Connecting to a cloud database using SQL CLI

16 Oct 2023

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In this tutorial, we will explore how to connect to a cloud database using SQL Command Line Interface (CLI). Many cloud service providers offer SQL CLI tools that allow you to connect to and manage your cloud databases directly from the command line.

Prerequisites

Before we begin, make sure you have the following prerequisites:

A cloud database instance (such as an Amazon RDS, Google Cloud SQL, or Azure SQL Database)
SQL CLI installed on your local machine. You can usually download the CLI tool from the service provider’s website or install it using a package manager.

Steps to Connect to Cloud Database using SQL CLI

Step 1: Obtain Connection Details

To connect to your cloud database, you’ll need the following connection details:

Host/Endpoint: The hostname or endpoint of your cloud database instance.
Port: The port number on which the database is accessible. It is usually 3306 for MySQL, 5432 for PostgreSQL, or 1433 for MS SQL Server.
Username: The username used to authenticate with the database.
Password: The password associated with the username.
Database: (Optional) The name of the specific database you want to connect to. If not provided, you will connect to the default database.

You can typically find these details in your cloud service provider’s management console or the documentation specific to your database instance.

Step 2: Open Command Line Interface

Open your terminal or command prompt to start the SQL CLI tool.

Step 3: Connect to the Cloud Database

Use the following command syntax to connect to your cloud database:

sql-cli --host <hostname> --port <port> --user <username> --password <password> --database <database>

Replace <hostname>, <port>, <username>, <password>, and <database> with the appropriate values.

Here’s an example command to connect to a PostgreSQL database hosted on Google Cloud SQL:

sql-cli --host my-instance-12345.us-central1.rds.google.com --port 5432 --user myuser --password mypassword --database mydatabase

Step 4: Execute SQL Commands

Once connected, you can start executing SQL commands directly from the CLI. For example, you can run a SELECT query to retrieve data or an INSERT statement to insert new records.

Step 5: Disconnect and Exit

To disconnect from the cloud database and exit the SQL CLI, type exit or quit and press Enter.

That’s it! You have successfully connected to your cloud database using SQL CLI and executed SQL commands from the command line.

Remember to secure your connection details and use strong and secure passwords to protect your cloud resources.

Conclusion

Using SQL CLI to connect to your cloud database allows you to interact with your database more conveniently from the command line. It provides a flexible and efficient way to manage and execute SQL commands without the need for a graphical user interface.

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