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    Data Management:Logical backup and recovery for PolarDB distributed edition

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    Data Management:Logical backup and recovery for PolarDB distributed edition

    Last Updated:Mar 30, 2026

    Data Disaster Recovery supports logical backup for PolarDB-X 1.0 instances, with geo-redundancy, long-term archiving, and distributed backup. This guide walks you through configuring a backup schedule and restoring a PolarDB-X instance.

    Before you begin

    Before you start, ensure you have:

    Key capabilities

    Feature Description
    SQL file backup Backs up data in JSON format
    Geo-redundancy Backs up to an OSS bucket in a destination region; restores to a new PolarDB-X instance in the source region, destination region, or another region
    Long-term archiving Retains backup data for up to ten years; after ten years, transfers backup sets to Archive Storage
    Backup speed limit Limits backup speed to reduce impact on database performance
    Distributed backup Available for large and xlarge backup schedules; backs up and restores multiple nodes simultaneously
    Incremental backup Not supported for PolarDB-X instances

    Configure a backup schedule

    1. Log on to the Data Management (DMS) console V5.0.

    2. In the top navigation bar, choose Security and Specifications (DBS) > Disaster Recovery for Data (DBS) > Backup Plan.

      Note

      In simple mode, hover over the 2023-01-28_15-57-17.png icon in the upper-left corner and choose All Features > Security and Specifications (DBS) > Disaster Recovery for Data (DBS) > Backup Plan.

    3. On the Backup Schedules page, find the target backup schedule and click Configure Backup Schedule in the Actions column.

    4. In the Configure Backup Source and Destination step, configure the parameters below and click Next.

      Backup source

      Parameter Description
      Schedule Name Auto-generated. Enter a descriptive name for easy identification. Names do not need to be unique.
      Backup Mode Defaults to the method selected at purchase. This guide uses Logical Backup.
      Database Location Select PolarDB-X Instance.
      Instance Region The region where the source database instance resides.
      Database Type Select PolarDB-X (Formerly DRDS).
      ID of PolarDB-X Instance The ID of the PolarDB-X instance hosting the source database.
      Database Name The name of the source database.
      Database Account The username used to connect to the source database. The account must have backup permissions. See Required permissions for different types of database accounts.
      Password The password for the database account. Click Test Connection to validate. If Test Failed appears, click Check and correct the connection details.
      Compliance warranty regarding cross-border data transfers Read and select the check box to agree.

      Backup destination

      Parameter Description
      Backup Storage Type DBS Storage (recommended): No OSS bucket needed; charged based on stored volume. For pricing details, see Storage fees. OSS For User: Create an OSS bucket in advance using only the Standard storage class. See Create buckets. Configure the OSS Bucket Name parameter after selecting this option. For large data volumes, a subscription storage plan is more cost-efficient than pay-as-you-go.
      Storage Encryption Encrypted (recommended): Uses AES-256 server-side encryption via OSS. Objects are encrypted on upload and decrypted on download. See Server-side encryption. Non-encrypted: Data is stored without encryption.

      image

    5. In the Edit Backup Objects step, click Edit Backup Objects. Data Disaster Recovery backs up the entire distributed database instance — you cannot select individual tables.

    6. In the Configure Backup Time step, configure the parameters below and click Next.

      Parameter Description
      Full-scale Backup Frequency Periodic Backup: Runs on a recurring schedule. Also configure Full Data Backup Recurrence and Start At. Single Backup: Runs once.
      Full Data Backup Recurrence The days of the week to run the backup. Select at least one day.
      Start At The time to start the backup. Set a time during off-peak hours, for example, 01:00. If the previous backup is still running at the next scheduled start time, Data Disaster Recovery skips the next backup.
      Incremental Backup Not supported for PolarDB-X instances.
      Maximum Concurrent Threads for Full Data Backup The maximum number of concurrent backup threads. Reduce this value to minimize the impact on database performance.

    7. In the Edit Lifecycle step, configure the retention lifecycle for full backup sets.

    8. Click Precheck in the lower-right corner.

    9. When Precheck Passed appears, click Start Task. The backup schedule takes effect when its status changes to Running.

      Note

      If the backup schedule fails to start, troubleshoot the issue as soon as possible. See How do I fix errors for an abnormal backup schedule?. If the issue persists, contact technical support in the DingTalk group (ID: 35585947).

    Restore a PolarDB-X instance

    Important

    Restoring to the source instance may overwrite its existing data. To avoid data loss, restore to a new PolarDB-X instance instead.

    1. Log on to the DMS console V5.0.

    2. In the top navigation bar, choose Security and Specifications (DBS) > Disaster Recovery for Data (DBS) > Backup Plan.

      Note

      In simple mode, hover over the 2023-01-28_15-57-17.png icon in the upper-left corner and choose All Features > Security and Specifications (DBS) > Disaster Recovery for Data (DBS) > Backup Plan.

    3. On the Backup Schedules page, find the target backup schedule and click Manage in the Actions column.

    4. On the Configure Task page, click Restore Database in the upper-right corner.

    5. In the Set Time Restored To step, configure the parameters below and click Next.

      Parameter Description
      Task Name Auto-generated. Enter a descriptive name for easy identification. Names do not need to be unique.
      Time Range Available to Restore The span from the first full backup set to the latest full backup set.
      Restore To The target point in time, within the available restore range. Set this to the creation time of a full backup set.
      Database Location Select PolarDB-X Instance.
      Instance Region The region where the destination instance resides.
      Database Type Select PolarDB-X (Formerly DRDS).
      PolarDB Instance ID The ID of the destination PolarDB-X instance.
      Database Name The name of the destination database.
      Database Account The username used to connect to the destination database. The account must have read/write permissions on the destination database.
      Password The password for the destination database account.
      Compliance warranty regarding cross-border data transfers Read and select the check box to agree.

      image

    6. In the Configure Objects to Restore step, configure the parameters below and click Precheck.

      Parameter Description
      Conflict Handling By default, Rename Object with the Same Name is selected. For example, if the table job_info already exists in the destination database, the restored table is renamed to job_info_dbs_<Restore task ID>_<Timestamp>.
      Objects to Restore In the Available section, select the database or table to restore, then click the rightwards arrow to move it to the Selected section. Restoring at the database or table level reduces the amount of data transferred and shortens the recovery time objective (RTO). For supported restore granularity, see Supported database types and features.

    7. When Precheck Passed appears in the Precheck dialog box, click Start Task. To monitor progress, click Restore Tasks in the left-side navigation pane.

      Note

      Restore duration depends on the backup schedule specifications and the size of the database. Higher-specification schedules restore faster. For benchmark data, see Performance tests on logical backup and physical backup.