

Overview

There are many ways to connect to a Cloud SQL instance with a private IP address, depending on where the source is located. The key factor is that the source machine must be in the same VPC network as the Cloud SQL instance. If the source is not in Google Cloud or not in the same Google Cloud project, then you have to configure connectivity differently than we show here.

In this quickstart, we configure connectivity through the most direct path. The source and target are in the same Google Cloud project and in the same VPC network. We create a Cloud SQL instance with a private IP address (the target) and a Compute Engine VM (the source). We use the VM to install and use the tools required to connect from the VM to the Cloud SQL instance.

Perform the following actions:

1. Create a Cloud SQL instance with a private IP address.

   Find and save the instance's connection name for later use.

2. Create a Compute Engine VM.
3. Open two SSH connections to the Compute Engine VM.

   You'll use the first window to install the sqlcmd and install and start the Cloud SQL Auth Proxy. Then you'll use the second window to connect to the Cloud SQL instance by connecting to the Cloud SQL Auth Proxy.

4. In SSH window #1, do the following:
   1. Install the sqlcmd client.
   2. Install the Cloud SQL Auth Proxy.

      The Cloud SQL Auth Proxy acts as a connector between the sqlcmd client and the Cloud SQL instance.

   3. Start the Cloud SQL Auth Proxy.

      On success, the Cloud SQL Auth Proxy listens for connection requests.

5. In SSH window #2, connect to the Cloud SQL instance by having the sqlcmd client connect to the Cloud SQL Auth Proxy.

   On success, you see your sqlcmd prompt in this window, and a successful connection message in SSH window #1, where the Cloud SQL Auth Proxy is running.

6. Clean up.

Create a Cloud SQL instance with a private IP address

To create an instance that uses private IP connections, do the following:

1. In the Google Cloud console, go to the Cloud SQL Get Started page.

   Go to Cloud SQL Get Started

2. In the Get started section, select the SQL Server tab and click Create Sandbox instance.
3. If you're prompted to enable the Compute API, click the Enable API button.
4. In the Instance info section, enter a name for the Instance ID.
5. Enter a password for the sqlserver user. Take note of the password you create, because you'll need it later.
6. In the Choose region and zonal availability section, select the Single zone option.
7. Expand Show configuration options.
8. Expand Connections.
9. Clear Public IP.
10. Select Private IP.
11. Select Private Service Access (PSA).
12. From the VPC Network drop-down, select default.
13. If you're using a new project, you're prompted by the message: Network connection is not set up, and a box titled Network setup confirmation required directs you to VPC documentation for setting up PSA.
1. In the Google Cloud console, go to the VPC networks page:

   Go to VPC networks

2. Select the default VPC network.
3. Set a firewall rule that allows access to TCP port 22:
1. Select the Firewall tab.
2. At VPC firewall rules, select Create VPC firewall rule.
3. Give the firewall rule a name.
4. Under Targets, select All instances in the network.
5. Under Source IPv4 ranges, enter 0.0.0.0/0.
6. Under Protocols and Ports, check TCP and then in the Ports box directly below, enter 22.
7. Select Create.
4. Allocate an IP address range:
1. Select the Private services access tab.
2. On the Private services access tab, select the Allocated IP ranges for services tab.
3. Click Allocate IP range.
4. Enter a Name and optionally a Description for the allocated range.
5. To let Google select an available range, select Automatic.
6. Enter a prefix length between 16 and 124 (the number of addresses allocated is equal to 2 to the (32 - prefix length).
7. Click Allocate to create the allocated range.
5. Create a private connection:
1. On the Private services access tab, switch to the Private connections to services tab.
2. Click the Create Connection button.
3. In the Assigned allocation drop-down in the Create a private connection box, select the name of the IP address range that you just created.
4. Click Connect.
6. When the connection has been created, return to where you were creating your Cloud SQL instance and click Confirm connection.
14. When the PSA connection is successfully created, click Create instance.

You're taken to the instance Overview page as the new instance is being created.

After the instance creation is complete, scroll to the Connect to this instance section and save the instance's Connection name. The connection name is in the format projectID:region:instanceID. You'll use this connection name later when starting the Cloud SQL Auth Proxy.

Create a Compute Engine VM

Follow these steps to create a VM:

1. In the Google Cloud console, go to the VM instances page.

   Go to VM instances

2. Click Create instance.
3. Enter a Name for the instance.
4. Select Data protection in the navigation pane and select No backups.
5. Select Security in the navigation pane, and under Access scopes, select Allow full access to all Cloud APIs.
6. Click Create and wait for the VM to finish being created.

Open two SSH connections to the Compute Engine VM

We use two windows in the VM. The first window is used to install the sqlcmd client and the Cloud SQL Auth Proxy, get the instance connection name, and use this name to start the proxy. The second window is used to connect to the Cloud SQL instance through the proxy.

1. Expand the SSH menu in the Connect column for your Compute Engine VM instance.
2. Select Open in browser window to open SSH window #1.

   It might take a few seconds for the prompt in the window to become available for you.

3. When the prompt appears, enter pwd to verify that you're in the /home/$USER directory.

   You'll install the sqlcmd client and the Cloud SQL Auth Proxy, and also start the Cloud SQL Auth Proxy, in this window.

4. Select Open in browser window again to open SSH window #2.

   You'll use this window to connect to your Cloud SQL instance.

Install the sqlcmd client

Use SSH window #1 for this step.

Install the SQL Server command-line tools (mssql-tools) for Ubuntu using these instructions.

Install the Cloud SQL Auth Proxy

Use SSH window #1 for this step.

1. Install wget:

   sudo apt-get install wget
       

2. Download the Cloud SQL Auth Proxy:

   wget https://storage.googleapis.com/cloud-sql-connectors/cloud-sql-proxy/v2.8.2/cloud-sql-proxy.linux.amd64 \
   -O cloud-sql-proxy
     

3. Make the Cloud SQL Auth Proxy executable:

   chmod +x cloud-sql-proxy
     

Start the Cloud SQL Auth Proxy

Use SSH window #1 for this step.

Start the Cloud SQL Auth Proxy so you can monitor its output. Replace INSTANCE_CONNECTION_NAME with the connection name you copied when you created the Cloud SQL instance.

./cloud-sql-proxy --private-ip INSTANCE_CONNECTION_NAME

When the Cloud SQL Auth Proxy starts successfully, a message similar to the following appears in the SSH window:

Listening on 127.0.0.1:1433 for myInstance
Ready for new connections

Connect to your Cloud SQL instance

Use SSH window #2 for this step.

Run the following command, replacing USER_NAME with your SQL Server username.

sqlcmd -S 127.0.0.1 -U USER_NAME

Return to the terminal window where you started the Cloud SQL Auth Proxy. You should see a message similar to the following:

New connection for myInstance