Change the specifications of an ApsaraDB RDS for MySQL instance

For more information about the specific configuration items of an RDS instance, see ApsaraDB RDS for MySQL configuration items.

For more information about how to change the specifications of an RDS instance that runs a different database engine, see the following topics:

• Change the specifications of an ApsaraDB RDS for SQL Server instance
• Change the specifications of an ApsaraDB RDS for PostgreSQL instance
• Change the specifications of an ApsaraDB RDS for MariaDB TX instance

Prerequisites

• Your Alibaba Cloud account does not have unpaid renewal orders.
• Your RDS instance is in the Running state.

Limits

• After you submit a specification change order, you cannot cancel the order. Therefore, before you submit a specification change order, we recommend that you evaluate whether the new specifications meet your business requirements.
• When you change the specifications of a read-only RDS instance, the primary RDS instance to which the read-only RDS instance is attached must be in the Running state.
• The storage capacity of the read-only RDS instance must be equal to or greater than the storage capacity of the primary RDS instance to which the read-only RDS instance is attached.
• You can change only specific configuration items. For more information, see ApsaraDB RDS for MySQL configuration items.

Impacts

Billing

For more information, see Specification change fees.

Procedure

1. Access RDS Instances, select a region at the top, and then click the ID of the target RDS instance.
2. In the Configuration Information section of the Basic Information page, click Change Specifications.
3. In the dialog box that appears, select a specification change method and click Next step. This step is required only when the RDS instance uses the subscription billing method.
   Note You can select one of the following specification change methods:

   Upgrade or Downgrade

   After you submit a specification change order, the new specifications immediately take effect. Both specification change methods are supported for subscription RDS instances and pay-as-you-go RDS instances.

   After you submit a specification change order, ApsaraDB RDS synchronizes the data of the RDS instance from the disk to a new RDS instance. Then, ApsaraDB RDS switches the information, such as the ID and endpoints, about the RDS instance over to the new RDS instance based on the specification change method that you select.

4. Change the specifications of the RDS instance.
   Note

   • You can change the instance type and storage capacity of the RDS instance regardless of the instance configuration. For more information, see Primary ApsaraDB RDS for MySQL instance types.
   • If the RDS instance runs MySQL 5.6 on RDS Enterprise Edition, you can downgrade the RDS edition of the RDS instance to High-availability Edition.
   • If the RDS instance runs MySQL 5.7 or MySQL 8.0 on RDS Basic Edition, you can upgrade the RDS edition of the RDS instance to High-availability Edition.
   • Make sure the new specifications that you specify for the RDS instance meet your business requirements.
5. Specify the Switching Time parameter.
   • Switch Immediately After Data Migration: After the data of the RDS instance is migrated to a new RDS instance, ApsaraDB RDS immediately switches your workloads over to the new RDS instance.
   • Switch Within Maintenance Window: ApsaraDB RDS switches your workloads over to the new RDS instance within the maintenance window that you specify. For more information, see Set the maintenance window of an ApsaraDB RDS for MySQL instance.

   Note

   • If you are using RDS Basic Edition, the RDS instance is not provided with a secondary RDS instance as a hot standby. Therefore, your database service is unavailable during a specification change for a long period of time. We recommend that you change the specifications of the RDS instance during off-peak hours to prevent interruptions to your workloads.
   • If you are not using RDS Basic Edition, a transient connection that lasts approximately 30 seconds may occur during the specification change. The transient connection does not interrupt your workloads. However, we still recommend that you change the specifications of the RDS instance during off-peak hours or make sure that your application is configured to automatically reconnect to the RDS instance.
   • If you select Switch Within Maintenance Window, the RDS instance stays in the Upgrading state until the switchover is complete. During the switchover process, you cannot perform operations on the RDS instance. For example, you cannot upgrade or downgrade the RDS instance, upgrade the database engine version of the RDS instance, or migrate the RDS instance across zones.
6. Read and select Terms of Service, click Pay Now, and then complete the payment.
   Warning

   • After you submit a specification change order, you cannot cancel the order. Therefore, before you submit a specification change order, we recommend that you evaluate whether the new specifications meet your business requirements.
   • After you submit a specification change order, do not perform DDL operations before the specification change is applied.

FAQ

• How do I change the storage of my RDS instance between local SSDs, standard SSDs, and ESSDs?

  For more information, see How do I migrate an ApsaraDB RDS instance from standard or enhanced SSDs to local SSDs?

• When I expand the storage capacity of my RDS instance, what do I do if an error that indicates insufficient storage resources occurs?

  Migrate your RDS instance to a different zone. Then, expand the storage capacity of your RDS instance again. For more information, see Migrate an ApsaraDB RDS for MySQL instance across zones in the same region. After you migrate your RDS instance to a different zone, the endpoints of your RDS instance remain unchanged. However, the IP addresses that are associated with the endpoints change. Make sure that your application is configured to automatically reconnect to your RDS instance.

• If I expand only the storage capacity of my RDS instance, does ApsaraDB RDS migrate the data of my RDS instance to a new RDS instance?

  In most cases, if your RDS instance uses standard SSDs or ESSDs and does not run RDS Basic Edition, no transient connections occur when you expand the storage capacity. If your RDS instance uses local SSDs, you may encounter the following circumstances:

  • The host on which your RDS instance is deployed can provide sufficient storage. In this case, you can directly expand the storage capacity. The expansion process does not interrupt your workloads.
  • The host on which your RDS instance is deployed cannot provide sufficient storage. In this case, ApsaraDB RDS creates a primary RDS instance and a secondary RDS instance on a different host that can provide sufficient storage. Then, ApsaraDB RDS synchronizes the data of your original RDS instance to the new primary and secondary RDS instances. The synchronization does not interrupt the workloads on your original RDS instance. However, after the synchronization is complete, a switchover of your workloads causes a transient connection that lasts approximately 30 seconds.
  Note You cannot obtain the amount of available storage in the host on which an RDS instance is deployed.
• When I upgrade my primary RDS instance, does ApsaraDB RDS automatically upgrade the read-only RDS instances that are attached to my primary RDS instance?

  No, when you upgrade your primary RDS instance, ApsaraDB RDS does not automatically upgrade the read-only RDS instances that are attached to your primary RDS instance. You must manually upgrade the read-only RDS instances.

• When I change the specifications of my RDS instance, are my online workloads interrupted?

  For more information, see the "Impacts" section of this topic.

• After I change the specifications of my RDS instance, do the endpoints of my RDS instance change?

  No, after you change the specifications of your RDS instance, the endpoints of your RDS instance remain unchanged. An example endpoint is rm-bpxxxxx.mysql.rds.aliyuncs.com. However, the IP addresses that are associated with the endpoints may change. We recommend that you add the endpoints to your application. Do not add the IP addresses to your application.

• What factors affect the amount of time that is required to change the specifications of my RDS instance?

  For more information, see Which factors affect the time that is required to change the specifications of my ApsaraDB RDS for MySQL instance?

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