The $3,600 Backup Bill That Made Us Rethink Our Cloud SQL Strategy
"Why are we paying double for Cloud SQL backups?"
It started innocently enough. We wanted to make sure our Cloud SQL databases were safe, so we enabled automated backups. Sound familiar? We patted ourselves on the back for being proactive. Then came the sticker shock.
Our monthly bill showed over 10TB of backup storage for Cloud SQL, totaling a hefty $3,600. For a growing startup like ours, that was a significant chunk of our cloud budget.
The Double Backup Dilemma
During a cost review, we discovered the culprit: we had both automated backups *and* manual snapshots running. Turns out, our engineers, in their zeal for data security, had been creating manual snapshots for various purposes – testing, staging, and even just “in case.” These snapshots, alongside the automated backups, were creating redundant copies of our data, essentially doubling our storage costs.
The Cleanup Chaos
Our first attempt at a solution was manual. We started deleting old snapshots, but it was a tedious and error-prone process. We had to carefully identify which snapshots were genuinely needed and which were redundant. This consumed valuable engineering time and still left us vulnerable to human error.
EazyOps: A Breath of Fresh Air
Enter EazyOps. We integrated EazyOps into our GCP environment, and it immediately identified the backup duplication issue. EazyOps allowed us to consolidate our backup policies, automating the deletion of redundant snapshots while ensuring we maintained sufficient backups for recovery. We could define clear retention policies for both automated backups and manual snapshots, ensuring data safety without unnecessary storage costs.
The Payoff: More Money, Less Worry
Within a month, our Cloud SQL backup storage was reduced by 50%, cutting our monthly bill in half - a savings of $1,800! Beyond the immediate cost savings, we gained peace of mind knowing our backups were optimized and our data was secure. The automated policy management freed up our engineers to focus on more strategic tasks.
About Shujat
Shujat is a Senior Backend Engineer at EazyOps, working at the intersection of performance engineering, cloud cost optimization, and AI infrastructure. He writes to share practical strategies for building efficient, intelligent systems.