Daily backups leave a potential data loss window of up to 24 hours. High-frequency physical backup closes that window by performing incremental physical backups as often as once per hour — reducing both the recovery point objective (RPO) and the recovery time objective (RTO) without significantly increasing backup storage costs.
How it works
A standard restore has two phases: the system restores data from the most recent full backup, then replays log backups to reach the target point in time. The farther the target point is from the last full backup, the more logs must be replayed — and the longer the restore takes.
High-frequency physical backup inserts incremental backup sets between full backups. When you restore, the system uses the nearest incremental backup set rather than the last full backup, so fewer logs need to be replayed. This directly shortens both the RPO and the RTO.
On first enable, the system performs a full backup at the scheduled time. Subsequent incremental backups then run at the frequency you set (every 1 to 12 hours).
Incremental backup sets are typically much smaller than full backup sets. The exact size depends on the volume of data written and modified since the last backup. As a result, increasing backup frequency generally has a smaller effect on total backup storage costs than you might expect.
Prerequisites
Before you begin, make sure your instance meets all of the following requirements:
Major engine version: MySQL 5.6, 5.7, or 8.0
Edition: High-availability Edition
Storage type: Local SSD
For MySQL 8.0: The minor engine version must be 20220830 or later. To check or update the minor engine version, see Update the minor engine version.
To verify these details, go to the Basic Information page of your instance.
Supported regions: China (Hangzhou), China (Shanghai), China (Nanjing-Local Region - Decommissioning), China (Qingdao), China (Beijing), China (Hohhot), China (Ulanqab), China (Shenzhen), China (Heyuan), China (Guangzhou), China (Chengdu), China (Hong Kong), China (Fuzhou-Local Region - Decommissioning), Japan (Tokyo), South Korea (Seoul), Singapore, Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur), Indonesia (Jakarta), Philippines (Manila), Thailand (Bangkok), Germany (Frankfurt), UK (London), US (Silicon Valley), and US (Virginia).
Permissions: If this is your first time using the RDS backup feature, grant permissions to AliyunServiceRoleForDBS (the service-linked role for Data Disaster Recovery (DBS)) using your Alibaba Cloud account. For details, see Authorize the service-linked role for DBS.
Comparison: enabled vs. disabled
| Item | Disabled | Enabled |
|---|---|---|
| Backup frequency | Up to once per day | Once every 1–12 hours |
| RPO | Limited to the last full backup (if log backup is also disabled) | As recent as the last incremental backup |
| RTO | Increases with the volume of data generated since the last backup | Shorter — fewer logs to replay at restore time |
| Full backup set retention | Deleted automatically after expiry | Retained until all dependent incremental backup sets have also expired, then deleted together |
| Deleting backup sets | Delete a full backup set directly | If you attempt to delete incremental backup sets directly, the operation is ignored. Deleting a full backup set also deletes all dependent incremental backup sets. |
Usage notes
If the secondary instance is unavailable, high-frequency backups may fail.
Incremental physical backups run on the secondary instance. If the secondary instance is migrated or rebuilt, the system automatically initiates a full physical backup before incremental backups can resume on the new secondary instance.
Incremental backup sets cannot be backed up across regions. Only full backup sets support cross-region backup.
Enable or disable high-frequency physical backup
Go to the Instances page. In the top navigation bar, select the region where your instance resides, then click the instance ID.
In the left navigation pane, click Backup and Restoration.
On the Backup and Restoration page, click the Backup Strategy tab.
In the Basic Backup section, click Edit. In the dialog box that appears, turn on High-frequency Incremental Backup. After turning on the switch, set High-frequency Incremental Backup Frequency to your preferred interval (every 1 to 12 hours). For other backup parameters, see Automatic backup.
Click OK.
Billing
High-frequency physical backup generates incremental backup sets that contribute to your total backup storage. If total backup storage stays within your free quota, backups are free. Excess storage beyond the free quota is charged. For pricing details, see Backup storage pricing.