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    ApsaraDB for MongoDB:Manually back up MongoDB data

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    ApsaraDB for MongoDB:Manually back up MongoDB data

    Last Updated:Jun 10, 2026

    Create manual backups of your ApsaraDB for MongoDB instance and configure custom retention policies.

    Prerequisites

    An ApsaraDB for MongoDB stand-alone instance, replica set instance, or sharded cluster instance is created.

    Usage notes

    If you select Physical Backup for an instance running a version earlier than MongoDB 4.0, the backup may fail when the total number of collections and indexes exceeds 10,000. Upgrade the major database version to MongoDB 4.0 or later before performing a physical backup.

    Important

    After a version upgrade, pre-upgrade backup files cannot be used to create new instances.

    Manual backup

    Backups are stored in Object Storage Service (OSS) and do not consume your instance storage.

    The following table lists the backup methods for each instance type.

    Instance type

    Backup method

    Description

    • Stand-alone instances

    • Cloud disk-based replica set instances of MongoDB 4.2 or later

    • Cloud disk-based sharded cluster instances of MongoDB 4.2 or later

    Snapshot Backup

    Captures the disk state at a point in time. Recovery takes minutes.

    Note

    This process consumes I/O resources from the instance.

    • Local disk-based replica set instances of MongoDB 4.2 or earlier

    • Local disk-based sharded cluster instances of MongoDB 4.2 or earlier

    • Logical Backup

    • Physical Backup

    • Logical Backup: Uses mongodump to create a logical backup. Data is restored by replaying operations.

    • Physical Backup: Backs up physical database files. Faster for both backup and recovery than logical backup.

    Note

    • Logical and physical backups run on a hidden node and do not affect Primary or Secondary node performance.

    • For large datasets, backups may take a long time.

    Billing

    ApsaraDB for MongoDB provides a free backup storage quota covering full and log backups. Backup storage within the quota incurs no charges. Excess usage is billed as: Hourly backup fee = (Backup storage usage - Free quota) × Unit price.

    Free quota by storage type:

    Storage type

    Free quota

    Usage and quota

    Cloud disk-based

    200% of the storage capacity

    View backup storage usage and free quota in the Specification Information section on the Basic Information page.

    Local disk-based

    50% of the storage capacity

    Unit prices for excess backup storage:

    Storage type

    Unit price (USD/GB/day)

    Cloud disk-based

    Varies by region:

    • Chinese mainland: 0.0009375

    • China (Hong Kong) and other regions outside the Chinese mainland: 0.001125

    Local disk-based

    Varies by region:

    • Chinese mainland: 0.00375

    • China (Hong Kong) and other regions outside the Chinese mainland: 0.0045

    Full pricing details are available on the ApsaraDB for MongoDB pricing page.

    Warning

    Prices listed here are for reference only and may change. Check the purchase page and your bills for actual pricing.

    Create a manual backup

    1. Go to the ApsaraDB for MongoDB Replica Set Instances or ApsaraDB for MongoDB Sharded Cluster Instances page. In the top navigation bar, select a resource group and a region, and then click the ID of the target instance.

    2. In the upper-right corner of the Basic Information page, click Back up Instance.

    3. In the Back up Instance panel, select a Backup Method.

    4. In the dialog box, select a Backup Retention Period and click OK.

      Note

      Custom retention policies are supported only for cloud disk-based instances running MongoDB 4.2 or later.

      Available retention policies:

      • Default: Uses the same retention period as the automatic backup policy.

      • Custom: Specify a retention period of 7 to 730 days.

      • Permanent: Retains the backup for the lifetime of the instance. For example, you can create a manual backup at the beginning of a week or month and set it to Never Expires for long-term retention.

      After the backup completes, refresh the page to view the backup on the Backup and Restoration page.

    Extend manual backup retention

    Extend the retention period of an existing manual backup.

    1. Go to the ApsaraDB for MongoDB Replica Set Instances or ApsaraDB for MongoDB Sharded Cluster Instances page. In the top navigation bar, select a resource group and a region, and then click the ID of the target instance.

    2. In the left-side navigation pane, click Backup and Restoration.

    3. On the Full Backup tab, find the manual backup whose retention period you want to extend and click Modify Expiration Time in the rightmost column.

    4. In the dialog box, set a new expiration date.

      Note

      • You can only extend the expiration time.

      • Non-expiring backups cannot have their expiration time adjusted. Remove them by clicking Delete.

    FAQ

    How do I view fees for instance backups?

    Go to the Bill Details page in the Alibaba Cloud console. Filter for bills where Billable Items is Backup Storage.

    How do I manually delete instance backups?

    Instance backups cannot be manually deleted. To reduce backup storage, lower the backup frequency or shorten the retention period. Configure automatic backups.

    API reference

    API

    Description

    CreateBackup

    Manually backs up an ApsaraDB for MongoDB instance.