ApsaraDB RDS:Step 1: Create an RDS MySQL instance and configure a database

Overview

Before using ApsaraDB RDS features, create and configure an RDS MySQL instance. Use your Alibaba Cloud account—not a Resource Access Management (RAM) user—to avoid permission issues:

1. Purchase an RDS MySQL instance on the standard creation page.

2. Create a database in the instance.

3. Create a privileged account in the instance.

1. Create an RDS MySQL instance

1. Go to the RDS instance standard creation page.

2. Configure core parameters

   Set the following core parameters to complete instance selection quickly. Keep all other parameters at their default values.

   • Select Billing Method (example: pay-as-you-go)

     • For short-term use, select Pay-As-You-Go. You pay by the hour and can release the instance anytime.

     • For long-term use, select Subscription . This upfront payment model costs less than pay-as-you-go.

     • For highly variable workloads, select Serverless. The instance has no fixed specifications and automatically scales performance based on workload.

   • Select Region (example: China (Hangzhou))

     • To connect via ECS: Choose the same region as your ECS instance for private network interconnection.

     • To connect from other devices: Choose a region close to those devices to reduce network latency. You will access the instance over the public network later.

     • You cannot change the region after purchase. Choose carefully.

   • Select Database Engine (example: MySQL 8.0)

     • MySQL 5.6, 5.7, and 8.0 are supported. Match the major version used by your application.

     • If you have no specific version requirement, choose MySQL 8.0 to access more features.

   • Select Product Series and Storage Type

     • Different product series and storage classes restrict access to certain features.

     • For trying out RDS MySQL or short-term testing, choose the High-availability Edition with Storage Type set to either Local SSD or Premium Performance Disk. This gives you access to more features at a lower cost.

   • Select VPC

     To enable private network interconnection with an ECS instance in the same region, select the same VPC as your ECS instance. Otherwise, keep the default value.

   • Select Instance Type (example: General-purpose 2-core 4 GB)

     RDS MySQL offers many instance types. Choose one based on your business needs. If the selected type proves insufficient after purchase, you can change the instance type.

3. Confirm configuration and place order

   1. Review your instance configuration on the right side of the page. Hover over View Details to see a breakdown of costs in a pop-up window. RDS instance fees depend on billing method, product series, instance type, storage class, and storage capacity.

   2. After confirming your settings, click the Pay Now button and complete payment.

4. View your instance

   After successful payment, click Back to Console or go directly to the RDS instance list. Select your region at the top of the page to view your new instance. Instance creation takes 1–10 minutes. When the instance status changes to Running, the instance is ready.

   Note

   There may be a delay between successful payment and the instance appearing in the console. If you don’t see your instance immediately, wait a moment and refresh the console.

2. Create a database

1. Go to the RDS instance list. Select your region at the top, then click the target instance ID. In this tutorial, select the RDS instance you created in the previous step and its region.

2. In the navigation pane on the left, click Databases, then click the Create Database button to open the Create Database tab.

3. Set the parameters:

   • In this tutorial, set Database Name to db_test1 and Supported Character Set to utf8, then click Create.

   • To store 4-byte wide characters (such as emojis or rare Chinese characters), use the utf8mb4 character set.

   • A privileged account has full permissions on all databases by default and does not appear in the authorized account dropdown.

4. You can view your new database on the Databases page.

3. Create an account

1. In the instance list, click the instance ID. In the navigation pane on the left, click Accounts, then click Create Account to open the Create Account tab.

2. Set account parameters: In this tutorial, set Database Account to dbuser and select Privileged Account for Account Type.

3. Enter a New Password and Confirm Password, then click Ok to finish creating the account.

   Note

   If account creation fails, check for issues such as duplicate account names, too-frequent creation attempts, or an existing privileged account. Fix the issue and try again.

4. Refresh the Accounts page to view your new privileged account.

What to do next

Step 2: Connect to your RDS MySQL instance

FAQ

References

• Create an RDS instance using the API: Create an RDS instance

• To create other instance types, see:

  • Quickly create and use an RDS SQL Server instance

  • Quickly create an RDS PostgreSQL instance

  • Quickly create an RDS MariaDB instance

• To create databases and accounts for other engines, see:

  • SQL Server: Create a database and account

  • PostgreSQL: Create a database and account

  • MariaDB: Create a database and account