What does this skill do, and when should you use it?
This skill is focused on AlloyDB for PostgreSQL on Google Cloud, covering cluster, instance, and backup management. It provides reference material for the gcloud CLI, client libraries, Terraform, and the AlloyDB remote MCP service. It also explains AlloyDB's disaggregated compute and storage architecture and describes AlloyDB AI features such as vector search, hybrid search, and inference capabilities. It is suited to developers and database teams deploying or operating AlloyDB in Google Cloud.
It guides users through enabling the AlloyDB API and creating a cluster and primary instance with gcloud commands. It provides guidance for connecting to AlloyDB with Python, Java, Node.js, and Go client libraries and connectors. It also covers the remote AlloyDB MCP server, the Gemini CLI extension, Terraform configuration, IAM roles, service agents, and database authentication. For product information not present in its references, the SKILL.md points to the Developer Knowledge MCP server's search_documents tool.
- A Google Cloud developer needs to enable the AlloyDB API and create a development cluster and primary instance.
- A database engineer needs reference commands for managing AlloyDB clusters, instances, or backups.
- An application developer needs to connect to AlloyDB from Python, Java, Node.js, or Go.
- A platform engineer needs Terraform examples for AlloyDB infrastructure deployment.
- A cloud team needs guidance on IAM roles, service agents, or database authentication for AlloyDB.
- A user wants to automate AlloyDB database operations through the remote MCP server or Gemini CLI extension.
How do you install this skill?
- Require confirmation before create, restart, or delete operations, and state scope, cost, permissions, and recovery paths.
- Do not copy the plaintext password examples; use Secret Manager or IAM database authentication and verify current connector and CLI parameters.
- Before using MCP or public IP, verify the regional endpoint, authorized networks, IAM roles, and mainland-China network reachability.
- Shell / CLI
- Network access
- Local filesystem
- MCP Server
gcloud CLIAlloyDB remote MCP server
Run npx skills add google/skills, then select AlloyDB Basics during the installation flow. The source does not document a more specific installation directory, version requirement, or standalone installation command.
tmp="$(mktemp -d)"
git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/google/skills.git "$tmp"
mkdir -p ~/.claude/skills
cp -R "$tmp/skills/cloud/alloydb-basics" ~/.claude/skills/
rm -rf "$tmp"Generated from the source repository and skill path; it copies only this skill's folder. If the author's install steps above differ, follow those first. To scope it to one project, replace ~/.claude/skills with that project's .claude/skills.
How do you use this skill?
In an Agent Skills-compatible client, ask the agent to manage AlloyDB clusters, instances, or backups, or to explain AlloyDB CLI, client-library, Terraform, IAM, or MCP usage. The quick-start commands are: gcloud services enable alloydb.googleapis.com --quiet; gcloud alloydb clusters create my-cluster --region=us-central1 --password=my-password --network=my-vpc --quiet; and gcloud alloydb instances create my-primary --cluster=my-cluster --region=us-central1 --instance-type=PRIMARY --cpu-count=2 --quiet. For production, the source recommends IAM database authentication; if passwords are used, it recommends secure secret management such as Secret Manager.
What are this skill's strengths and limitations?
- Has a clearly defined focus on AlloyDB cluster, instance, and backup management.
- Combines gcloud, client-library, Terraform, IAM, and MCP references.
- Includes connection guidance for Python, Java, Node.js, and Go.
- The repository is licensed under Apache-2.0 and is under active development.
- The SKILL.md provides a quick start and reference directory rather than a complete operational runbook or sample outputs.
- The source provides no test suite, platform validation results, or troubleshooting catalog.
- MCP automation depends on a remote AlloyDB MCP server, but deployment, authentication, and availability details are not documented.
- The quick-start cluster command passes a password directly, so it requires production hardening.
How does this skill compare with similar options?
Side by side with related skills; every score comes from the same FSRS standard.
| Skill | FS score | Stars | Last updated | License |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AlloyDB Database Manager this page ✓ Google · Official | 48 · Use with care | ★ 21k | 12d ago | Apache-2.0 |
| Cloud SQL Essentials ✓ Google · Official | 45 · Not recommended | ★ 21k | 12d ago | Apache-2.0 |
| Agent Platform Model Registry Manager ✓ Google · Official | 48 · Use with care | ★ 21k | 12d ago | Apache-2.0 |
| Google Cloud Data Lineage Summary ✓ Google · Official | 49 · Use with care | ★ 21k | 12d ago | Apache-2.0 |
| Google Cloud Borderless Lakehouse Architect ✓ Google · Official | 45 · Not recommended | ★ 21k | 12d ago | Apache-2.0 |
How did FollowSkills review this skill?
The skill covers IAM, private networking, TLS, VPC-SC, CMEK, and IAM database authentication, and warns against 0.0.0.0/0; however, the quick start and Terraform example still show plaintext passwords, while create, restart, and delete effects lack confirmation, least-privilege detail, data-flow disclosure, and rollback guidance, so points are deducted.
The command, connector, Terraform, KCC, and MCP paths are organized, with limited guidance for failures; however, there are no committed tests or CI evidence, and parameter completeness, version compatibility, deletion recovery, and MCP failure handling are thin. Static evidence cannot support a score above 10, so points are deducted.
The audience and scenarios for AlloyDB operations, connectivity, and infrastructure configuration are reasonably clear, with several languages and deployment models covered; however, trigger conditions, non-fit boundaries, and input/output contracts are absent. Chinese support and mainland-China reachability are not addressed, and core use depends on Google Cloud and regional MCP endpoints, so points are deducted.
The references are layered across concepts, CLI, clients, MCP, IaC, and security, and include installation examples, links, licensing, repository installation, and issue-reporting paths; however, the skill lacks its own version, changelog, named maintenance responsibility, compatibility matrix, FAQ, and systematic limitation disclosure, so points are deducted.
The material can support common AlloyDB cluster, instance, backup, connection, and IaC tasks, and the examples are directly useful as starting points; however, commands and configurations are not reproducibly verified in the files, some examples rely on placeholders or insecure password patterns, and production completeness and alternatives are limited, so points are deducted.
The skill links to auditable first-party Google Cloud, Terraform Provider, connector-test, and MCP materials; however, it contains no committed test suite, CI coverage, or recorded results, and key commands and security claims lack corroborating evidence. Static review is capped at 5, so points are deducted.
Open a dimension to read why it scored that way
Evidence confidence：Low — Mostly static review, author material or a limited demo; useful for discovery, not high-risk decisions.
See the full review method →