Databases on the Google Cloud Next 24

Heading to Google Next? Here is my list to attend or watch next week. I am a database person, so you can guess what my picks are. Here are the latest updates in database and AI across the entire line of database services.

Let’s start from keynotes — it is always fun to watch and it is some kind of essence of all news in a compressed format.

• Opening Keynote: The new way to cloud. Tuesday 9am — A lot of announcements and news delivered by Thomas Kurian and the team including my colleague Gabe Weiss among presenters — don’t miss it out.
• Fast. Simple. Cutting edge. Pick three. Wednesday 10:30 AM Don’t miss! — Developers keynote done by Brad Calder, Richard Seroter, some of our customers and tons of my colleagues. It should be fun to watch. And the punch line in the title! I don’t know who came out with it but it is brilliant. My bet — it was Richard Seroter (disclaimer — I have no knowledge who has come with the title).
• What’s next for Google Cloud databases — SPTL203 Tuesday 2:15 PM delivered by Andi Gutmans with customers, partners and my dear colleagues Sandy Ghai, Anita Kibunguchy-Grant and Gabe Weiss — dedicated to the database news, a lot of good exciting news. I personally hope to watch really cool demos.

Now let’s look in more details about databases. Of course one of the main themes is Gen AI in databases. Some sessions I think will be really interesting on how Google and customers can use the new generative AI.

• Intro AlloyDB AI — IHWS118 — Tuesday 4:15 PM — Tech Training Zone 4 in Innovation Hive. If you have 30 min at the end of the first day come over and try AlloyDB AI integration with Vertex AI. And, of course, welcome to the Innovation Hive at any time to chat about databases and AI.
• Under the hood: Redefining vector search for generative AI application development — DBS219 — Tuesday 4:45 PM — Don’t miss this one if you are in AI and vector search. Andy Brook, Alan Li and Yannis Papakonstantinou will talk about the latest and greatest techniques in vector search. I am personally looking forward to that one.
• Effortless database management with AI — DBS105 — Wednesday 8 AM — My colleagues Nimesh Bhagat, Cat Colman and Alexey Ossikine along with Bogdan Capatina from Ford discuss how AI helps with database management and monitoring. If you have a production database to manage you know how important it is.
• Next-generation AI-assisted migrations from Oracle to AlloyDB with Gemini — DBS103 — Wednesday 9:15 AM — How AI helps with cross-engine migrations from Oracle to AlloyDB. I know 9:15 AM is hard and the coffee lines in Mandalay Bay are long. But it is worth it.
• Accelerate your generative AI journey with Google Cloud databases — DBS200 — Wednesday 12:30 PM — My friends Yoav Eilat and Jana van Greunen will explain integration of our flagman databases services AlloyDB and Cloud SQL with AI and how it helps to bring all the benefits of AI to the real world. Should be really cool.
• A deep dive into AlloyDB for PostgreSQL — DBS216 Wednesday 01:45 PM — Presented by Ravi Murthy and Sandy Ghai along with Aaron Joyce from Bayer. It will be a deep dive into AlloyDB and integration with AI.
• The future of databases and generative AI — DBS104 — Wednesday 1:45 PM — Our VP of engineering Sailesh Krishnamurthy and Fiona Tan from Wayfair will discuss the vector search in Google databases and integration with AI. I am really interested to hear about real cases and how it is implemented.
• Generative AI use-cases and design patterns with Databases — DBS218 — Thursday 2:45 PM — Presented by Pranav Nambiar and Kurtis Van Gent. — Technical with deep dive to real use cases. Third day at Next is not a half day — it is still a real conference. Don’t miss it.

The next topic is about my special point of interest — AlloyDB and its sibling AlloyDB Omni. I don’t know why but sometimes I feel like AlloyDB Omni is some kind of home slippers — you put it on easy and you really feel good wearing them.

• Accelerate analytics and semantic search in real-time with AlloyDB for PostgreSQL — DBS214 — Wednesday 3 PM — my colleagues Sam Idicula and Sridhar Ranganathan will tell about all AlloyDB AI and the AlloyDB unique features which can help with analytical workload.
• Beyond PostgreSQL: Modernize your applications anywhere with AlloyDB Omni — DBS215 Wednesday 4:15 PM — Bjoern Rost, Kevin Jernigan ,Tabby Lewis along with old friend Nelson Calero will talk about our downloadable version of AlloyDB — AlloyDB Omni and how it can be deployed including Kubernetes with HA, DR and other great features.
• Run your generative AI application anywhere with AlloyDB Omni — no strings attached — DBS106 — Thursday 9:45 AM — GG Goindi, Tabby Lewis and Sharanya Desai will discuss about new possibilities when AlloyDB Omni is used with locally hosted models and sensitive data.
• How to use managed database services in an air-gapped on-premises environment — ARC308 — Thursday at 11 AM and delivered by my colleagues Bjoern Rost, Cat Colman and Jay Gindin. It talks about database management and new ways to integrate on-premises and cloud services.

Some good sessions about migrations and database management.

• Best practices to maximize the availability of your Cloud SQL databases — DBS210 — on Tuesday at 12:15 PM — Gopal Ashok, Rahul Deshmukh and Patrick Kirby from Workday will discuss best practices for Cloud SQL.
• Migrate enterprise-grade workloads to Cloud SQL for SQL Server — DBS213 — Thursday 12:15 PM — about moving workloads to Cloud SQL for SQL Server delivered by Google folks Mohamed Kabiruddin and Erez Alsheich along with Nitin Shingate from GoodRx

That’s only a small part of what is coming on the Next. It is going to be 3 full days of learning communications and fun. And don’t forget to visit Innovation Hive and Showcase areas with tons of great stuff.