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    ApsaraDB RDS:High-frequency snapshot backup

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    ApsaraDB RDS:High-frequency snapshot backup

    Last Updated:Mar 30, 2026

    By default, ApsaraDB RDS for MySQL takes at most one snapshot per day. The high-frequency snapshot backup feature removes that limit, letting you take snapshots as often as every 15 minutes. A shorter snapshot interval reduces your recovery point objective (RPO): if data loss occurs, you can restore to a point much closer to the moment of failure.

    Prerequisites

    Before you begin, make sure that:

    • Your RDS instance meets all of the following requirements:

      • Major engine version: MySQL 8.0 or MySQL 5.7

      • RDS edition: RDS High-availability Edition or RDS Cluster Edition

      • Storage type: Enterprise SSD (ESSD) or Premium ESSD

    • If this is the first time you use the backup feature on this instance, the AliyunServiceRoleForDBS service-linked role must exist under your Alibaba Cloud account. For details, see How do I create a service-linked role for Data Disaster Recovery?

    Billing

    Each RDS instance includes a free quota for backup storage. Backup files within the quota are stored at no charge. If the total size of your backup files exceeds the quota, you are charged only for the excess.

    For pricing details, see Backup storage fees.

    How it works

    Backup frequency and RPO

    The high-frequency snapshot backup feature extends the snapshot backup frequency from once a day to a range of every 15 minutes to every 12 hours. A higher frequency produces more recovery points and reduces the maximum data loss window in an incident.

    Choosing a higher frequency (for example, every 15 minutes) minimizes RPO but increases the number of snapshots stored. Choosing a lower frequency (for example, every 6 hours) reduces storage volume but widens the potential data loss window. Select a frequency that matches your recovery time objective (RTO) and RPO requirements.

    Snapshot retention

    The retention period varies based on the granularity of the backup frequency.

    Backup frequency Snapshot retention
    Minute-granularity (e.g., every 15 minutes) All snapshots from the last 1 hour are retained. For snapshots older than 1 hour and within 24 hours, only the first snapshot of each hour is retained (up to 23 snapshots). For snapshots older than 24 hours and within 7 days, only the first snapshot of each day is retained (up to 6 snapshots). Example: at every-15-minute frequency, 33 snapshots are retained per week.
    Hour-granularity (e.g., every 6 hours) All snapshots from the last 24 hours are retained. For snapshots older than 24 hours and within 7 days, only the first snapshot of each day is retained (up to 6 snapshots). Example: at every-6-hour frequency, 10 snapshots are retained per week.

    For more details, see Manage the snapshots that are generated by the high-frequency snapshot backup feature.

    Storage redundancy

    Snapshots go through two storage stages after they are generated.

    Stage Storage mechanism
    Before upload to OSS Locally redundant storage (LRS)
    After upload to OSS — regions that support zone-redundant storage (ZRS) buckets ZRS (automatically applied)
    After upload to OSS — regions that do not support ZRS buckets LRS

    To check which regions support ZRS, see ZRS.

    Cross-region backup interaction

    If cross-region backup is enabled at the same time, all snapshots generated by the high-frequency snapshot backup feature are retained in the destination region. On the source instance itself, the retention periods in the table above still apply.

    Enable high-frequency snapshot backup

    Important

    The single-digit second backup feature must be enabled before you can use high-frequency snapshot backup. If it is not already enabled, the system enables it automatically when you turn on high-frequency snapshot backup.

    1. Go to the details page of your RDS instance and click Backup and Restoration in the left-side navigation pane.

    2. On the Backup Strategy tab, click Edit in the Basic Backup section.

    3. Set the snapshot backup frequency to a value between every 15 minutes and every 12 hours.

    4. Save your changes.

    For descriptions of other parameters on the page, see Configure automatic backup.

    After the feature is enabled, new snapshots are immediately available for instance restoration. The snapshots are also automatically uploaded to an Object Storage Service (OSS) bucket in the background.

    To check the upload progress, go to Task Center and filter tasks by the Back Up Snapshot to OSS type.

    Snapshot frequency

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