To securely connect Cloud Build to an AlloyDB cluster using a private IP address and adhere to Google-recommended security practices, you need to address two main aspects:
Network Connectivity:Ensuring Cloud Build can reach the private IP of the AlloyDB cluster.
Authentication/Credential Management:Securely authenticating Cloud Build to the AlloyDB cluster.
Let's break down why Option B is the most suitable:
Cloud Build Private Pool:AlloyDB is accessed via a private IP in your VPC. Cloud Build's default build environment runs on Google-managed infrastructure outside your VPC and cannot directly access private IP addresses. To enable this, you must use aCloud Build private pool. A private pool can be configured with VPC peering to your default VPC, allowing build steps running within that pool to access resources like your AlloyDB cluster via their private IPs. Option B correctly includes "execute the schema migration script in a private pool."
Service Account with Permissions (IAM Database Authentication):AlloyDB supports IAM database authentication. This is a Google-recommended security practice because it allows you to manage database access using Google Cloud's Identity and Access Management (IAM) rather than relying on traditional database passwords.
You would create a dedicated service account for Cloud Build (or use the private pool's service account).
This service account would be granted the necessary IAM roles to connect to the AlloyDB instance (e.g., roles/alloydb.client) and a database-level IAM role for login (e.g., roles/alloydb.user or roles/alloydb.admin depending on the permissions needed for schema migration).
Cloud Build would then be configured to use this service account. The "permission to access the database" in Option B refers to these IAM permissions. This method avoids managing and distributing database passwords.
Analyzing the options:
A. Set up a Cloud Build private pool to access the database through a static external IP address...
While using a private pool is correct for network access, routing this through a staticexternalIP for a resource that has aprivateIP is generally not the first-choice secure pattern if direct private access is feasible. It adds complexity and a potential external exposure point, even if firewalled. The aim is to keep traffic within the private network as much as possible.
B. Create a service account that has permission to access the database. Configure Cloud Build to use this service account and execute the schema migration script in a private pool.
This option correctly combines the use of aprivate pool(for private IP network access) with aservice account having permissions(strongly implying IAM database authentication for AlloyDB, which is a best practice). This is a secure and robust approach.
C. Add the database username and encrypted password to the application configuration file...
Storing credentials, even if "encrypted" (the method and key management for encryption are unspecified and problematic), in application configuration files checked into source control or packaged with the application is a significant security risk and not a recommended practice.
D. Add the database username and password to Secret Manager. When running the schema migration script, retrieve the username and password from Secret Manager.
UsingSecret Managerto store database usernames and passwords is a Google-recommended practiceifyou are using password-based authentication. However, this optionalonedoes not solve the network connectivity issue for Cloud Build to reach the private IP of AlloyDB. You would still need a private pool. While D is good for secret management, B offers a more comprehensive solution that includes both the network aspect and implies a more modern authentication method (IAM database auth). If the question forced a choice between only doing secure credential storage (D) or doing IAM auth + private networking (B), B is more complete for the overall task.
Conclusion:Option B is the most aligned with Google-recommended security practices as it addresses both the necessary private network connectivity via a Cloud Build private pool and promotes the use of IAM-based database authentication for AlloyDB, which is generally preferred over managing passwords.
References (General Concepts):
Cloud Build Private Pools for VPC Access:Google Cloud documentation for Cloud Build explicitly details using private pools to connect to resources in a VPC network.
See:https://www.google.com/search?q=https://cloud.google.com/build/docs/private-pools/accessing-private-resources-with-private-pools
AlloyDB IAM Database Authentication:Google Cloud documentation for AlloyDB highlights IAM database authentication as a secure method.
See:https://www.google.com/search?q=https://cloud.google.com/alloydb/docs/iam-authentication
Secret Manager:If password authentication were the only option, Secret Manager would be the recommended way to store those credentials.
See:https://cloud.google.com/secret-manager
Option B synergizes the benefits of private networking and modern IAM-based authentication for a comprehensive secure solution.
