This topic describes the Tablestore backup feature, including benefits, how it works, procedure, and fees.
Introduction
Tablestore is a multi-model data storage service that is developed by Alibaba Cloud. Tablestore can store large amounts of structured data and supports fast data query and analytics. Cloud Backup can back up Tablestore instances and restore data when required.
This feature has some limits. For more information, see Limits.
Benefits
Native Tablestore backup service
You can protect Tablestore tables without installing any backup components.
Flexible data versioning
You can configure scheduled backup plans by day, week, month, and year, and specify the retention period of the backup data. This allows you to flexibly manage the versions of backup data.
Simple table data restoration
If a system failure or an error occurs on a Tablestore instance, you can restore the table data in the backup vault to the source Tablestore instance or another specified Tablestore instance. You can restore only one table at a time.
Deduplication and compression
Tablestore backup compresses and deduplicates the data to be backed up, minimizing the storage space occupied by the backup data.
Immutable backup against accidental or malicious deletion
Cloud Backup provides the immutable backup feature based on backup vaults. Backup data cannot be deleted by any account or method before the configured retention period expires.
How it works
Cloud Backup supports agentless backup. You do not need to deploy additional computing resources. You only need to add Tablestore instances as the protected instances in the Cloud Backup console. Cloud Backup then automatically performs full and incremental backups. Cloud Backup uses Tunnel Service of Tablestore to establish real-time data channels for data tables and implements the following features:
Full backup: performs a complete copy of all data in the data tables for the first time.
Incremental backup: continuously captures new or changed data compared with the last backup to synchronize data changes in real time.
Based on the backup chain consisting of "one full backup + multiple incremental backups", you can flexibly select data versions from any point in time for restoration. This mechanism ensures that you can quickly roll back data to a specified historical state in case of accidental data deletion, failure, or exceptions, ensuring business continuity.
Procedure
The following procedure shows how to back up tables on a Tablestore instance in the Cloud Backup console.
You are not charged for activating Cloud Backup. If you use the Tablestore backup feature, you are charged for the storage usage of the backup vault.
You are not charged for Cloud Backup within 30 days after you use the Tablestore backup feature for the first time.
When you use the Tablestore backup feature, backup vaults are created. The fees for the backup vaults are included into your Cloud Backup bills. For more information, see Billing methods and billable items.
If you restore data to a Tablestore instance, you are charged for the data write throughput. The fees are included into your Tablestore bills. For more information, see Billing overview.
When you create a backup plan, configure the full backup and incremental backup policies, backup vault, and retention period. Cloud Backup starts the backup plan and continuously backs up data from the specified Tablestore instance.
When you restore data, Cloud Backup is free of charge. The restoration fees are included into your Tablestore bills.
If a system failure or error occurs on a Tablestore instance, you can restore the table data in the backup vault to the source Tablestore instance or another specified Tablestore instance. You can restore only one table at a time.
Fees
When you use the Tablestore backup feature, the following fees are incurred:
Storage usage fee
You are charged based on the storage usage of backup vaults. You can view the storage usage of backup vaults on the Overview page in the Cloud Backup console. Cloud Backup provides two types of backup storage: locally redundant storage (LRS) and zone-redundant storage (ZRS). For more information, see Pricing.
Restoration fee
If you restore data to a Tablestore instance, you are charged for the data write throughput. The fee is included into your Tablestore bills. For more information, see Billing overview.
What to do next
Learn how to back up Tablestore instances. For more information, see Back up Tablestore tables.
Learn about the best practices of Cloud Backup. For more information, see Best Practices.