Back up data

Pricing

The backup and restore features of Apsara PolarBD are free of charge. Only storage fees are charged. Fees are calculated based on the storage consumed by backups (cluster and log data) and the amount of time that the backups have been retained.

Billing methods

Backup methods

Configure automatic backup

1. Log on to the PolarDB console.
2. On the top of the page, select the region where the target cluster is located.
3. Find the target cluster and click the cluster ID to go to the Overview page.
4. In the left-side navigation pane, choose Settings and Management > Backup and Restore.
5. Click Backup Settings.
   
6. In the dialog box that appears, configure parameters as follows.
   

   Parameter	Description
   Backup Method	The default value Snapshot Backup is used and cannot be changed.
   Backup Cycle	Set the backup cycle. Note To ensure data security, automatic backup must be performed at least twice a week.
   Start Time	Set the start time for automatic backup.
   Level-1 Backups Retained For	Set the retention period for level-1 backups. Note The retention period for level-1 backups is from 7 to 14 days.
   Level-2 Backup	Enable or disable level-2 backup. Note By default, level-2 backup is disabled.
   Level-2 Backups Retained For	Set the retention period for level-2 backups. Note The retention period for level-2 backups is from 30 to 7,300 days. To store level-2 backups permanently, you can select Retained Before Cluster Is Deleted. Then, you cannot set the retention period.
   Log Backups Retained For	Set the retention period for log backups. Note The retention period for log backups is from 7 to 7,300 days. To save log backups permanently, you can select Retained Before Cluster Is Deleted. Then, you cannot set the retention period.
   When Cluster Is Deleted	Set the backup retention policy that applies when you delete a cluster. Retain All Backups Permanently: saves all backups when you delete a cluster. Retain Last Automatic Backup Permanently: saves the latest backup when you delete a cluster. Delete All Backups Immediately: does not save any backup when you delete a cluster. Note If you choose the Retain All Backups Permanently or Retain Last Automatic Backup Permanently policy, the system will run an automatic backup task to save all data when you delete a cluster. After you delete a cluster, level-1 backups will be automatically archived to level-2 backups. You can go to the Cluster Recycle page to view stored backups. For more information, see Cluster recycle bin.

7. Click OK.

Manually create a backup

1. Log on to the PolarDB console.
2. On the top of the page, select the region where the target cluster is located.
3. Find the target cluster and click the cluster ID to go to the Overview page.
4. In the left-side navigation pane, choose Settings and Management > Backup and Restore.
5. On the Backups tab, click Create Backup.
   
6. In the Create Backup message that appears, click OK.
   Note You can create up to three backups for a cluster.

Restore data

For more information, see Restore data.

FAQ

• Does the total physical storage of level-1 backups equal the sum of all backups?
  The total physical storage of level-1 backups does not equal the sum of all backups. The total physical storage of level-1 backups is displayed in the ① section, as shown in the following figure.
• Why is the total physical storage of level-1 backups smaller than the size of a single backup?

  Level-1 backups in Apsara PolarDB are measured by using two methods: the physical storage of all backups and the logical storage of each backup. Apsara PolarDB uses snapshot chains to store level-1 backups. Each data block is replicated only once. Therefore, the physical storage of all level-1 backups is smaller than the total logical storage of all level-1 backups, or sometimes even smaller than the logical storage of a single backup.

• How are backups in Apsara PolarDB backup billed?

  Storage fees are charged for level-1 backups, level-2 backups, and log backups. By default, level-1 backup and log backup are enabled, but level-2 backup is disabled. Alibaba Cloud also offers free storage for level-1 backups and log backups.

• What is the billing method of level-1 backups?

  Storage fee per hour = (Total physical storage of level-1 backups - Database storage usage x 50%) x Unit price per hour. For example, the total physical storage of level-1 backups of an Apsara PolarDB cluster is 700 GB and the database storage usage is 1,000 GB. Then, the storage fee per hour is calculated as (700 GB - 500 GB) × USD 0.000464/GB = USD 0.0928.

• Can I use a storage plan to deduct the storage fee?

  No, a storage plan can only be used to deduct storage fees incurred by the stored data. It is not applicable to backups.

API reference