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ApsaraDB RDS:Change the storage type from local disk to cloud disk

Last Updated:Apr 17, 2025

This topic describes how to change the storage type of an ApsaraDB RDS for MySQL instance from local SSD to Enterprise SSD (ESSD) or general ESSD in the ApsaraDB RDS console.

Prerequisites

  • The RDS instance runs one of the following MySQL versions and RDS editions:

    • MySQL 8.0 on RDS High-availability Edition with local SSDs

    • MySQL 5.7 on RDS High-availability Edition with local SSDs

    Note

    RDS instances that run MySQL 5.6 support only local disks. As a result, you cannot directly upgrade the storage type of an RDS instance that runs MySQL 5.6 from local disk to cloud disk. To resolve this issue, you can indirectly upgrade the storage type based on the instructions provided in FAQ.

  • The minor engine version of the RDS instance is 20201031 or later. For more information about how to update the minor engine version of an RDS instance, see Update the minor engine version.

  • No read-only RDS instances or disaster recovery instances are attached to the primary RDS instance.

  • The automatic performance scaling feature is disabled for the RDS instance.

  • The database proxy feature is disabled for the RDS instance.

  • The Transparent Data Encryption (TDE) or SSL encryption feature is disabled for the RDS instance.

  • The network type of the RDS instance is VPC and the RDS instance does not have a classic network endpoint.

  • The RDS instance does not use the IPv6 network protocol or connect to multiple VPCs.

    Note

    This prerequisite applies only to special scenarios.

  • The RDS instance is in the Running state.

Note

If the preceding prerequisites are not met, you can create an RDS instance that uses the ESSD or general ESSD storage type and then migrate data from the original RDS instance to the new RDS instance. For more information, see Migrate data between ApsaraDB RDS for MySQL instances.

Differences among local SSDs, ESSDs, and general ESSDs

Comparison item

ESSD

General ESSD

Local SSD

I/O performance

★★★★★

Delivers higher I/O performance than standard SSDs.

  • IOPS: varies based on the disk specifications and instance type.

  • I/O latency: ranges from 100 microseconds to 200 microseconds.

★★★★★★

Delivers better baseline I/O performance than performance level 1 (PL1) ESSDs and provides the I/O burst, I/O acceleration, and data archiving features. The following list describes the I/O performance:

★★★★★

Provides low I/O latency and high I/O performance.

Configuration flexibility

★★★★★

Provides various configuration options and allows you to expand and reduce the storage capacity of an RDS instance.

★★★★★

Provides various configuration options and allows you to expand and reduce the storage capacity of an RDS instance.

★★★★

Provides various configuration options and allows you to separately adjust the storage capacity. The storage capacity of some RDS instances that use local SSDs varies based on the instance types of the RDS instances. You cannot separately adjust the storage capacity of these RDS instances.

Scalability

★★★★★

Supports online storage capacity expansion. You can expand the storage capacity of an RDS instance within a few seconds.

★★★★★

Supports online storage capacity expansion. You can expand the storage capacity of an RDS instance within a few seconds.

★★★

Requires a few hours to expand the storage capacity of your RDS instance because the data needs to be replicated.

Impact of storage capacity expansion

Imposes no impacts.

Imposes no impacts.

Causes transient connections.

Billing rules

When you change the storage type of an RDS instance, the fee varies based on the region in which your RDS instance resides and the instance specifications. You can view the fee when you perform the change.

Usage notes

Impacts

  • The storage type change can trigger a migration of underlying data, which requires a period of time to complete. After the migration is complete, the system switches over your workloads at the specified switching time. During the switchover, a transient connection that lasts approximately 30 seconds occurs. We recommend that you change the storage type during off-peak hours and make sure that your application is configured to automatically reconnect to your RDS instance.

    Note

    After you change the storage type of an RDS instance, the endpoints of the RDS instance remain unchanged. You do not need to change the endpoints for your application.

  • After you change the storage type of your RDS instance, you cannot use the backup sets that are generated before the change to restore the data of the RDS instance that uses general ESSDs or ESSDs. You can restore the data of the RDS instance by using only the backup sets that are generated after the change.

  • When the storage type is being changed, you cannot perform specific operations on the RDS instance. For example, you cannot upgrade or downgrade the RDS instance, upgrade the database engine version of the RDS instance, or migrate the RDS instance across zones.

  • After the storage type is changed from local SSD to ESSD, the cross-region backup feature for the RDS instance is automatically disabled due to differences in the underlying architectures of the storage types. We recommend that you reconfigure the cross-region backup policy for the RDS instance after the change is complete. This helps ensure that the cross-region backup feature can work as expected. For more information, see Use the cross-region backup feature.

Procedure

  1. 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.

  2. In the Configuration Information section of the Basic Information page, click Change Specifications.

    image

  3. On the Change Instance Type page, select Storage Type. Select General ESSD, ESSD PL1, ESSD PL2, or ESSD PL3.

    In some zones, resources may be insufficient or cloud disks may be no longer available for purchase. As a result, you cannot set the storage type to cloud disk. In this case, you must migrate the RDS instance to a zone in which cloud disks are available for purchase and then upgrade the storage type to cloud disk.

    image

    Note
    • The following list describes the performance of ESSDs of different PLs:

      • The performance of ESSDs of different PLs is ranked in descending order: PL3 ESSD delivers the highest performance, followed by PL2 ESSD, and then PL1 ESSD.

      • A PL3 ESSD provides 20 times the IOPS and 11 times the throughput of a PL1 ESSD.

      • A PL2 ESSD delivers twice the IOPS and throughput of a PL1 ESSD.

    • The minimum storage capacities supported by PL1 ESSD, PL2 ESSD, and PL3 ESSD are 20 GB, 500 GB, and 1,500 GB.

    • The minimum storage capacity of a general ESSD is 10 GB.

    • General ESSDs deliver better baseline I/O performance than PL1 ESSDs and provide the I/O burst, I/O acceleration, and data archiving features. For more information, see What are general ESSDs?

  4. Optional. Configure the Instance Type parameter.

    1. Select an instance family. You can select General-purpose or Dedicated.

      Instance type

      Description

      Benefit

      General-purpose instance type

      A general-purpose instance exclusively occupies the allocated memory and I/O resources.

      A general-purpose instance shares CPU and storage resources with the other general-purpose instances that are deployed on the same host.

      A general-purpose instance is cost-effective.

      Dedicated instance type

      A dedicated instance exclusively occupies the allocated CPU, memory, storage, and I/O resources.

      Note

      The dedicated host instance family is the highest configuration of the dedicated instance family. A dedicated host RDS instance occupies all CPU, memory, storage, and I/O resources of the host on which the RDS instance is deployed.

      A dedicated instance provides better performance and stability.

    2. Select an instance type.

      • In a test environment, select an instance type that provides 1 or more cores.

      • For a production environment, select an instance type that provides four or more cores.

  5. Optional. Expand or reduce the storage capacity based on your business requirements.

    Note

    The storage capacity of the ESSD or general ESSD must be at least 1.2 times greater than the used storage of the local SSD of the RDS instance.

  6. Configure the Switching Time parameter. This parameter specifies the time to perform the primary/secondary switchover after the storage type is upgraded.

    • Execute Immediately

    • Switch Within Maintenance Window: The system switches your workloads over to the new RDS instance within the maintenance window that you specify.

    Note
    • The switchover causes a transient connection that lasts approximately 30 seconds. We recommend that you change the storage type during off-peak hours and make sure that your application is configured to automatically reconnect to your RDS instance.

    • If you select Switch Within Maintenance Window, the RDS instance remains in the upgrading or downgrading state until the switchover is complete. During the switchover, you cannot perform specific operations on the RDS instance. For example, you cannot upgrade or downgrade the specifications of the RDS instance, upgrade the database engine version of the RDS instance, or migrate the RDS instance across zones.

  7. Read and select the terms of service, click Pay Now, and then complete the payment.

    After the payment is complete, the status of the instance changes to Upgrading. When the instance status changes to Running, the change is complete.

FAQ

My RDS instance runs MySQL 5.6. How do I upgrade the storage type of my RDS instance from local disk to ESSD or general ESSD?

RDS instances that run MySQL 5.6 support only local disks. As a result, you cannot directly upgrade the storage type of an RDS instance that runs MySQL 5.6 from local disk to cloud disk. To resolve this issue, you can perform the following operations to indirectly upgrade the storage type.

  1. Upgrade the major engine version of the RDS instance.

    In the left-side navigation pane of the details page of your RDS instance, click Major Version Upgrade. On the page that appears, click Create upgrade check report. After the upgrade check is complete, click Upgrade Instance to upgrade your RDS instance to MySQL 5.7 or MySQL 8.0 with local disks. For more information, see Upgrade the major engine version.

    image

  2. Change the storage type of the RDS instance.

    On the Basic Information page of your RDS instance, click Change Specifications to change the storage type of your RDS instance from local disk to cloud disk.

    For more information, see Storage types.

    image

Why am I unable to select the ESSD or general ESSD storage type for my RDS instance?

If the zone in which your RDS instance resides cannot provide sufficient resources or ESSDs or general ESSDs are unavailable for purchase, you cannot select the ESSD or general ESSD storage type for your RDS instance. If your RDS instance resides in a zone in which cloud disks are unavailable for purchase, you must migrate the RDS instance to a zone in which cloud disks are available for purchase and then upgrade the storage type to cloud disk.

Are online workloads affected when I change the storage type of an RDS instance?

For more information, see Impacts.

Do the endpoints and IP addresses of my RDS instance change after I change the storage type?

The endpoints of your RDS instance, such as rm-bpxxxxx.mysql.rds.aliyuncs.com, remain unchanged after you change the storage type. However, the IP addresses that are associated with the endpoints may change. We recommend that you add the endpoints to your application. Do not add the IP addresses to your application.

Related operations

Operation

Description

ModifyDBInstanceSpec

Changes instance specifications.