Back up an ApsaraDB RDS for MySQL instance

For more information about how to back up RDS instances that run other database engines, see the following topics:

• Back up an ApsaraDB RDS for SQL Server instance
• Back up an ApsaraDB RDS for PostgreSQL instance
• Back up an ApsaraDB RDS for PPAS instance
• Automatically back up the data of an RDS MariaDB instance

Features

• If your RDS instance uses local SSDs, you can retain its backup files for a long period of time. In addition, you can specify a policy that is used to retain the backup files after you release the instance. This allows you to avoid data losses that are caused by unintentional operations. For more information, see Modify the backup settings of an RDS instance that use local SSDs.
• If your RDS instance uses standard or enhanced SSDs, you can perform minute-level snapshot backups. For more information, see Modify the backup settings of an RDS instance that use standard or enhanced SSDs.

Billing

Each RDS instance is allocated with a free quota for backup storage. If your backup storage usage exceeds the free quota, you must pay for the extra backup storage that you use. We recommend that you specify a proper backup cycle based on your business requirements to maximize the usage of the free backup storage. For more information about the free quota for backup storage, see View the free quota for backup storage of an ApsaraDB RDS for MySQL instance.

After the free quota is exhausted, your backup storage usage is charged based on the specified retention period. For more information about the pricing of regular backup files that are retained for 730 days or less, visit the ApsaraDB for RDS pricing page. For more information about the pricing of archived backup files that are retained for more than 730 days, see Pricing of Long-Term Backup Files on Alibaba Cloud International Site.

Precautions

• Your RDS instance supports archived backups only when it uses local SSDs.
• Do not execute data definition language (DDL) statements during a backup. If you do so, the backup may fail due to table locks.
• We recommend that you back up your RDS instance during off-peak hours.
• If your RDS instance has a large amount of data, backing up your RDS instance may require a long time.
• Backup files are retained based on the specified retention period. Before the retention period elapses, we recommend that you download the required backup files to your computer.
• If the number of tables that are created on your RDS instance exceeds 50,000, you cannot restore individual databases or tables. For more information, see Restore individual databases and tables of an ApsaraDB RDS for MySQL instance. If the number of tables exceeds 600,000, you cannot back up your RDS instance. In these cases, we recommend that you shard the databases on your RDS instance.

Overview of data and log backups

Modify the backup settings of an RDS instance that use local SSDs

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

1. Log on to the ApsaraDB for RDS console.
2. In the left-side navigation pane, click Instances. In the top navigation bar, select the region where your RDS instance resides.
   
3. Find your RDS instance and click its ID.
4. In the left-side navigation pane, click Backup and Restoration.
5. On the Backup and Restoration page, click the Backup Settings tab and then the Edit button.
6. Configure the following parameters and click OK.
   

   Parameter	Description
   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 the RDS instance at least twice a week.
   Backup Time	The hour at which you want to create a backup. We recommend that you select an off-peak hour.
   Retention Period	The period of time for which you want to retain backup files. You can specify a specific number of days or select long term backup. If you specify a specific number of days, ApsaraDB for RDS deletes backup files that are stored longer than the specified retention period. If you select the long term backup option, ApsaraDB for RDS does not delete backup files. If you want to retain backup files after you release the RDS instance, set the Backup Retention Policy After Release parameter to Latest or All. If the specified retention period does not exceed 730 days, backup files are retained as regular backup files. If the specified retention period exceeds 730 days, backup files that are stored longer than 730 days are automatically converted into archived backup files. Therefore, you must also specify an archived backup retention period. For example, if you select Monthly and then enter 2 in the unit field, ApsaraDB for RDS retains the first two archived backup files that are generated per month.
   Log Backup	The switch that is used to enable or disable the log backup function. Notice If you disable this function, all of the log backup files are deleted and you cannot restore the RDS instance to a point in time.
   Log Retention Period (Days)	The number of days for which you want to retain log backup files. Valid values: 7 to 730. Default value: 7. The log backup retention period must be less than or equal to the data backup retention period.
   Restore Individual Database/Table	The function that is used to restore individual databases and tables. After you enable this function, ApsaraDB for RDS changes the backup file format to support this function. By default, this function is enabled and cannot be disabled. For more information, see Restore individual databases and tables of an ApsaraDB RDS for MySQL instance.
   Backup Retention Policy After Release	The policy that is used to retain data backup files after the RDS instance is released. Valid values: None, Latest, and All. To prevent data losses that are caused by overdue payments or unintentional operations, we recommend that you select Latest or All. Note ApsaraDB for RDS permanently retains data backup files free of charge.

Modify the backup settings of an RDS instance that use standard or enhanced SSDs

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

1. Log on to the ApsaraDB for RDS console.
2. In the left-side navigation pane, click Instances. In the top navigation bar, select the region where your RDS instance resides.
   
3. Find your RDS instance and click its ID.
4. In the left-side navigation pane, click Backup and Restoration.
5. On the Backup and Restoration page, click the Backup Settings tab and then the Edit button.
6. Configure the following parameters and click OK.
   

   Parameter	Description
   Snapshot Backup Period	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 the RDS instance at least twice a week.
   Snapshot Backup Start Time	The hour at which you want to create a backup. We recommend that you select an off-peak hour. If you want to increase the snapshot backup frequency, select Increase Snapshot Frequency and specify a snapshot backup frequency.
   Snapshot Backup Retention	The number of days for which you want to retain snapshot backup files. The maximum snapshot backup retention period is 730 days by default. However, if you select Increase Snapshot Frequency, the maximum snapshot backup retention period is shortened based on the specified snapshot backup frequency. You can calculate the maximum snapshot backup retention period based on the following formula: Maximum snapshot backup retention period = ⌊900/Number of backups created per day/Number of backups created per week × 7⌋ (rounded down to the next integer) For example, if you select two days of the week and then select the Every 30 Minutes frequency, the maximum snapshot backup retention period is 65 days based on the following calculation: Maximum snapshot backup retention period = ⌊900/(24 × 2 )/2 × 7⌋ = 65 (days).
   Log Backup	The switch that is used to enable or disable the log backup function. Notice If you disable this function, all of the log backup files are deleted and you cannot restore the RDS instance to a point in time.
   Log Retention Period (Days)	The number of days for which you want to retain log backup files. Valid values: 7 to 730. Default value: 7. The log backup retention period must be shorter than or equal to the data backup retention period. Note If the RDS instance runs MySQL 5.7 on RDS Basic Edition with standard SSDs, the log retention period is seven days and cannot be changed.
   Single-digit Second Backup	The switch that is used to enable the single-digit second backup function. This function allows you to take snapshots in seconds. ApsaraDB for RDS retains up to 10 snapshot backup files. If the number of retained snapshot backup files reaches 10, the next snapshot backup fails. Therefore, we recommend that you set the Snapshot Backup Retention parameter to a value that is less than or equal to 10. Note This function is supported only when the RDS instance uses enhanced SSDs.

Manually back up an RDS instance

In this example, the RDS instance runs MySQL 5.7 on RDS High-availability Edition with local SSDs.

1. Log on to the ApsaraDB for RDS console.
2. In the left-side navigation pane, click Instances. In the top navigation bar, select the region where your RDS instance resides.
   
3. Find your RDS instance and click its ID.
4. In the upper-right corner of the page, click Back Up Instance.
5. Specify a backup mode and a backup policy. Then, click OK.
   

   Note If you select the Logical Backup mode and then the Single-Database Backup policy, you must also select databases from the left-side list and click the > icon to move the selected databases to the right-side list. If no databases are available, you must create databases before you back up the RDS instance. For more information, see Create accounts and databases for an ApsaraDB RDS for MySQL instance.

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

   Note

   • After the backup task is complete, 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 of an ApsaraDB RDS for MySQL instance.
   • The retention period of backup files that are generated from manual backups is specified by the Data Backup Retention parameter. For more information, see the parameters described in Step 6.

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 span at least seven days.

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

   Yes, if you are not using the RDS Basic Edition, you can disable the log backup function of your RDS instance.

3. Why did my backup task fail?

   You may have executed DDL statements when the backup task was in progress. DDL statements trigger locks on tables. Your backup task may have failed as a result of the table locks.

4. My RDS instance has a small amount of data, but the size of the generated snapshot is large. Why?

   ApsaraDB for RDS eliminates empty blocks when it takes a snapshot of your RDS instance. This allows the size of the snapshot to be smaller than the required disk space. Each block is 2 MB in size. However, if write operations are dispersed, a large number of blocks are not full. For example, 3 MB of data may be written into two, three, or four blocks, and none of these blocks is full. When ApsaraDB for RDS calculates the size of the snapshot, it counts in all of these non-empty blocks to which data is written. As a result, the disk space that is occupied by the snapshot is greater than the actual size of the snapshot.

5. After I release my RDS instance, how do I restore data by using a retained backup file?

   Log on to the ApsaraDB for RDS console and go to the Backup for Deleted Instances page. Then, download the required backup file and restore data to an on-premises database.

   

References

• Download data and log backup files of an ApsaraDB RDS for MySQL instance
• Restore the data of an ApsaraDB RDS for MySQL instance

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