Diagram
A decision tree that branches on whether data is structured, semi-structured, or unstructured, then on workload type, to recommend Cloud SQL, BigQuery, Datastore, Bigtable, or Cloud Storage.
Matching Characteristics to Storage Solutions
Matching data characteristics to storage solutions means comparing schema rigidity, query pattern, and scale, then selecting the service whose design fits those needs. Structured transactional data flows into relational stores, structured analytical data flows into BigQuery datasets and tables, flexible operational data flows into Datastore or Bigtable, and files and media flow into Cloud Storage buckets and objects.
| Data type | Key attributes | Storage solution |
|---|---|---|
| Structured | Fixed schema, typed columns, SQL and OLAP queries | BigQuery for analytics, Cloud SQL for OLTP with full SQL |
| Semi-structured | Flexible or nested fields, schemaless, highly available key-based reads | Firestore in Datastore mode (Datastore) for document scale, Bigtable when ACID is not required |
| Unstructured | No fixed schema, files and large objects, metadata plus content | Cloud Storage buckets and objects, with metadata in BigQuery or NDJSON |
Domain 2 of 2
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