Data Disaster Recovery in the Data Management (DMS) console provides full backup, incremental backup, and database restoration capabilities. Use backup schedules to automate recurring backups and restore data when needed.
Data Disaster Recovery supports different backup and restoration options depending on your database type. For supported databases and feature details, see Supported database types and features.
Prerequisites
Before you begin, make sure that you have:
Access to the DMS console V5.0
A database account with the required permissions for the database to back up. For details, see Account permissions
(Physical backup only) A backup gateway installed on the database server. For installation instructions, see Install a backup gateway
To check whether a backup gateway is installed, go to the Backup Gateways page in the DMS console.
A clear understanding of which backup method suits your needs. For guidance, see:
Create a backup schedule
Log on to the DMS console V5.0.
In the top navigation bar, choose Security and disaster recovery (DBS) > Data Disaster Recovery (DBS) > Backup Plan.
If the DMS console is in simple mode, hover over the
icon in the upper-left corner and choose All Features > Security and disaster recovery (DBS) > Data Disaster Recovery (DBS) > Backup Plan.On the Backup Schedules page, click Create Schedule in the upper-right corner.
Configure the following parameters and click Buy and Start.
Backup schedule parameters
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| Product Type | The type of backup schedule to purchase. Pay-as-you-go backup schedules cannot be created in the Data Management (DMS) console. |
| Region | The region where backup data is stored. Two options are available: Backup in the same region -- select the region where the source database resides. Geo-redundancy -- select a different region for stronger disaster recovery. This option may incur additional fees. For example, to back up a database in the China (Beijing) region to the China (Shanghai) region, select China (Shanghai). |
| Data Source Type | The database type of the source database. For ApsaraDB RDS for MySQL instances, self-managed MySQL databases, or PolarDB for MySQL clusters, select MySQL. For details on selecting a data source type, see Supported database types and features. |
| Specification | The performance tier for the backup schedule. Available tiers: micro, small, medium, large, xlarge, 2xlarge, and 4xlarge. Higher tiers deliver faster backup and restoration. The xlarge tier and above have no upper limit on the amount of backup data. For production databases, select xlarge or higher. If high performance is not required, select a tier based on cost and requirements. For guidance, see Select the backup method and backup schedule type. |
| Backup Method | The backup approach. Physical Backup -- backs up database files at the operating system level. Available for self-managed databases only (not ApsaraDB RDS instances). Generally faster than logical backup. Supports sandbox instances for emergency disaster recovery. Logical Backup -- backs up database objects such as tables, indexes, and stored procedures. Available for ApsaraDB RDS instances, self-managed databases in data centers, and self-managed databases on Elastic Compute Service (ECS) instances. Allows fine-grained backup of specific databases and tables. For details, see Logical backup, physical backup, and snapshot and Select a backup method. |
| Storage Space | The storage capacity is not specified at purchase. Charges are based on the actual amount of data stored in Data Disaster Recovery. For large backup volumes, purchase a backup instance storage plan to offset storage fees for built-in DBS storage. For billing details, see Billing FAQ. |
| Resource Group | The resource group for the backup schedule. Select the default resource group or a custom resource group. |
| Quantity | The number of backup schedules to purchase. Each backup schedule supports one database instance and one database type. For example, backing up ApsaraDB RDS for MySQL Instance A and Instance B requires two schedules. Backing up a self-managed SQL Server database and a self-managed MySQL database also requires two schedules. |
| Subscription Duration | The subscription period for the backup schedule. |
Selecting a low-specification tier for databases with unreasonable table schemas, large tables, or large fields may cause backup failures due to insufficient resources. For these scenarios, select a higher-specification tier.
For information about fees that may apply to a backup schedule, see Billing FAQ.
On the Confirm Order page, verify the order details, read and accept the terms of service, and click Pay.
After payment, the new backup schedule appears on the Backup Schedules page.
Configure a backup schedule
After purchasing a backup schedule, configure it to connect to your database and define backup settings. The following example uses a logical backup schedule for an ApsaraDB RDS for MySQL instance. The configuration steps vary for different database engines.
On the Backup Schedules page, find the backup schedule and click Configure Backup Schedule in the Actions column.
In the Configure Backup Source and Destination step, specify the backup source and destination, then click Next.
In the Edit Backup Objects step, select the databases or tables to back up and add them to the Selected section. Click Next.
With Logical Backup, specify individual databases and tables for full backups. Depending on your database type, back up a single table, a single database, multiple databases, or an entire instance. Incremental backups, where supported, back up all incremental data by default. With Physical Backup, the entire database instance is backed up.
In the Configure Backup Time step, set the backup schedule and frequency, then click Next.
In the Edit Lifecycle step, configure the retention period for full backup data.
If you set the Incremental Backup parameter to Enable in the previous step, also configure the retention period for incremental backup data.
Click Precheck.
After the Precheck Passed message appears, click Start Task.
Result
The backup schedule state changes to Running, which indicates that the schedule is active and backups run according to the configured frequency.
If an exception or error occurs in the backup schedule, join the DingTalk group (ID: 35585947) for technical support.
Restore a database
Usage notes
Cross-region restore: To restore a database to an ApsaraDB RDS instance in a different region, make sure the destination instance is accessible over a public endpoint. For example, if a backup schedule is created in the China (Hangzhou) region and the destination is an ApsaraDB RDS instance in the China (Beijing) region, that instance must have a public endpoint enabled.
Restoration duration: The time required for restoration depends on the backup schedule specifications and the size of the database. Higher-specification schedules restore data faster. Larger databases take longer to restore.
Sandbox feature: Data Disaster Recovery also provides the sandbox feature based on copy data management (CDM) technology. This feature restores databases with a recovery time objective (RTO) of several seconds, enabling analysis, testing, and verification in a sandbox instance. For details, see Use the emergency recovery feature for a self-managed MySQL database.
Procedure
This procedure describes a general restoration workflow. The specific steps vary for different database engines.
On the Backup Schedules page, find the backup schedule and click Manage in the Actions column.
On the Configure Task page, click Restore Database in the upper-right corner.
In the Set Time Restored To step of the Create Restore Task wizard, configure the parameters in the Set Time Restored To and Configure Destination Database sections. Then, click Next.
The restoration configuration options vary for different database engines. Data Disaster Recovery can restore databases such as MySQL or SQL Server to a new ApsaraDB RDS instance without requiring you to create the instance in advance.
In the Configure Objects to Restore step, configure the following parameters and click Precheck.
Parameter Description Conflict Handling The default value is Rename Object with the Same Name. If a table to be restored shares its name with a table in the destination database, the system renames the restored table using the format: {table_name}_dbs_{restore_task_id}_{timestamp}. For example, thejob_infotable is renamed tojob_info_dbs_<Restore task ID>_<Timestamp>.Objects to Restore Select the databases or tables to restore from the Available section and move them to the Selected section. Data Disaster Recovery supports restoring some databases at the database or table level, which reduces the data volume and shortens the recovery time objective (RTO). For supported granularity, see Supported database types and features. After the Precheck Passed message appears, click Start Task.
Result
The restore task starts. To view the restoration progress, click Restore Tasks in the left-side navigation pane.
The restoration duration depends on the backup schedule specifications and the database size. Higher-specification schedules complete restorations faster. If the restoration target is a new ApsaraDB RDS instance, the system takes approximately 5 to 10 minutes to create the instance. After the restoration completes, view the new instance in the ApsaraDB RDS console, or navigate to Restore Tasks, click the restore task ID, and then click the ApsaraDB RDS instance ID in the Basic Information section.