| copyright |
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| lastupdated | 2026-10-14 | ||
| keywords | cloud databases gen 2 overview | ||
| subcollection | cloud-databases-gen2 |
{{site.data.keyword.attribute-definition-list}}
{: #overview-gen1-gen2}
[Gen 2]{: tag-purple}
{{site.data.keyword.databases-for}} support an extensive portfolio of relational and non-relational (NoSQL) databases and integrations to support building a wide range of application types across all industries. The following page outlines the key differences between {{site.data.keyword.databases-for}} built on IBM’s Classic platform (Gen 1) and the latest VPC-based platform (Gen 2).
{: #gen1}
IBM’s original platform that consists of all databases across all regions and a rich feature set. Gen 1 Databases support both private and public endpoints, with options for isolated and shared compute. This environment is best suited for workloads that benefit from simpler networking and isolation features.
{: #gen2}
Gen 2 databases are built on {{site.data.keyword.cloud}}’s latest platform, based on highly secure software-defined networking architecture and ideal for cloud-native applications. Gen 2 Databases are currently only available in select regions only and support private endpoints and isolated compute options. This environment is ideal for modern applications that demand advanced networking and secure, software-defined isolation.
{: #feature-differentiators}
| Category | Gen 1 | Gen 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Regions | Multizone location (MZR) Dallas (us-south) Frankfurt (eu-de) London (eu-gb) Madrid (eu-es) Osaka (jp-osa) São Paulo (br-sao) Sydney (au-syd) Tokyo (jp-tok) Toronto (ca-tor) Washington (us-east) |
Multizone location (MZR) Dallas (us-south) London (eu-gb) Madrid (eu-es) Osaka (jp-osa) São Paulo (br-sao) Sydney (au-syd) Tokyo (jp-tok) Toronto (ca-tor) Washington (us-east) Single-campus MZR (SC-MZR) Chennai - Airtel (in-che) Montreal (ca-mon) Mumbai (in-mum) |
| Database editions | PostgreSQL MongoDB (Standard and Enterprise) Redis Elasticsearch (Enterprise and Platinum) MySQL RabbitMQ |
PostgreSQL MongoDB (Standard and Enterprise) Redis Elasticsearch (Standard and Enterprise) MySQL RabbitMQ |
| Endpoints | Private endpoints Public endpoints |
Private endpoints |
| Hosting models | Isolated compute Shared compute |
Isolated compute |
| Database versions supported | Minimum 2, varies per database | Latest |
| Autoscaling | Yes | Future release |
| Read replicas (SQL only) | Yes | Future release |
| {: caption="Feature differentiators" caption-side="bottom"} |
{: #performance-differentiators}
| Category | Gen 1 | Gen 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Compute generation | IBM Classic infrastructure | IBM Cloud VPC |
| Availability | High availability | High availability |
| Deployment time frame | Minutes | Minutes |
| Pricing | Hourly and monthly billing | Hourly and monthly billing |
| Backup and restore | Timing depends on the size of backup and performance impact during backup | Consistent, fast Comparison of Gen 1 and Gen 2 backups |
| {: caption="Performance differentiators" caption-side="bottom"} |
{: #access-compliance-security-differentiators}
| Category | Gen 1 | Gen 2 |
|---|---|---|
| User and role management | Database admin user created by IBM |
Database "manager" by using service-credential |
| Certificate type | Signed by IBM Cloud Database Certificate Authority | Certificates signed by a Certificate Authority (Let's Encrypt) |
| Encryption | Encryption at Rest Encryption in Transit Customer-managed encryption - Bring your own key (BYOK) |
Encryption at Rest Encryption in Transit Customer-managed encryption - Bring your own key (BYOK) |
| Compliance | FS Cloud GDPR ISO 27001, 27017, 27018 SOC 1, SOC 2 PCI DSS HIPAA |
FS Cloud GDPR ISO 27001, 27017, 27018SOC 1 SOC 2 PCI DSS HIPAA |
| {: caption="Access, compliance, and security differentiators" caption-side="bottom"} |