A PolarDB for MySQL cluster is locked after the cluster expires or when the cluster payment becomes overdue. To unlock the cluster, you can add funds to your account or renew the cluster.

Warning A cluster cannot be used after it expires or when the cluster payment becomes overdue. In this case, the system sends you a notification. We recommend that you add funds to your account or renew the cluster in a timely manner to prevent possible service interruptions.

Cluster expiration and overdue payments

Cluster type Impact Solution
Subscription

The cluster remains in the running state from the first day to the fifteenth day after the cluster expires.

  • You can renew the cluster to prevent the cluster from being released after the cluster expires. For more information, see Manual renewal.
  • If the cluster is moved to Cluster Recycle after the cluster is released, you can restore the released cluster by using the backup set in Cluster Recycle. For more information, see Restore a released cluster.
The cluster is stopped and enters the locked state on the sixteenth day after the cluster expires, and remains in that state until the thirtieth day. During this period, the cluster cannot be accessed.
The cluster is released on the thirty-first day after the cluster expires.

The following data retention policies apply after the cluster is released:

  • If you set Release Cluster to Retain Last Automatic Backup (Automatic Backup Before Release) (Default) or Retain All Backups when you create a cluster, the data in the cluster is retained and the cluster is moved to Pricing.
  • If you set Release Cluster to Delete All Backups (Cannot be Restored), the cluster is completely released and no data is retained.
Pay-as-you-go If you have an overdue payment in your Alibaba Cloud account, all pay-as-you-go clusters in this account become overdue.

The cluster remains in the running state during the first day to the fifteenth day after the cluster payment becomes overdue.

  • Before your cluster is released, you can add funds to the Alibaba Cloud account. The cluster can immediately return to normal work after the overdue payment is complete. For more information, visit Add Funds. Check payment methods available for Alibaba Cloud accounts.
  • If the cluster is moved to Cluster Recycle after the cluster is released, you can restore the released cluster by using the backup set in Cluster Recycle. For more information, see Restore a released cluster.
The cluster is stopped and enters the locked state on the sixteenth day after the overdue payment is generated, and remains in that state until the thirtieth day. During this period, the cluster cannot be accessed.
The cluster is released on the thirty-first day after the overdue payment is generated.

The following data retention policies apply after the cluster is released:

  • If you set Release Cluster to Retain Last Automatic Backup (Automatic Backup Before Release) (Default) or Retain All Backups when you create a cluster, the data in the cluster is retained and the cluster is moved to Pricing.
  • If you set Release Cluster to Delete All Backups (Cannot be Restored), the cluster is completely released and no data is retained.

Recommendations

  • To prevent possible service interruptions, we recommend that you manually renew the cluster or enable auto-renewal before your subscription cluster expires. For more information, see Manual renewal and Auto-renewal.
  • Make sure that you have sufficient balance within your account.