Back up an ApsaraDB RDS for SQL Server instance

Precautions

• Backup files do not occupy the storage capacity that you purchased during instance creation. Each RDS instance is allocated with a free quota for backup storage. If your backup storage usage exceeds the free quota, you are charged additional fees. We recommend that you specify a proper backup cycle based on your business requirements to make the best use of the free backup quota. For more information, see View the free quota for backup storage of an ApsaraDB RDS for SQL Server instance.
• You must be familiar with the billing methods and billable items of backup storage. For more information, see Pricing, billable items, and billing methods.
• You must be familiar with the billing standards of backup storage. For more information, see ApsaraDB RDS pricing.
• Do not execute data definition language (DDL) statements during a backup. These statements trigger locks on tables, and the backup may fail as a result of the locks.
• We recommend that you back up your RDS instance during off-peak hours.
• If your RDS instance has a large volume of data, backing up your RDS instance may require a long time.
• Backup files are retained based on the specified retention period. We recommend that you download the required backup files to your computer before they are deleted.
• You cannot manually delete backup files.

Overview of data and log backups

Configure a backup policy to automatically back up your RDS instance

ApsaraDB RDS automatically backs up each RDS instance based on the specified backup policy.

1. In the left-side navigation pane, click Backup and Restoration.
2. On the Backup and Restoration page, click the Backup Settings tab and then the Edit button.
3. Configure the following parameters and click OK.

   Parameter	Description
   Data Retention Period	The number of days for which you want to retain data backup files. Valid values: 7 to 730. Unit: days. Default value: 7.
   Backup Cycle	The cycle based on which you want to create a backup. You can select one or more days of the week. Note For data security purposes, we recommend that you back up your RDS instance at least twice a week.
   Backup Time	The hour at which you want to create a backup.
   Backup Frequency	Same as Data Backup Every 30 Minutes The total size of log backup files remains the same no matter which backup frequency you select.
   Log Retention Period (Days)	The number of days for which you want to retain log backup files. The log backup retention period is the same as the period specified by the Data Backup Retention parameter.

Manually back up your RDS instance

1. In the upper-right corner of the page, click Back Up Instance.
2. Specify a backup mode and a backup policy. Then, click OK.
   

   Note If you select the Full Backup mode and the Single-Database Backup policy, you must select databases from the left-side list and then click the > icon to move them to the right-side list. If no databases are created on your RDS instance, you must create databases before you back up your RDS instance. For more information, see Create a database on an ApsaraDB RDS for SQL Server instance.

   
3. In the upper-right corner of the page, click the Task Progress icon to view the progress of the backup task.
   

   Note After the backup task is completed, you can go to the Backup and Restoration page to download the backup file. Some RDS instances do not support the download of backup files. For more information, see Download data and log backup files from an ApsaraDB RDS for SQL Server instance.

FAQ

1. Can I disable the data backup function of my RDS instance?

   No, you cannot disable the data backup function of your RDS instance. However, you can reduce the backup frequency to as low as twice a week. The data backup retention period must be within the range from 7 days to 730 days.

2. Can I disable the log backup function of my RDS instance?

   No, you cannot disable the log backup function of your RDS instance.

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