Download the backup files of an ApsaraDB RDS for MySQL instance - ApsaraDB RDS

This topic describes how to download the backup files of an ApsaraDB RDS for MySQL instance.

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

Download data backup files and log backup files of an ApsaraDB RDS for PostgreSQL instance
Download the data backup files and log backup files of an ApsaraDB RDS for SQL Server instance
Download the log backup files of an ApsaraDB RDS for MariaDB TX instance

Before you begin

Before you download backup files of your RDS instance, you must select a download method based on your business requirements.

Note The data of the backup files that you download cannot be directly restored to your RDS instance. For more information, see Overview of data restoration methods.


Scenario	Recommended download method
Migrate the data of your RDS instance to another RDS instance or to a self-managed MySQL instance. Restore the data of your RDS instance from a backup file.	Use one of the following methods: Use Data Transmission Service (DTS) to migrate the data of your RDS instance to the destination RDS instance or the destination self-managed MySQL instance. For more information, see Overview of data migration scenarios. Use Data Management (DMS) to export the data of your RDS instance. Then, import the data into the destination RDS instance or the destination self-managed MySQL instance. For more information, see Export data. Restore the data of your RDS instance from the backup file. For more information, see Restore the data of an ApsaraDB RDS for MySQL instance, Restore the data of an ApsaraDB RDS for MySQL instance from a physical backup file to a self-managed MySQL database, or Restore the data of an ApsaraDB RDS for MySQL instance from a logical backup file to a self-managed MySQL instance.
Query the data that exists in your RDS instance at a specific point in time. Query the data of a backup file of your RDS instance.	Use one of the following methods: Restore the backup file to a new pay-as-you-go RDS instance. After the query is complete, release the pay-as-you-go RDS instance. For more information about how to restore data, see Restore the data of an ApsaraDB RDS for MySQL instance. Download the backup file, restore the backup file to a self-managed MySQL instance, and then query the data from the self-managed MySQL instance based on the descriptions in this topic. If the backup file is generated by Database Backup (DBS), query data from the backup file. In this case, you do not need to restore data. For more information, see Query data in a single backup set.
Save the backup file of your RDS instance to your computer. Download the backup file of your RDS instance and use the backup file for auditing.	Use one of the following methods: Download the backup file based on the descriptions in this topic. Use DMS to export the backup file from your RDS instance. For more information, see Export data. Use mysqldump to back up and restore the data of your RDS instance. For more information, see How do I back up and restore the data of an ApsaraDB RDS for MySQL instance?
Upload the backup file of your RDS instance to an Object Storage Service (OSS) bucket.	Backup files do not consume the storage capacity of your RDS instance. Backup files are stored in the provisioned backup storage and cannot be moved. You can use one of the following methods to store the backup file of your RDS instance in an OSS bucket: Use DBS to back up your RDS instance. Make sure that you select an OSS bucket as your storage. For more information, see Configure a backup schedule. Download the backup file and upload it to the specified OSS bucket based on the descriptions in this topic.
Retain the backup files of your RDS instance for a long period of time.	For more information, see Retain the backup files of an ApsaraDB RDS for MySQL instance for a long period of time.
Configure DBS to automatically download the backup files of your RDS instance.	Use DBS to perform logical backups and configure DBS to automatically download the backup files that are generated. For more information, see Back up an ApsaraDB RDS for MySQL, PolarDB for MySQL, or self-managed MySQL database and Configure automatic download of backup sets.

Billing

If your RDS instance use local SSDs and you download the backup files of the instance, you are charged fees for Internet traffic generated for the download. If your RDS instance use standard SSDs or enhanced SSDs (ESSDs) and you download the backup files of the instance, you are charged fees for file conversion and Internet traffic generated for the download.

Traffic fees

Downloads over an internal network: You are not charged for the traffic that you consume.
Downloads over the Internet: After the free quota is exhausted, you are charged for the excess traffic that you consume based on the pay-as-you-go billing method. Fees are deducted from your account on a daily basis. For more information, see Billing overview.
Free quota for backup downloads over the Internet: The free quota for each RDS instance is 500 GB per month.

Note

If the backup files fail to be downloaded, no backup file conversion fees or traffic fees are generated.
To view the volume of traffic that you consumed to download backup files over the Internet, you can log on to the ApsaraDB RDS console, click the ID of your RDS instance to go to the Basic Information page, and then view the Backup Downloads parameter in the Usage Statistics section of the page.

Backup file conversion fees

If your RDS instance use standard SSDs or ESSDs and you use the advanced download feature to download the backup files of the instance, the snapshot backup files are converted into CSV, SQL, or Parquet files. Starting October 18, 2022, if you use the advanced download feature to download backup files, you are charged a backup file conversion fee based on the pay-as-you-go billing method. For more information, see [Notice] Generation of fees for the backup download feature starting October 18, 2022. The following table describes the unit price for backup file conversion.


Region	Unit price (USD/GB)
Public Cloud	0.03125

Download methods

RDS instances that use standard SSDs or ESSDs

You can create an advanced download task by point in time or backup set. You can set the Download Destination parameter to URL or directly upload the downloaded data to your OSS bucket to facilitate data analysis and offline archiving.

Prerequisites

Your RDS instance meets the following requirements:
- The RDS instance runs MySQL 5.7 or MySQL 8.0.
- The RDS instance uses standard SSDs or ESSDs.
Note You can go to the Basic Information page of the RDS instance to view the preceding information.
Your RDS instance resides in one of the following regions: China (Chengdu), China (Guangzhou), China (Qingdao), China (Beijing), China (Shanghai), China (Zhangjiakou), China (Hangzhou), China (Shenzhen), China (Hong Kong), Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur), Indonesia (Jakarta), Japan (Tokyo), Singapore, US (Silicon Valley), and US (Virginia).
Note The feature will be available in the other regions soon.
The minor engine version of your RDS instance is later than 20201031. For more information about how to update the minor engine version of an RDS instance, see Update the minor engine version of an ApsaraDB RDS for MySQL instance.
Note Some RDS instances that run outdated minor engine versions do not support the advanced download feature. If you want to use the advanced download feature on an RDS instance that runs an outdated minor engine version, we recommend that you update the minor engine version of the RDS instance.
The disk encryption feature is disabled for your RDS instance. If the RDS instance uses standard SSDs or ESSDs and disk encryption is enabled for the RDS instance, the advanced download feature is not supported.
The RAM user that you want to use to log on to your RDS instance is granted the permissions to download backup files. For more information about how to grant permissions to a RAM user, see Grant backup file download permissions to a RAM user with read-only permissions.
RAM user permissions
The authentication capability of the advanced download feature is provided based on the policy management feature of RAM. You can attach a policy to the RAM user to allow the RAM user to obtain the download URLs.
- If you cannot use the advanced download feature, such as creating and querying advanced download tasks, check whether the AliyunDBSFullAccess policy is attached to the RAM user that you use. For more information, see Grant permissions to the RAM user.
- If you want the RAM user to use Database Backup (DBS) but want to prohibit the RAM user from obtaining URLs for advanced downloads, you can create a custom policy to prohibit the RAM user from obtaining URLs for advanced downloads. For more information, see Create a custom policy.
```
{
    "Version": "1",
    "Statement": [
        {
            "Effect": "Deny",
            "Action": "dbs:DescribeDownloadBackupsetStorageInfo",
            "Resource": "*"
        }
    ]
}
```
  After the custom policy is created, you must attach the custom policy to the RAM user. For more information, see Grant permissions to a RAM user. Then, the RAM user cannot obtain the download URLs for advanced downloads.

Limits

The advanced download feature allows you to export most information about schemas.
- You can export column information, primary key indexes, non-primary key indexes, unique indexes, partitioned table information, table engines, and table-level or database-level character sets and character collations.
- You cannot export expression indexes, foreign keys, generated columns, hidden columns, views, functions, stored procedures, system variables, or triggers.
The advanced download feature does not support fields of spatial data types. If your RDS instance contains fields of the following spatial data types, backup file conversions fail:
GEOMETRY, POINT, LINESTRING, POLYGON, MULTIPOINT, MULTILINESTRING, MULTIPOLYGON, and GEOMETRYCOLLECTION
The CSV files that you export from your RDS instance do not contain the following system databases:
information_schema, mysql, performance_schema, sys, and __recycle_bin__
If you set the Download Destination parameter to OSS, only the Standard storage class is supported. For more information about how to change storage classes, see Convert storage classes.

Procedure

Access RDS Instances, select a region at the top, and then click the ID of the target RDS instance.
In the left-side navigation pane, click Backup and Restoration.
On the page that appears, click the Base Backups tab and then the Data Backup tab.
Find the backup set that you want to download and click Download Instance Backup in the Actions column.
Note
- By default, the ApsaraDB RDS console displays the backup sets that were generated over the most recent eight days. If you want to view the backup sets that were generated eight days ago, you must change the default time range.
- If Download Instance Backup is not displayed, check whether the major engine version or region of the RDS instance meets the requirements that are described in Prerequisites.
In the Select Download Mode step of the wizard, select Download by Time or Download by Backup Set and click Next.
Note The Download by Time option is available only when the log backup feature is enabled for your RDS instance. For more information about how to enable the log backup feature, see Enable or disable the log backup feature.
In the Select Download Content step of the wizard, click Next.
Note Download Instances is selected by default.
In the Select Download Destination and Format step of the wizard, configure the following parameters and click Complete.
Note We recommend that you set the Download Destination parameter to OSS. This method is efficient.
- Set the Download Destination parameter to URL.
  Configure the Download Format parameter. Then, read and select the required content.
- Set the Download Destination parameter to OSS.
  1. Configure the Bucket Name and Directory Prefix parameters.
  2. Configure the Download Format parameter.
  3. Read and select the required content.
Note
- You can set the Download Format parameter to CSV, SQL, or Parquet.
- If you do not have the permissions to access OSS resources, follow the instructions in the console and click Authorize and then Confirm Authorization Policy. After the permissions are granted, configure the parameters for the advanced download task.
Go to the Backup Download tab.
- If the Download Destination parameter is set to URL, perform the following steps after the Status parameter of the advanced download task changes to Finished:
  1. Click Generate Link in the Download Destination column.
  2. In the Generate Link dialog box, configure the Validity Period parameter and click Generate Link. Then, you can download backup data by using the generated URL.
    Note
    If you set the Download Destination parameter to URL, the downloaded data is temporarily stored in the built-in storage of DBS. For more information, see Built-in storage and OSS.
    The validity period of the URL ranges from 5 minutes to 1 day. The default validity period is 2 hours.
    You can obtain the download URL within three days after the download task is complete. After the URL expires, the downloaded data is deleted. If you want to use the data, you must initiate a new download task and obtain the new download URL.
    A download URL is generated based on the validity period that you specify. We recommend that you save the URL at the earliest opportunity and keep the URL confidential.
    If you use a third-party download tool to download the backup set, additional download traffic may be generated. As a result, you may be charged additional fees. Proceed with caution.
    For more information about how to download a backup file, see Appendix: Download commands.
    When you perform an advanced download, backup file conversion fees and traffic fees are generated. For more information, see Billing.
    You can use an SQL file or CSV file that is downloaded and converted by using the advanced download feature to restore the data of your RDS instance to a self-managed MySQL database. For more information, see Restore the data of an ApsaraDB RDS for MySQL instance to a self-managed MySQL instance by using a CSV file or an SQL file.
- If you set the Download Destination parameter to OSS and the status of the task changes from Running to Finished, the download is successful. You can view and use the downloaded file in the specified OSS bucket.
  Note If you use this method, data is directly downloaded to your OSS bucket, and you can use and delete the data based on your business requirements.

(Optional) What to do next

If you want to query and analyze the data of an ApsaraDB RDS for MySQL instance that uses standard SSDs or ESSDs, you must use the advanced download feature to download the data of the ApsaraDB RDS for MySQL instance to an OSS bucket, and then import the data in the OSS bucket to an AnalyticDB for MySQL instance. For more information, see Import data of an ApsaraDB RDS for MySQL instance that uses standard SSDs or ESSDs to an AnalyticDB for MySQL instance.

RDS instances that use local SSDs

Prerequisites

The RDS instance uses local SSDs.
Note You can go to the Basic Information page of the RDS instance to view the preceding information.
The RAM user that you want to use to log on to your RDS instance is granted the permissions to download backup files. For more information about how to grant permissions to a RAM user, see Grant backup file download permissions to a RAM user with read-only permissions.

Procedure

Access RDS Instances, select a region at the top, and then click the ID of the target RDS instance.
In the left-side navigation pane, click Backup and Restoration. On the page that appears, click the Base Backups tab.
Click the Data Backup tab or the Log Backup tab.
Select a time range. This step is required if you want to view the backup files that are generated eight days ago. The default time range spans the most recent eight days.
Find the backup file that you want to download. In the Actions column, click Download Instance Backup (on the Data Backup tab) or Download (on the Log Backup tab).
In the dialog box that appears, click Download or copy the URL from which you can download the backup file.
- Copy Internal URL: You can log on to your Elastic Compute Service (ECS) instance and use the internal URL to download the backup file. This method is faster and more secure. It is suitable if your ECS instance resides in a virtual private cloud (VPC) and can connect to the RDS instance over an internal network.
- Copy Public URL: If the RDS instance cannot be connected over an internal network, you can use the public URL to download the backup file.
Note
- Select I have learnt the billing rules for backup file download. If you use the public URL to download the backup file, you are charged for the excess Internet traffic that you consume. For more information,see Billing.
- The download URLs are valid for only one hour. If the download URLs expire, you can refresh the page to obtain the latest download URLs.
- For more information about how to use the internal or public URL to download backup files, see Appendix: Download commands.
- If you use the internal URL to download the backup file, make sure that the server to which you log on and the RDS instance reside in the same VPC. If the server and the RDS instance reside in VPCs of different regions or if the server resides in the classic network while the RDS instance resides in a VPC, you cannot download the backup file by using the internal URL on the server.
- The log backup files that are described in this section are the log backup files that are stored on the RDS instance. For more information about how to obtain the log files, see How do I use the mysqlbinlog command to view the binary logs of an ApsaraDB RDS for MySQL instance?
- If the RDS instance runs RDS High-availability Edition or RDS Enterprise Edition, both the primary RDS instance and the secondary RDS instances generate log backup files. You can view the IDs of the primary RDS instance and the secondary RDS instances on the Service Availability page.
- If you want to restore the data of the RDS instance to a self-managed MySQL instance, the point in time at which the used data backup file is generated must be within the restorable time range that is supported by the log backup file. In addition, the log backup file and the data backup file must have the same instance ID.

Appendix: Download commands

This section describes the commands that are commonly used to download backup files.

Note

If the speed of a download is lower than 64 KB per second, the download may be interrupted. When you download a backup file, we recommend that you ensure optimal network status.
If you want to download a backup file to a disk that is attached by using ossfs, you must adjust the value of the multipart_size parameter for ossfs. The maximum value of this parameter is 100 GB. If the size of the backup file that you want to download exceeds 100 GB, the download fails. For more information about ossfs and its parameter settings, see Overview and Common options.
We recommend that you use the commands, such as wget and curl, that are provided in this topic to download a backup file. If you use a third-party tool to download a backup file, the backup file may be downloaded multiple times. As a result, the amount of data that is downloaded is greater than the size of the backup file, and you may be charged for the traffic that is consumed to download the excess amount of data over the Internet.

wget curl

Command: nohup wget -c -t 0 "The URL that is used to download the backup file" -O The save path and name of the downloaded backup file> The file to which the downloaded data is saved &

Example: nohup wget -c -t 0 "https://example.aliyundoc.com/examplebackup.qp.xb" -O /backup/examplebackup.qp.xb > /tmp/download.log &

The following information provides the meanings of the options in the preceding command:

-t 0: enables an unlimited number of retries.
-c: enables resumable uploads.
-O: specifies the save path and file name of the backup file after the backup file is downloaded.
nohup: prevents interruptions to the download and specifies that the process automatically exits after the download is complete. If you accidentally replicate data or disconnect your database client during the download, the download is interrupted.

Command: nohup curl -C - --retry 10 "The URL that is used to download the backup file" -o The user-defined name of the downloaded backup file> The file to which the downloaded data is saved &

Example: nohup curl -C --retry 10 "https://example.aliyundoc.com/examplebackup.qp.xb" -o backup.qp.xb > /tmp/download.log &

The following information provides the meanings of the options in the preceding command:

--retry 10: enables up to 10 retries if the download fails.
-C -: enables resumable uploads.
-o: specifies the save path and file name of the backup file after the backup file is downloaded.
nohup: prevents interruptions to the download and specifies that the process automatically exits after the download is complete. If you accidentally replicate data or disconnect your database client during the download, the download is interrupted.

Note For more information about how to obtain the download URL of a backup file, see Download methods.

FAQ

How do I use the data backup files and log backup files that I downloaded?
You can restore the data of the backup files that you downloaded by using the standard download feature to self-managed MySQL instances. For more information, see Restore the data of an ApsaraDB RDS for MySQL instance from a physical backup file to a self-managed MySQL database or Restore the data of an ApsaraDB RDS for MySQL instance from a logical backup file to a self-managed MySQL instance.
My RDS instance uses standard SSDs or ESSDs. What do I do if the "ERROR 1148 (42000): The used command is not allowed with this MySQL version" error message appears when I restore the data of a backup file that I downloaded by using the advanced download feature to a self-managed MySQL instance?
Execute the SHOW VARIABLES LIKE 'local_infile'; statement on the self-managed MySQL database. If the output is OFF, execute the SET statement to set the global local_infile parameter to 1 to enable file import. After the preceding operations are complete, run the import script again.
After I download a backup file, why is the size of the backup file that is displayed in the ApsaraDB RDS console inconsistent with the size of the download backup file?
The downloaded backup file is compressed. As a result, the size of the downloaded backup file is smaller than the file size that is displayed in the ApsaraDB RDS console. You can check whether the data is complete after data is restored from the backup file. For more information, see Restore the data of an ApsaraDB RDS for MySQL instance to a self-managed MySQL instance by using a CSV file or an SQL file.
Can I directly restore the backup files that are downloaded from the ApsaraDB RDS console to another ApsaraDB RDS for MySQL instance?
No, you cannot directly restore the backup files that are downloaded from the ApsaraDB RDS console to another ApsaraDB RDS for MySQL instance. If you want to restore the backup files to another RDS instance, perform the following operations: Restore the backup files to a self-managed database and use Data Transmission Service (DTS) or mysqldump to migrate data from the self-managed database to the required RDS instance. For more information, see Restore the data of an ApsaraDB RDS for MySQL instance from a physical backup file to a self-managed MySQL database, Migrate data from a self-managed MySQL database to an ApsaraDB RDS for MySQL instance, and Use the mysqldump extension to migrate data from a self-managed MySQL instance to an ApsaraDB RDS for MySQL instance.

Related operations


Operation	Description
DescribeBackups	Queries the data backup files of an instance.
DescribeBinlogFiles	Queries the binary log files of an instance.