Oracle Free Tier

[SkrOYC]

Free and strong database?

I’m learning about database and the kind.
I end up with this:

oracle.com

Access Cloud Services for Free

Oracle Cloud Free Tier provides enterprises with Always Free Cloud Services that can be used for an unlimited time.

I’m curious if someone has some knowledge about it and if there is any kind of compatibility as a backend/database for AppSheet.
I like to learn by my own but this is something that seems like it’ll take a lot of time so I’d love to hear some comments from you before I dig deep into it

[WillowMobileSys]

SkrOYC:

if there is any kind of compatibility as a backend/database for AppSheet.

I have not used this particular service (i have used Oracle) but Yes you should be able to use these databases with AppSheet. Oracle is a relational database like SQL Server or MySQL, just more powerful - at least its enterprise versions are - and it follows many of the same syntax and protocols. There are some differences.

Keep in mind that although the database itself is free, AppSheet still has to support connecting to the database from its servers. That part is NOT free. Your apps will still require a plan that allows database connectivity. Those plans are now priced per user - I think $20/user for the cheapest.

Also, check the plans for the Oracle database service. The connectivity itself might be free but there is likely charges for the AMOUNT OF DATA stored within the database. Free for small databases but as they grow, charges are incurred when data reaches a certain threshold. This is as it should be and is in line with many other cloud based services.

And it is indeed the case. I just checked their site from the your link above and they have this note with all of the limits the free plan has of which many I don’t understand the meaning:

"Use your Always Free resources as long as you want with no time 
constraints—subject only to the capacity limits noted."

---

Is there some technical reason why you are considering a database as the backend data store?

[SkrOYC]

WillowMobileSystems:

Is there some technical reason why you are considering a database as the backend data store?

In general, there are three things:

1. A more profesional database for my apps. I’d like to tell my new clients “I have the data on a SQL database under AWS/Azure/Oracle” instead of “It’s an excel on my onedrive”
2. Faster security filters. I have found by my reading that security filters are applied in the database itself. Today I have some apps that are multi-company, multi-user, multi-season, and those could benefit a lot from this since the sync process is a litle bit slow sometimes.
3. I want to be able to create reports with the data from services like PowerBI. It’s harder to connect to a file on Onedrive for that instead of SQL that is an industry standard

[WillowMobileSys]

SkrOYC:

In general, there are three things:

In general I agree with starting off with a database from the beginning - if its financially feasible. Unfortunately, just about anyway you go about achieving a database-enabled AppSheet app there is an extra cost for it. If you can swallow that cost then I say go for it!!!

SkrOYC:

I have found by my reading that security filters are applied in the database itself.

I don’t believe this is correct. My understanding is no matter what is used as the source, the full data must be loaded onto the AppSheet servers in order for Security Filters to be applied.

[SkrOYC]

WillowMobileSystems:

no matter what is used as the source, the full data must be loaded onto the AppSheet servers in order for Security Filters to be applied.

help.appsheet.com

Scaling Using Security Filters

Security filters can be used to limit the data fetched by AppSheet on a per-user basis.

Security Filters with Database Data

When security filters are used with database sources, there is the potential for the system to convert the security filter into a database query. To explain, if the underlying database table has a million records but the security filter limits the table to those where the value of the Email column is “mary@mydomain.com”, there are two ways this can be executed:

• Fetch all the million rows from the database to the AppSheet backend, evaluate the filter and retain just the ten records that match, or
• Send the database a query: SELECT * from MyTable where Email = ‘mary@mydomain.com’. The database would return just the ten records that match.

Obviously, the second approach is much more efficient. Database systems have techniques like indexing that can run such queries quickly. AppSheet can scale to handle millions of database records, provided the security filters can be mapped to efficient queries.

AppSheet attempts to “push” the security filter into the SQL query for the following database providers:

• MySql
• Microsoft SQL Server
• MariaDB
• Oracle
• Postgres
• Redshift

[WillowMobileSys]

SkrOYC:

there is the potential for the system to convert the security filter into a database query.

Oh! I didn’t know. It makes sense. I guess it all depends on how robust the AppSheet capabilities are to transform a Security Filter expression into a query. Some Security Filters could become quite complex.

[SkrOYC]

WillowMobileSystems:

Some Security Filters could become quite complex.

I was thinking about that.
But, in general, if we end up with an = expression it should work.
Maybe AND() expressions and others could be more problematic.
Although I don’t know a lot about SQL queries yet and they may be more compatible/comparable to AppSheet expressions than we may think

[takuya_miyai]

Hi @SkrOYC @WillowMobileSystems

The use of SQL server in AppSheet is a possibility, but there are still many unknowns for me, so your discussions are very helpful. Thank you.

By the way, if you don’t need Oracle Database, GCP has a free plan.
I have installed and tested MySQL with the free GCE. (For production use, I use Cloud SQL.)

Install MySQL on Always Free GCE and use it from AppSheet Tips & Tricks 💡

For production, we should use Cloud SQL. However, if we just want to verify the integration with MySQL, we may want to use Always Free GCE. Because it’s always free! In this case, I have restricted the connection with the Firewall of the VPC network, but if you want to use it in a formal production environment, please ensure security by yourself. Working Procedure Setup GCE (Ubuntu 16.04 LTE) Install MySQL Setup MySQL Firewall settings for VPC network Connecting from AppSheet GCE …

I hope this will be helpful for your SQL server hack.

[SkrOYC]

Thanks @Takuya_Miyai for that article, I’ll take a look tomorrow since I’m on the other side of the globe.
BTW, I’ve to admit that I’m a person that’s aware of its privacy and, to some point, I’d to touch as little as posible to Google and it services.
Anyway, I think that your article could be a solution if Oracle’s free tier can’t sufice or just don’t work

[takuya_miyai]

Hi @SkrOYC

SkrOYC:

BTW, I’ve to admit that I’m a person that’s aware of its privacy and, to some point, I’d to touch as little as posible to Google and it services.

I understand that there are cases where personal or company policies dictate such.

It would be great if AWS or Azure could prepare a service that can be used for developer
environment.

[SkrOYC]

Takuya_Miyai:

It would be great if AWS or Azure could prepare a service that can be used for developer
environment.

@Takuya_Miyai would you matter to explain what do you mean by this?

[takuya_miyai]

SkrOYC:

@Takuya_Miyai would you matter to explain what do you mean by this?

@SkrOYC

If we want to avoid entrusting our personal information to Google, I think AWS, Azure, or Oracle like in this thread are the candidates.
I was just thinking that it would be good to have more such options, so I don’t really have a deeper meaning.

However, as far as I know, AWS and Azure don’t offer a free perpetual managed SQL server service or a compute service like GCE.
That’s why I used Google Always Free plan even before I started using AppSheet.
I will always pay for the production environment, but I will be really happy if I can use the development environment for free all the time, and I will become a fan of that vendor.

[SkrOYC]

Gotcha.
I’m working with

Amazon Web Services, Inc.

Free Cloud Computing Services - AWS Free Tier

Gain hands-on experience with the AWS platform, products, and services for free with the AWS Free Tier offerings. Browse 100 offerings for AWS free tier services.

If I can make it work, I’ll make a topic similar to yours about it hopping to help users to get into SQL. RDS is free for 12 months though

[takuya_miyai]

SkrOYC:

If I can make it work, I’ll make a topic similar to yours about it hopping to help users to get into SQL.

Whoa!
I’m looking forward to it.

[WillowMobileSys]

SkrOYC:

BTW, I’ve to admit that I’m a person that’s aware of its privacy and, to some point, I’d to touch as little as posible to Google and it services.

If you are referring to data collection of personal information, yes Google is king of that. BUT, it doesn’t matter where your information is. If it’s on the web, Google will find it. They are very good at piecing together personal information from all the various places. They are not the only company that does BTW!

On the flip side, if you are referring to privacy from an account access perspective, Google has one of the most secure systems out there from data breaches.

[SkrOYC]

WillowMobileSystems:

If it’s on the web, Google will find it

Fair enough

WillowMobileSystems:

They are not the only company that does BTW!

True. The problem is that, aside from Facebook/Meta, Google/Alphabet is the biggest/powerfulest of them all