ApsaraDB RDS:What is a native replication instance?

Overview

Native replication instances are developed by Alibaba Cloud in the cloud-native era and are cost-effective and self-managed. This deployment model is new to ApsaraDB RDS for MySQL instances. Native replication instances use the capabilities of the native MySQL kernel and provide multi-layer technical methods to control and manage databases. This helps implement network and permission compatibility. You can also run native MySQL native replication commands to manage replication and node topologies. Native replication instances integrate the flexibility of MySQL native replication with the stability and reliability of ApsaraDB RDS for MySQL. This allows you to flexibly manage the database replication topology, seamlessly integrate with existing self-managed systems, and enjoy the convenience of the cloud ecosystem.

The native replication feature can provide a highly compatible, secure, stable, and sustainable solution to meet complex requirements in scenarios such as database topology definition, management, and disaster recovery.

Benefits

Core values

• High compatibility: Native replication instances are fully compatible with native MySQL replication commands. This helps integrate native replication instances with existing self-managed MySQL database systems and management platforms.

• Enhanced autonomy: The replication topology and nodes can be independently managed to meet custom requirements for database architecture and implement fine-grained management.

• Reduced cost: Based on the native replication capability of MySQL, the native replication feature reduces the configuration, management, and usage costs. When you configure a native replication instance, no third-party tools or complex configurations are required.  

• Security and reliability: Native replication instances inherit the stability and security of ApsaraDB RDS to provide secure and stable database services.

Flexibility

• Replication management: You can use familiar MySQL replication commands to configure and manage replication topologies in a flexible manner. This allows you to fully manage the replication process.

• Flexible deployment: You can enable the native replication feature for RDS instances that run RDS Basic Edition in all regions. This allows you to use the hybrid or multi-cloud architecture to meet the requirements of different regions and environments.

• Flexible topology: The native replication feature supports various replication topologies, such as primary/secondary replication, primary-primary replication, and circular replication. You can select a replication topology based on your business requirements.

• Interconnection with third-party cloud platforms: You can mutually back up databases on Alibaba Cloud platforms and third-party cloud platforms. This improves cross-cloud disaster recovery, prevents vendor lock-in issues, and ensures business continuity and flexibility.

Specific benefits

• Native replication connections can be established between RDS instances and third-party MySQL instances.

• You can use specific commands that must be run by using a privileged account to perform complex O&M operations. The commands include CHANGE MASTER, STOP SLAVE, START SLAVE, and SET read_only.

• You can use GTID_NEXT to configure the transactions that need to be skipped.

• Open source tools, such as Orchestrator, are compatible. This allows you to smoothly add native replication instances to the replication topology for management.

• A visualized UI for data monitoring is provided. You can directly view the replication status in the console.

• The native replication feature inherits the advantages of Alibaba Cloud databases. You can perform operations such as quick upgrades, scaling, and minor engine version updates.

• Alibaba Cloud services and features are supported, such as automatic backup, visualized management of Data Management (DMS), and automated O&M of Database Autonomy Service (DAS).

Billing rules

The fee for a native replication instance is equal to the fee for a new RDS instance that runs MySQL on RDS Basic Edition. If you enable the native replication feature for an existing RDS instance, no additional fees are generated. For more information about the billing rules of a new RDS instance, see Billable items.

Scenarios

• Disaster recovery

  You can mutually back up data between cloud services and data centers or between Alibaba Cloud platforms and third-party cloud platforms. If the primary database fails, you can quickly switch your workloads over to the secondary database to minimize service downtime.

• Data migration

  You can use the native replication feature to migrate data of the self-managed MySQL database on your Elastic Compute Service (ECS) instance or in your data center. This simplifies the migration process and reduces risks. For example, you can use the backup and native replication features to smoothly migrate data from a self-managed MySQL database to the cloud..

• Cross-cloud HA database cluster

  You can use the native replication feature to build a cross-cloud HA database cluster. For example, you can create multiple MySQL databases on cloud platforms such as AWS and Azure, use MySQL native replication to build clusters, and define custom logic for topology management and failovers to implement cross-cloud disaster recovery. Make sure that the created MySQL databases have the feature similar to native replication. You can also synchronize data between RDS instances and self-managed MySQL databases on ECS instances, in data centers, and on third-party cloud platforms. The native replication feature can be used to perform operations, such as data analysis and report generation, based on Alibaba Cloud computing resources to improve data processing efficiency.

• Topology definition

  You can build complex replication topologies in a flexible manner, such as multi-layer replication and circular replication, to meet custom requirements.

• Cloud resource integration

  The native replication feature can be used together with Alibaba Cloud services and features to improve the functionality of database clusters and simplify O&M. For example, you can use the backup feature of ApsaraDB RDS to automatically perform full backups, use DAS to perform operation audits and fault analysis, use the version upgrade and fast scaling features of ApsaraDB RDS to manage instances, or use Alibaba Cloud big data services to perform data analysis.

References

• Enable the native replication feature

• Use the native replication feature to migrate data from a self-managed MySQL database to the cloud