You can change the instance type and storage capacity, adjust node configurations, enable automatic storage expansion, configure primary/secondary switchover policies, and change the billing method for a DuckDB-based analytical primary instance. These features support flexible resource management and maintenance.
Change the instance type and storage capacity
You can change the instance type to upgrade or downgrade computing specifications and expand the storage capacity. Reducing storage capacity is not currently supported.
Prerequisites
Your Alibaba Cloud account has no unpaid renewal orders.
The instance status is Running. If your instance is locked, unlock the instance before you change its configuration.
Impacts
Change item | Impact |
Specifications | The specification change takes several minutes and is not affected by the data volume. An instance switchover occurs, which takes about 30 seconds. Change the specifications during off-peak hours and make sure your application has an automatic reconnection mechanism. |
storage capacity |
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You do not need to manually restart the instance after you change its specifications. This operation does not cause data loss or change the instance ID and endpoint.
Billing rules
The actual fee is subject to the price displayed in the console. For more information, see Billing rules for specification changes.
Procedure
You cannot cancel an order to change the configuration after you submit it. Evaluate your business requirements before you proceed.
Go to the Instances page. In the top navigation bar, select the region in which the RDS instance resides. Then, find the RDS instance and click the ID of the instance.
In the Configuration Information section of the Basic Information page, click Change Specifications.
(This step is required only for subscription instances.) In the dialog box that appears, select a change method and click Next.
The change methods are as follows:
Upgrade or Downgrade: The new configuration takes effect immediately. Both subscription and pay-as-you-go instances support immediate upgrades or downgrades.
After the change task is submitted, the system synchronizes the disk data to a new instance. Then, at the scheduled switchover time, the system switches the instance ID and endpoint of the original instance to the new instance. The instance ID and endpoint remain unchanged.
Change the instance configuration. On the Change Specifications page, the instance type is set to the current instance type by default. Make sure the new instance type meets your requirements to avoid risks.
Select a Switching Time.
Execute Immediately: The data is switched immediately after migration.
Switch Within Maintenance Window: The switchover is performed within the specified maintenance window.
ImportantIf you select Switch Within Maintenance Window, the instance status remains Upgrading/Downgrading until the switchover is complete. During this period, you cannot perform instance-level operations such as upgrading or downgrading specifications, upgrading the database engine version, or migrating the instance across zones.
If you only expand the storage capacity, your business is not affected in most cases. The change takes effect immediately. You do not need to select Switch Within Maintenance Window.
On the Change Instance page, confirm the instance information before and after the change. Then, click Confirm Order and complete the payment.
WarningTo ensure a stable specification change, do not perform DDL operations from the time you submit the order until the change is complete.
FAQ
Disk expansion questions
Q: My instance disk has been expanded, but the instance is still locked. Why?
A: If an instance is locked because its disk is full, it is automatically unlocked after the scale-out task is complete. You can click Task Center in the upper-right corner of the Basic Information page to go to the Task Center page and view the progress of the scale-out task.
Q: Why does a storage expansion cause a transient disconnection?
A: A storage expansion requires an instance switchover. For more information about the impact of transient disconnections, see Impacts.
Q: Does the free backup quota increase when I expand the disk?
A: Yes. For more information, see Free backup quota.
Q: What are the rules for automatic storage expansion?
A: For more information, see Configure automatic storage expansion.
Configuration upgrade impacts
Q: If I upgrade the CPU, memory, and disk at the same time, how long will the service be unavailable?
A: The service is unavailable for several minutes, regardless of whether you upgrade a single item or multiple items. During the upgrade, an instance switchover or restart may occur, and most operations related to databases, accounts, and networks cannot be performed. Perform the specification change during the maintenance window. For more information about the business impacts of each change, see Impacts.
Q: What factors affect the duration of a specification change?
A: Specification changes for RDS DuckDB-based analytical primary instances that use disk storage do not involve cross-machine migration. Therefore, the change duration is short. For more information, see Impacts.
Q: Does changing the configuration affect my online business?
A: For more information, see Impacts.
Connections and network
Q: Does the endpoint change after the configuration is changed?
A: The endpoint (for example,
rm-bpxxxxx.mysql.rds.aliyuncs.com) does not change, but the IP address might. We recommend that you use the endpoint instead of the IP address in your application.Q: How do I configure an automatic reconnection mechanism for my application?
A: For Java applications, we recommend that you set the Time to Live (TTL) to no more than 60 seconds. This ensures that when the VIP address of the endpoint changes, the application can receive and use the new VIP address by re-querying the DNS. For information about how to set the TTL in Java, see the official JDK documentation.
Change node configurations
Add an instance node
During the node addition process, read and write operations on the instance are not affected. After the node is added, you can configure the weights of the cluster read-only endpoint to distribute traffic to the new node for load balancing. A single RDS DuckDB-based analytical primary instance supports up to eight secondary nodes.
Prerequisites
The RDS DuckDB-based analytical primary instance must be in the Running state.
Billing rules
The actual fee is subject to the price displayed in the console. For more information, see Billing rules for specification changes.
Procedure
Go to the Instances page. In the top navigation bar, select the region in which the RDS instance resides. Then, find the RDS instance and click the ID of the instance.
In the Instance Topology Management section of the Basic Information page, click Add or Delete Node.
In the dialog box that appears, select Add Node and click Next.
In the Node section, click the
icon or Add Node, and then configure the zone, instance type, and vSwitch for the new node.NoteTo cancel adding the node, click the
icon to the left of the node.Read the Terms of Service and click Confirm Order.
After the instance status changes from Adding Node to Running, the node has been added.
Related operations
After the node is added, you can adjust the node configuration of the cluster read-only endpoint to distribute traffic to the new node for load balancing.
Delete an instance node
A Cluster Edition primary instance must retain at least one primary node and one secondary node to ensure high availability.
Prerequisites
The RDS DuckDB-based analytical primary instance must be in the Running state.
Billing rules
The actual fee is subject to the price displayed in the console. For more information, see Billing rules for specification changes.
Procedure
When you delete a node, connections to that node experience a brief service interruption, but the operation of other nodes is not affected. To ensure business continuity, we recommend that you set the read weight of the node to 0 before you delete it.
Go to the Instances page. In the top navigation bar, select the region in which the RDS instance resides. Then, find the RDS instance and click the ID of the instance.
In the Instance Topology Management section of the Basic Information page, click Add or Delete Node.
In the dialog box that appears, select Delete Node and click Next.
To the left of the node you want to delete, click the
icon.NoteTo cancel the deletion, click Restore to the left of the node.
Read the Terms of Service and click Confirm Order.
Related operations
After the node is deleted, we recommend that you promptly adjust the node configuration of the cluster read-only endpoint to distribute traffic to other nodes for load balancing.
Change node specifications and storage capacity
RDS DuckDB-based analytical primary instances support configuring different specifications for different cluster nodes and flexibly adjusting the storage type and storage capacity. This improves the flexibility and cost-effectiveness of the instance.
Prerequisites
The RDS DuckDB-based analytical primary instance must meet the following conditions:
Instance status: Running
Data replication relationship between the primary and secondary nodes: semi-synchronous or asynchronous replication
Limits
Change item | Change method | Limits |
Node specifications | Supports changing a single node independently or changing the entire instance. |
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Node storage capacity | Does not support changing a single node independently. Only supports changing the entire instance. |
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You can go to the Basic Information page of the instance and view the node specifications in the topology diagram at the bottom of the page.
Impacts
Change item | Impact |
Node specifications | The specification change takes several minutes and is not affected by the data volume. Changing node specifications causes an instance switchover. Perform the specification change during off-peak hours and make sure your application has an automatic reconnection mechanism. During the instance switchover, most operations related to databases, accounts, and networks cannot be performed. For more information, see Impacts of an instance switchover. The details of the instance switchover are as follows:
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The specification change operation does not change the instance node ID or endpoint. You do not need to manually restart the instance after the change.
Billing rules
The actual fee is subject to the price displayed in the console. For more information, see Billing rules for specification changes.
Procedure
Go to the Instances page. In the top navigation bar, select the region in which the RDS instance resides. Then, find the RDS instance and click the ID of the instance.
In the Configuration Information or Instance Topology Management section of the Basic Information page, click Specification Change.
Select Storage Type, Storage capacity, Node Change, and Switching Time as needed.
Read the Terms of Service, click Confirm Order, confirm the change information, and then click Continue to complete the payment.
NoteChanging the node configuration takes several minutes. During the change, the instance status is Upgrading/Downgrading. After the change is complete, the instance status changes to Running.
Configure automatic storage expansion
If a database has insufficient storage capacity, data may fail to be written. This can result in data loss or even a database crash, which can seriously affect business operations. A DuckDB-based analytical primary instance supports automatic scale-out when its storage usage reaches a specified threshold. The instance does not need to be restarted during the scale-out process, and your business operations are not affected. After the storage is scaled out, automatic scale-in is not currently supported. To scale in the instance, you must perform the operation manually. For more information, see Change the instance type and storage capacity.
Prerequisites
The instance is in the Running state.
Your account has a sufficient balance to cover the expansion cost.
Procedure
Go to the Instances page. In the top navigation bar, select the region in which the RDS instance resides. Then, find the RDS instance and click the ID of the instance.
On the Basic Information page, in the Instance Resources section, click Settings to the right of Automatic Storage Expansion.
NoteIf the Settings button is not displayed, make sure that your instance meets the prerequisites.
Configure the following parameters.
Category
Description
Automatic Storage Expansion
Enables or disables automatic storage expansion.
Available Storage ≤
When the percentage of free space drops to or below this value, automatic expansion is triggered.
NoteThe amount of storage added is the greater of the following two values:
5 GB. If the total instance storage is less than 50 GB and the free space is less than 10%, the scaling step size is 10 GB.
15% of the current instance storage capacity, rounded to the nearest multiple of 5.
For example, if your instance has 100 GB of total storage, 15% of this is 15 GB. Because 15 GB is greater than 5 GB, 15 GB of storage is added when the expansion is triggered. After the expansion, the total storage capacity is 115 GB.
Maximum Storage Capacity
The maximum total instance storage capacity after expansion. This value must be greater than or equal to the current total storage capacity. The maximum value is
64 TB.Click OK.
Configure primary/secondary node switchovers
RDS automatically triggers a primary/secondary node switchover if the primary node of an instance fails. A switchover also occurs if an emergency fix for a potential threat is applied to the secondary node. During a switchover, the roles of the primary and secondary nodes are swapped. The instance endpoint does not change. Your application automatically connects to the new primary node, which was the original secondary node. This process ensures high availability for your instance. You can also switch the primary and secondary nodes manually.
Background information
Automatic switchover: This feature is enabled by default. If the primary node fails and becomes inaccessible, the system automatically switches to the secondary node. For more information about what triggers a primary/secondary switchover, see Reasons for a primary/secondary switchover.
Manual switchover: You can perform a manual switchover even when automatic switchover is enabled. Use manual switchovers for disaster recovery drills or to connect to the nearest node in a multi-zone deployment.
Impacts
The service may be unavailable for up to 30 seconds during a primary/secondary node switchover. Ensure your application has an automatic reconnection mechanism.
If your application uses an older version of the Druid component to manage database connections, the connection may not automatically recover after a disconnection. To avoid this problem, upgrade Druid to version 1.1.16 or later.
A primary/secondary switchover does not change the instance endpoint, but the underlying IP address might change. If you use the instance endpoint, the switchover does not affect your application's operation.
If an instance fails, the switchover time may be longer.
Switch primary and secondary nodes manually
Go to the Instances page. In the top navigation bar, select the region in which the RDS instance resides. Then, find the RDS instance and click the ID of the instance.
In the navigation pane on the left, choose Service Availability.
In the Instance Availability section, click Switch Primary/Secondary Instance.
In the Primary/Secondary Switchover dialog box, on the Secondary Node row, select the target secondary node to promote it to the primary node.
Select a switchover time and click OK.
ImportantMost operations, such as managing databases and accounts or switching network types, cannot be performed during the primary/secondary node switchover. Therefore, we recommend selecting Within Specified Time Range.
Temporarily disable automatic primary/secondary switchover
The automatic primary/secondary switchover feature is enabled by default. If the primary node fails, the system automatically switches to the secondary node. You can temporarily disable this feature in the following scenarios:
During events such as sales promotions, to prevent a switchover from affecting system availability.
During major application upgrades, to avoid introducing unexpected variables from a switchover.
During critical events or stability assurance periods, to prevent a switchover from affecting system stability.
Go to the Instances page. In the top navigation bar, select the region in which the RDS instance resides. Then, find the RDS instance and click the ID of the instance.
In the left-side navigation pane, click Service Availability.
In the Instance Availability section, click Automatic Primary/Secondary Switchover.
Select Temporarily Disable, set the Deadline, and then click OK.
NoteAfter the specified deadline is reached, the instance resumes automatic primary/secondary switchovers.
By default, the feature is disabled for one day. You can set the end time to a maximum of 23:59:59 seven days from the current time.
After you complete the settings, you can view the end time for the temporary disablement on the Service Availability page.
View primary/secondary switchover logs
Go to the Instances page. In the top navigation bar, select the region in which the RDS instance resides. Then, find the RDS instance and click the ID of the instance.
In the left-side navigation pane, click Service Availability.
In the Primary/Secondary Switchover Logs section, adjust the time range to view the primary/secondary switchover logs.
FAQ
Instance switchover
Q: Do I need to manually switch back after a primary/secondary switchover?
A: No. The data on the primary and secondary nodes is identical. After a switchover, the original secondary node becomes the new primary node. No further action is required.
Instance fails to recover after a switchover
Q: The instance does not recover for a long time after a primary/secondary switchover.
A: When an exception triggers a high-availability switchover in RDS, persistent connections from your application may not detect the change in connection status. If you do not set a socket timeout, the application waits indefinitely for a response from the database. The connection usually times out and disconnects after several hundred seconds. During this period, some database connections do not work, and many SQL execution exceptions occur. To avoid these invalid connections, configure connectTimeout and socketTimeout. This prevents the application from waiting indefinitely during a network error and shortens the downtime.
Evaluate the timeout values based on your business payload and usage. For online transaction scenarios, set connectTimeout to 1 to 2 seconds and socketTimeout to 60 to 90 seconds. These settings are for reference only.
Change the billing method
Change from pay-as-you-go to subscription
Prerequisites
The instance is in the Running state.
The instance has no unpaid orders for changing to the subscription billing method.
Notes
If you upgrade the specifications of an instance that has an unpaid order to change to the subscription billing method, the order becomes invalid. You must first cancel the order on the Order Management page. Then, you can try to change the billing method again.
When you change the billing method from pay-as-you-go to subscription, if the process crosses the top of an hour, the previous hour is billed as pay-as-you-go. The subscription billing method takes effect at the top of the next hour.
For example, you start changing the billing method for an instance at 09:55, and the process completes at 10:10. The instance is billed as pay-as-you-go from 09:00 to 10:00. The subscription billing starts after 10:00.
NotePay-as-you-go resources are billed hourly. Your bill may be delayed. You can check for it later.
Change the billing method 15 to 30 minutes before the top of the hour.
Procedure
Log on to the RDS console. In the navigation pane on the left, click Instances. In the top navigation bar, select the region of the instance.
Find the target instance. You can go to the Change from Pay-as-you-go to Subscription page in one of the following ways:
In the Billing Method column, click Switch To Subscription.
Click the instance ID. On the Basic Information page, find the Billing Method field in the Status section and click Change To Subscription.
Select a Subscription Duration and click Confirm Order.
NoteThe system creates an order to change the billing method. If this order is not paid for or is canceled, you cannot purchase new instances or change the billing method for other instances. You can pay for or cancel the order on the Order Management page.
Change from subscription to pay-as-you-go
Prerequisites
The instance is in the Running state.
NoteIf your subscription instance is locked because it has expired, you must first renew it. For more information about how to renew an instance, see Manual renewal.
Fees
After you change the billing method from subscription to pay-as-you-go, the remaining balance is refunded to your original payment method.
For information about the specific amount, see Standard refund instructions.
Refund amount = Actual amount paid - Used resource fee
Actual amount paid: The cash amount paid for the order. This does not include deductions from vouchers or coupons.
Used resource fee: Daily subscription price (original monthly price / 30) × Actual usage duration × Discount for the used duration
NoteThe actual usage duration is measured in days. A partial day is counted as a full day.
Procedure
Log on to the RDS console. In the navigation pane on the left, click Instances. In the top navigation bar, select a region.
Find the target instance. You can go to the Change from Subscription to Pay-as-you-go page in one of the following ways:
In the Billing Method column, click Switch To Pay-As-You-Go.
Click the instance ID. On the Basic Information page, find the Billing Method field in the Status section and click Change to Pay-As-You-Go.
Confirm the instance information, read the Terms of Service, and click Confirm Order to complete the payment.