This topic describes how to enable auto-renewal for an ApsaraDB RDS for SQL Server instance. If your RDS instance uses subscription billing, you can enable auto-renewal. This relieves the need to manually renew your RDS instance. Make sure that your Alibaba Cloud account has a sufficient balance, and your RDS instance will never expire.

If your RDS instance uses the subscription billing method, subscription instances can expire. If you do not renew your RDS instance before it expires, your service is interrupted and data may be lost. For more information, see Unlock or rebuild an expired or overdue ApsaraDB for RDS instance.

Note RDS instances that use the pay-as-you-go billing method do not expire and therefore do not require renewal.

Precautions

  • If you enable auto-renewal, the first time when the system deducts fees from your Alibaba Cloud account comes at 08:00:00 three days before your RDS instance expires. If the deduction fails, the system will attempt to deduct the fee every day for the next two days.
    Important Make sure that the balance of your Alibaba Cloud account is sufficient. Otherwise, the renewal fails. If all the three automatic fee deduction attempts fail, you must manually renew your RDS instance in a timely manner to avoid service interruption and data loss.
  • If you manually renew your RDS instance before the automatic fee deduction, the system will automatically renew the instance next time before the expiration.
  • After you enable auto-renewal, it takes effect the next day. If your RDS instance is due to expire the next day, renew it manually to avoid service interruption. For more information, see Manually renew an ApsaraDB RDS for SQL Server instance.

Enable auto-renewal when you purchase an RDS instance

Note If you select Auto-renewal when you purchase an RDS instance, the system automatically renews the instance based on the specified renewal cycle. The renewal cycle is one month or one year. For example, if you select Auto-renewal when you purchase an RDS instance with a six-month subscription, the system automatically renews the instance with a one-month subscription each time the instance is due to expire.
When you purchase a subscription RDS instance, select Auto-Renew Enabled.

Enable auto-renewal after you purchase an RDS instance

Note When auto-renewal is enabled for an RDS instance, the system renews the instance based on the specified auto-renewal cycle. For example, if the auto-renewal cycle is set to three months, a fee for three-month subscription is collected each time the instance is automatically renewed.
  1. Log on to the ApsaraDB RDS console.
  2. In the top navigation bar, choose Expenses > Renewal Management. Renew
  3. On the Manual or Nonrenewal tab of the page that appears, specify filter conditions to find the RDS instance for which you want to enable auto-renewal. You can enable auto-renewal for one or more RDS instances at a time.
    • Enable auto-renewal for an RDS instance
      1. Click Enable Auto Renewal in the Actions column of the RDS instance. Enable auto-renewal for an RDS instance
      2. In the Enable Auto Renewal dialog box, select an auto-renewal cycle and click Auto Renew. Enable auto-renewal for an RDS instance
    • Enable auto-renewal for multiple RDS instances at a time
      Select the RDS instances for which you want to enable auto-renewal and click Enable Auto Renewal below the instance list. Enable auto-renewal for multiple RDS instances at a time
    • In the Enable Auto Renewal dialog box, select an auto-renewal cycle and click Auto Renew. Enable auto-renewal for multiple RDS instances at a time

Change the auto-renewal cycle

  1. Log on to the ApsaraDB RDS console.
  2. In the top navigation bar, choose Expenses > Renewal Management. Renew
  3. On the Auto tab, specify filter conditions to find the RDS instance for which you want to change the auto-renewal cycle and click Edit Auto Renewal in the Actions column. Change the auto-renewal cycle
  4. In the dialog box that appears, change the auto-renewal cycle and click OK.

Disable auto-renewal

  1. Log on to the ApsaraDB RDS console.
  2. In the top navigation bar, choose Expenses > Renewal Management. Renew
  3. On the Auto tab, specify filter conditions to find the RDS instance for which you want to disable auto-renewal and click Enable Manual Renewal in the Actions column. Disable auto-renewal
  4. In the dialog box that appears, click OK.

Related operations

OperationDescription
Create an instanceCreates an instance.
Note You can call this operation to enable auto-renewal for an instance when you create the instance.
Manually renew an ApsaraDB RDS instanceRenews a subscription instance.
Note You can call this operation to enable auto-renewal for an instance after you create the instance.