This topic describes how to create an ApsaraDB RDS for MySQL instance in the ApsaraDB for RDS console. You can also call an API operation to create an ApsaraDB RDS for MySQL instance.

For more information about how to create an instance in other database engines, see the following topics:

Billing

For more information, see Pricing, billing items, and billing methods.

Prerequisites

You have an Alibaba Cloud account. For more information, see Sign up with Alibaba Cloud.

Create an ApsaraDB for RDS instance

  1. Log on to the ApsaraDB for RDS console.
    Note You can click Back to Old Version in the upper-right corner to switch back to the original ApsaraDB for RDS console. For more information, see Create an ApsaraDB RDS MySQL instance(old version).
  2. Configure the following parameters.
    Parameter Description
    Billing Method
    • Subscription: A subscription instance is an instance that you subscribe to for a period of time and pay for up front. We recommend that you choose subscription billing for long-term use because it is more cost-effective than pay-as-you-go billing. You receive larger discounts for longer subscription periods.
    • Pay-As-You-Go: A pay-as-you-go instance is charged per hour based on your actual resource usage. We recommend that you choose pay-as-you-go billing for short-term use. You can release your pay-as-you-go instance to reduce costs when you no longer need it.
    Note You can create up to 30 pay-as-you-go instances in your Alibaba Cloud account. To increase this quota, submit a ticket.
    Region The region where the RDS instance resides.
    • You cannot change the region after you purchase the instance.
    • To maximize access speed, we recommend that you select a region in close proximity to the geographic location where your users reside.
    • Make sure that the RDS instance is created in the same region as the ECS instance to which you want to connect. If the RDS and ECS instances reside in different regions, these instances cannot communicate over an internal network and cannot deliver optimal performance.
    Database Engine The database engine and version that the RDS instance runs. Select the MySQL database engine. Supported MySQL versions are 5.5, 5.6, 5.7, and 8.0.
    Note The database engines that are available vary based on the region you select.
    Edition
    • Basic: The database system consists of only one instance. Computing is separated from storage to increase cost-efficiency.
    • High-availability: The database system adopts the classic high-availability architecture that consists of one primary instance and one secondary instance.
    • Enterprise Edition: The database system consists of one primary instance and two secondary instances. To provide finance-level reliability, primary and secondary instances can be located within a single zone or in different zones within the same region.
    Note The RDS editions that are available vary based on the region and database engine version you select. For more information, see ApsaraDB for RDS edition overview.
    Storage Type
    • Local SSD: A local SSD is a storage device in the server node where the database engine resides. You can store data on a local SSD to reduce I/O latency.
    • Enhanced SSD: An enhanced SSD is an ultra-high performance disk provided by Alibaba Cloud based on the new generation of distributed block storage architecture. It integrates 25 Gigabit Ethernet and remote direct memory access (RDMA) technologies to reduce latency and deliver up to 1 million random input/output operations per second (IOPS). ESSDs are available in three performance levels (PLs):
      • ESSD: ESSDs of PL1.
      • ESSD PL2: provides double the amount of IOPS and throughput than an ESSD PL1.
      • ESSD PL3: provides up to 20 times of IOPS and 11 times of throughput than an ESSD PL1. It is suitable for scenarios when ultra-high concurrent IOPS and stable read/write latency are required.
    • Standard SSD: A standard SSD is an elastic block storage device designed based on the distributed storage architecture. You can store data on a standard SSD to separate computing from storage.

    For more information, see Storage types.

    Zone

    The zone where the RDS instance resides. Each zone is an independent physical location within a region. Zone of Primary Node indicates the zone where the primary instance resides, and Zone of Secondary Node indicates the zone where the secondary instance resides.

    You can set the deployment mode of the instance to Multi-zone Deployment or Single-zone Development.

    • Single-zone Deployment indicates the Zone of Primary Node and Zone of Secondary Node are consistent.
    • Multi-zone Deployment indicates the Zone of Primary Node and Zone of Secondary Node are different. After you have selected a Zone of Primary Node, the system automatically assigns a Zone of Secondary Node.

    Multi-zone deployment provides zone-disaster recovery for your business. We recommend that you select Multi-zone Deployment.

    Note
    • After you have created an instance, you can view the primary and secondary instance information on the Service Availability page.
    • A Basic instance has one node that can be deployed in only one zone.
    Select a zone
    Instance Type
    • Entry-level: belongs to the general-purpose instance family. A general-purpose instance occupies exclusive memory and I/O resources. However, it shares CPU and storage resources with other general-purpose instances on the same server.
    • Enterprise-level: belongs to the dedicated instance family. A dedicated instance exclusively occupies the CPU, memory, storage, and I/O resources allocated to it. The top configuration of the dedicated instance family is the dedicated host. A dedicated host instance occupies all CPU, memory, storage, and I/O resources on the server where it resides.
    Note Each instance type supports a specific number of CPU cores, memory capacity, maximum number of connections, and maximum input/output operations per second (IOPS). For more information, see Primary instance types.
    Capacity The storage capacity that is used to store data files, system files, binlog files, and transaction files. The storage capacity increases in increments of 5 GB.
    Note The storage space of some instances with local SSDs is determined by the instance type. This restriction is not applicable to instances with standard or enhanced SSDs. For more information, see Primary instance types.
  3. Click Next: Instance Configurations.
  4. Configure the following parameters.
    Parameter Description
    Network Type
    • Classic Network: a traditional type of network.
    • VPC: A virtual private cloud (VPC) is an isolated virtual network with higher security and better performance than a classic network. If you select the VPC network type, you must also specify VPC and VSwitch of Primary Node.
    Note Make sure that the primary RDS instance has the same network type as the ECS instance to which you want to connect. If both their network types are VPC, you must also make sure that they reside in the same VPC. Otherwise, they cannot communicate over an internal network.
    Storage Engine The default storage engine of the instance. This parameter is only available to instances that run MySQL 8.0 in the High-availability Edition with local SSDs. For information about the X-Engine developed by Alibaba Cloud, see X-Engine overview.
    Note X-Engine is compatible with InnoDB but performs better than InnoDB. We recommend that you select X-Engine as the default storage engine.
    Parameter Template The parameter template of the instance. This parameter is available to instances in the High-availability Edition with local SSDs or Basic Edition.
    Note You can select a system parameter template or create a custom parameter template. For more information, see Use a parameter template to manage parameters.
    Time Zone The time zone of the instance. This parameter is available to instances with local SSDs or Basic Edition.
    Table Name Case Sensitivity Specifies whether table names on the instance are case-sensitive. If table names in your on-premises database are case-sensitive, we recommend that you select Case-sensitive, so you can migrate data between the instance and your on-premises database with ease. This parameter is available to instances with local SSDs or Basic Edition.
    Resource Group The resource group to which the RDS instance belongs.
  5. Click Next: Confirm Order.
  6. Confirm the settings in the Parameters section, specify Purchase Plan and Duration, read and select Terms of Service, and click Pay Now. You need to specify Duration only when you create a subscription instance.
    Note We recommend that you select Auto-Renewal Enabled for subscription instance. If you enable automatic renewal, you will be free from regular manual renewal operations and concerns of service interruptions.

What to do next

In the upper-left corner of the console, select the region where the instance is located to view the instance that you have created.Select a region

After the RDS instance is created, you must configure whitelists and create accounts for it. If you want to connect to the RDS instance over the Internet, you must also apply for a public endpoint. After you connect to the instance, you can use this instance to migrate data. For more information, see the following topics:

FAQ

  • After I purchase an RDS instance, the ApsaraDB for RDS console does not respond nor can I find the RDS instance I created. Why?

    There are two possible causes:

    • The RDS instance you created does not reside in the region you selected.

      In the top navigation bar, select the region where the RDS instance resides. Then you can find the RDS instance you created.

      Select a region
    • The zone you selected cannot provide sufficient resources.

      Resources in zones are dynamically allocated. After you confirm the purchase order, the zone you selected may fail to provide sufficient resources. As a result, the instance creation fails. We recommend that you select another zone and try again. You can visit the order list to check for the fees returned to you.

  • How do I authorize a RAM user to manage my RDS instance?

    For more information, see Use RAM to manage ApsaraDB for RDS permissions.

Related operations

Operation Description
CreateDBInstance Creates an ApsaraDB for RDS Instance.