All Products
Search

This Product

    :Create a multi-level storage pool backup policy

    Document Center

    :Create a multi-level storage pool backup policy

    Last Updated:May 07, 2026

    The multi-level storage pool feature of Database Backup Service (DBS) automatically copies backups to other storage pools. By configuring a backup policy for multi-level storage pools, you can easily manage multiple on-premises and cloud storage pools. This enables seamless data transfer between storage pools, enhancing data security and reducing backup costs.

    Prerequisites

    This feature is available only in the following regions: China (Hangzhou), China (Shanghai), China (Qingdao), China (Beijing), China (Zhangjiakou), and China (Shenzhen).

    Announcement

    The public preview of the multi-level storage pool feature for DBS ended on June 20, 2022. The multi-level storage pool feature will be upgraded to the backup infrastructure and will provide services through scenarios such as cross-region backup and backup download. For more information, see Notice: End of the Public Preview for the Multi-level Storage Pool Feature.

    Overview

    In a hybrid cloud environment, you may need to store database backups in different storage pools, such as online cloud storage and on-premises NAS storage. The multi-level storage pool feature provides independent management, scheduling, validation, and retention period management for different storage pools.

    Figure 1. Example of a multi-level storage pool application多级备份策略的应用示例

    Table 1. Terms

    Term

    Description

    data source

    A data entity that you want to back up, such as an RDS for MySQL database, a self-managed Oracle database, or a file. For more information, see Manually add a data source.

    storage pool

    The storage medium where backups are stored. DBS supports its built-in storage, self-managed Object Storage Service (OSS) buckets, and self-managed NAS. For more information, see Add or delete a storage pool.

    backup policy

    A policy that provides options for backup operations, such as full, incremental, and log backups. It includes settings for the backup cycle, data retention period, and the method for copying data between different storage pools. This policy enables batch backup operations for specific data source types based on your business scenario.

    multi-level storage pool backup policy

    A backup policy that uses a multi-level storage pool and is applied to a target backup schedule.

    • level-1 storage pool: Backups of a data source are stored in the level-1 storage pool.

    • level-2 storage pool: Backups are dumped (copied) from the level-1 storage pool.

    dump

    The process of copying backup data from a specified storage pool to another storage pool.

    Use cases

    Scenario

    Description

    cross-region backup

    Back up data to cloud storage in a different region.

    For example, if your data source is in the China (Beijing) region, you can set the level-1 storage pool to DBS built-in storage in China (Beijing) and the level-2 storage pool to DBS built-in storage in China (Hangzhou). This creates a cross-region backup.

    Archiving

    Archive online backup data to on-premises IDC storage or online cloud storage.

    For example, you can back up a data source by setting the level-1 storage pool to DBS built-in storage in China (Beijing) and performing a full backup daily with a 7-day retention period. You can then set the level-2 storage pool to on-premises IDC storage and dump the data once a week.

    Backup to the cloud

    • Back up data to a local IDC first, and then dump it to online cloud storage.

    • Directly back up data to online cloud storage.

    On-demand archiving in the same region

    You can configure multiple archiving plans with different schedules.

    Procedure

    1. Go to the Backup Policies page and select a region from the region drop-down list at the top.

    2. In the upper-left corner of the page, click Add Backup Policy.

      Note

      You can also modify an existing backup policy template. This change does not affect backup schedules created based on the policy.

    3. On the Create Policy Template page, configure the policy name, backup method, and the backup settings for the level-1 storage pool.

      1. Enter a name for the backup policy.

      2. Select Logical Backup or Physical Backup as the backup method.

        Note

        This parameter cannot be modified after the template is created. For more information, see Supported database engines and features.

      3. Click Modify next to Backup Policy, configure the backup policy parameters, and then click OK.

        Parameter

        Description

        Full Backup Method

        The method for performing full backups. Valid values:

        • Periodic Backup: Performs full backups based on the specified cycle.

        • Single Backup

        Full Backup Frequency

        Default value: Every Week. You can perform one to seven backups per week.

        Note

        This parameter is displayed only when Full Backup Method is set to Periodic Backup.

        Full Backup Cycle

        Select the days of the week to perform full backups. You can select any day from Monday to Sunday.

        Start At

        Select the start time for each backup.

        Note

        If a previous full backup task is still running at the scheduled start time, the system automatically skips the current backup task.

        Incremental Backup Interval

        Set the interval for incremental backups. Default: 10 minutes. The interval can range from 10 to 60 minutes.

        For example, if you set the interval to 10 minutes, the system performs an incremental backup every 10 minutes.

        Note

      4. Click Modify next to Level-1 Storage Pool (Backup), configure the storage pool information, and then click OK.

        Parameter

        Description

        Storage type

        You can select DBS Backup Storage, Apsara File Storage NAS, or OSS For User.

        Note

        • To use Apsara File Storage NAS or OSS For User as the storage destination, you must use Logical Backup and join the public preview program.

        • If the primary storage pool is set to Apsara File Storage NAS, you cannot configure a secondary storage pool.

        • If you have joined the public preview program and want to select Apsara File Storage NAS or OSS For User, you must first add them to a storage pool.

        Storage pool

        The destination for database backups. The storage pool must be in the current region.

        Note

        This parameter cannot be modified after it is configured.

        Retention period

        Specifies how long to retain full backup data. The retention period can be from 7 to 3650 days. The default is 2 Years.

        Encryption Method

        The encryption method. Valid values:

        • Built-in Encryption (default): Encrypts backup data.

          Object Storage Service (OSS) provides a server-side encryption feature. When you upload an object, OSS encrypts the data before storing it. When you download the object, OSS automatically decrypts it. For more information, see Server-side encryption.

        • Non-encrypted: Disables encryption for backups.

    4. Hover over the 添加二级存储池图标 icon and click Dump to configure the policy for the level-2 storage pool.

      Note

      Only users who participated in the public preview of multi-level storage pools can configure a policy for the level-2 storage pool. If you did not participate in the public preview, this feature is not available to you. For more information, see Notice: End of the Public Preview for the Multi-level Storage Pool Feature.

      1. Click Modify next to Dump Policy, configure the policy parameters, and then click OK.

        Table 2. Parameters for Level-2 Storage Pool (Dump)

        Parameter

        Description

        Full Dump Method

        The method for dumping data. The two options are:

        • Periodic Backup: Dumps the latest backup set that has not been dumped to the level-2 storage pool on a specified schedule. If no eligible backup set is available at the scheduled time, DBS continuously monitors for a new backup set and performs the dump when one is created.

          For example, if the backup policy for the level-1 storage pool is configured to perform a full backup daily, and the dump policy for the level-2 storage pool is set to run every Sunday, DBS dumps only the latest full backup set to the level-2 storage pool each Sunday.

        • Event Trigger: When a full or incremental backup is completed in the level-1 storage pool, DBS immediately dumps the backup data to the level-2 storage pool.

        Note

        If you select Periodic Backup, you must also configure Full Dump Cycle and Full Dump Start At.

        Full Dump Frequency

        Select the frequency for dumping data.

        • If Full Dump Method is set to Periodic Backup, the following options are available:

          • Every Week (Default): You can select one or more days from Monday to Sunday.

          • Every Month: You can select one or more days from 1 to 28.

          • Every Year: Select a specific month and day, such as January 1. Multiple selections are not supported.

        • If Full Dump Method is set to Event Trigger, this parameter is automatically set to Event Trigger.

        Full Dump Cycle

        Select the days for the full dump cycle.

        This parameter appears only when Full Dump Method is set to Periodic Backup.

        Full Dump Start At

        Select the start time for the full dump.

        This parameter appears only when Full Dump Method is set to Periodic Backup.

        Incremental Dump

        Controls whether to dump incremental backup data. If enabled, the system dumps incremental backup data from the level-1 storage pool to the level-2 storage pool.

      2. Click Modify next to Level-2 Storage Pool (Dump), configure the storage pool information, and then click OK.

        Table 3. Parameters for the level-2 storage pool

        Parameter

        Description

        Storage Type

        The supported storage types are DBS built-in storage, NAS, and OSS For User.

        If you select NAS or a OSS For User, you must first add it to the storage pool list. For more information, see Add or delete a storage pool.

        Only Logical Backup supports backing up to NAS or a OSS For User.

        Storage Pool

        Specifies the level-2 storage pool where backup data is dumped. You cannot change this parameter after configuration.

        • Cross-region storage pools are supported. For example, you can set the level-1 storage pool to DBS built-in storage in the China (Hangzhou) region and the level-2 storage pool to DBS built-in storage in the China (Beijing) region.

        • Heterogeneous storage is supported. For example, you can set the level-1 storage pool to DBS built-in storage in the China (Hangzhou) region and the level-2 storage pool to your on-premises NAS storage.

        Retention Period

        Enter the retention period for the dumped data. The default is 2 Years. The value can range from 1 Week to 10 Years. For more information, see Manage lifecycles.

        Storage Method

        The method for encryption. Options include:

        • Built-in Encryption (default): Encrypts backup data.

          Object Storage Service (OSS) provides a server-side encryption feature. When you upload an object, OSS encrypts the data before storing it. When you download the object, OSS automatically decrypts it. For more information, see Server-side encryption.

        • Non-encrypted: Disables encryption for backups.

    5. Optional: Repeat Step 4 to create multiple level-2 storage pools.

    6. Click OK.

      The backup policy for multi-level storage pools is created.

    Related operations

    Modify a policy template

    1. Log on to the DBS console.

    2. In the left-side navigation pane, click Backup Strategies. Then, select a target region in the top navigation bar.

    3. Find the target backup policy template and click Modify in the Actions column.

      image.png

      Note

      • Some parameters cannot be modified. The settings available in the console prevail.

      • Changes to a backup policy template apply only to new backup schedules and do not affect existing ones.

      • If you need to modify the backup policy for a running backup schedule, you must modify the schedule directly. For more information, see Modify the backup policy within a backup schedule.

    Clone a policy template

    Cloning a backup policy template lets you quickly create new templates with similar settings, which improves efficiency and consistency.

    1. Log on to the DBS console.

    2. In the left-side navigation pane, click Backup Strategies. Then, select a target region in the top navigation bar.

    3. Find the target backup policy template and click Clone in the Actions column.

      image.png

    Delete a policy template

    1. Log on to the DBS console.

    2. In the left-side navigation pane, click Backup Strategies. Then, select a target region in the top navigation bar.

    3. Find the target backup policy template and click Delete in the Actions column.

      image.png

      Note

      You cannot delete a backup policy template that is associated with any backup schedules.