RDS SQL Server release notes - ApsaraDB RDS - Alibaba Cloud Documentation Center

This topic lists the release notes for ApsaraDB RDS for SQL Server.

For minor engine version updates, see Release notes for minor engine versions of RDS for SQL Server.

2026
February
Category Feature Description Release date Documentation
Enhancement
Increased storage capacity for primary instances
The maximum storage capacity of a primary ApsaraDB RDS for SQL Server instance is increased to 16,000 GB.
This change does not apply to instances that run SQL Server 2008 R2.
08-30
Primary ApsaraDB RDS for SQL Server instance types
New feature
Database attribute management
ApsaraDB RDS for SQL Server allows you to view or modify various database attributes in the console. You can also manually shrink database transaction logs and update database statistics to optimize database performance and improve query efficiency.
09-25
Manage database attributes
New feature Standby read-only endpoint Connect directly to the standby node of an instance for read-only access. 02-09 Enable read/write splitting (read-only endpoint); Readable standby

Category	Feature	Description	Release date	Documentation
Enhancement	Increased storage capacity for primary instances	The maximum storage capacity of a primary ApsaraDB RDS for SQL Server instance is increased to 16,000 GB. This change does not apply to instances that run SQL Server 2008 R2.	08-30	Primary ApsaraDB RDS for SQL Server instance types
New feature	Database attribute management	ApsaraDB RDS for SQL Server allows you to view or modify various database attributes in the console. You can also manually shrink database transaction logs and update database statistics to optimize database performance and improve query efficiency.	09-25	Manage database attributes
New feature	Standby read-only endpoint	Connect directly to the standby node of an instance for read-only access.	02-09	Enable read/write splitting (read-only endpoint); Readable standby

2025
December
Category Feature Description Release date Documentation
New feature Major version release SQL Server 2025 Enterprise Cluster Edition and SQL Server 2025 Standard Edition are now supported. 12-08 Feature overview; Create an instance; Feature differences between editions
Enhancement CDC during major version upgrades and AZ migrations Change Data Capture (CDC) is now fully supported during major version upgrades and availability zone (AZ) migrations. The system automatically ensures uninterrupted CDC capture without manual intervention. 12-03 Upgrade database version; Migrate availability zone
November
Category Feature Description Release date Documentation
New feature Global read-only account A global read-only account has read-only access to all databases within an instance. Permissions automatically extend to any new databases added later. 11-14 Create standard accounts, privileged accounts, and global read-only accounts
October
Category Feature Description Release date Documentation
Enhancement Cloud disk encryption Enable cloud disk encryption for existing instances. Rotate the key for encrypted dedicated and general-purpose instances. 10-29 Cloud disk encryption
New feature
Geo-disaster recovery
ApsaraDB RDS for SQL Server introduces the geo-disaster recovery feature. Built on SQL Server Distributed Availability Groups (DAG) and the cross-region networking capabilities of DTS, this feature enables you to create disaster recovery instances across regions for real-time data synchronization between primary and secondary instances. This ensures high database availability and disaster recovery and provides low-latency access by allowing users to connect to the nearest instance.
10-27
Geo-disaster recovery overview
Create a geo-disaster recovery instance
New feature Geo-disaster recovery Create disaster recovery instances across regions for real-time data synchronization between primary and secondary instances. Provides low-latency access by allowing users to connect to the nearest instance. Built on SQL Server Distributed Availability Groups (DAG) and the cross-region networking capabilities of DTS. 10-27 Geo-disaster recovery overview; Create a geo-disaster recovery instance
New feature Convert Serverless to pay-as-you-go Convert a Serverless instance to a pay-as-you-go instance. 10-14 Convert a Serverless instance to a pay-as-you-go instance
Enhancement Delete privileged accounts Delete privileged accounts from the console. A deleted account can no longer log on to the instance and loses all associated database permissions. 10-09 Delete a privileged account; Create a privileged account
September
Category Feature Description Release date Documentation
New feature SQL parameter logging Log actual SQL parameters by setting the `rds_capture_sql_param` parameter to `1`. When enabled, audit logs and slow query logs display complete SQL statements with their parameters. 09-12 Manage instance parameters in the console
August
Category Feature Description Release date Documentation
Enhancement Stored procedure: sp_rds_manage_tempdb_user The `sp_rds_manage_tempdb_user` stored procedure grants or revokes the `db_owner` permission on the `tempdb` database for a specified account. Useful for reclaiming space in `tempdb`. 08-11 Stored procedure (sp_rds_manage_tempdb_user)
July
Category Feature Description Release date Documentation
Enhancement Database properties: db_owner Use the `db_owner` property to specify the owner of a database. The owner receives the highest level of permissions on that database. 07-30 Manage database properties
New feature Minor engine versions New minor engine versions for SQL Server 2022, 2019, 2017, and 2016: 2022: 16.0.4200.1 / 2019: 15.0.4435.7 / 2017: 14.0.3495.9 / 2016: 13.0.6460.7 07-12 Release notes for minor engine versions of SQL Server; Upgrade a minor engine version
Enhancement Single-database backup retention Specify a retention period for a backup set when performing a manual backup in the console or via API. Extend the retention period of an existing manual backup set. 07-07 Perform a manual backup
June
Category Feature Description Release date Documentation
Enhancement SSL encryption for public network connections Enforce SSL encryption for public network connections and configure the minimum required TLS version. 06-16 Configure SSL encryption
New feature Basic series for Enterprise Cluster Edition 2017/2019/2022 The Basic series (dedicated) is now available for SQL Server 2017, 2019, and 2022 Enterprise Cluster Edition. Suitable for personal learning, development, testing, or small websites and applications. 06-11 [New feature] Basic series for Enterprise Cluster Edition 2017/2019/2022
May
Category Feature Description Release date Documentation
Enhancement Standard monitoring: alwayson_lagsecs The `sqlserver.alwayson_lagsecs` metric monitors the replication lag between the primary and secondary nodes of a Cluster Edition instance. 05-21 View standard monitoring metrics
March
Category Feature Description Release date Documentation
New feature Custom slow query log threshold Configure the `rds_slow_log_threshold` parameter to set the threshold for collecting slow query logs. 03-20 Manage instance parameters in the console
February
Category Feature Description Release date Documentation
New feature Minor engine versions New minor engine versions for SQL Server 2022, 2019, and 2016. 02-18 Release notes for minor engine versions of SQL Server
Enhancement Stored procedure: sp_rds_update_db_stats The `sp_rds_update_db_stats` stored procedure updates database statistics. Customize the sample rate, degree of parallelism, timeout period, and threshold percentage. 02-17 Update database statistics
January
Category Feature Description Release date Documentation
Enhancement SA account management Manually delete database accounts with SA permissions in the RDS console.
01-10
Create a database account with SA permissions

Category	Feature	Description	Release date	Documentation
New feature	Major version release	SQL Server 2025 Enterprise Cluster Edition and SQL Server 2025 Standard Edition are now supported.	12-08	Feature overview; Create an instance; Feature differences between editions
Enhancement	CDC during major version upgrades and AZ migrations	Change Data Capture (CDC) is now fully supported during major version upgrades and availability zone (AZ) migrations. The system automatically ensures uninterrupted CDC capture without manual intervention.	12-03	Upgrade database version; Migrate availability zone

Category	Feature	Description	Release date	Documentation
New feature	Global read-only account	A global read-only account has read-only access to all databases within an instance. Permissions automatically extend to any new databases added later.	11-14	Create standard accounts, privileged accounts, and global read-only accounts

Category	Feature	Description	Release date	Documentation
Enhancement	Cloud disk encryption	Enable cloud disk encryption for existing instances. Rotate the key for encrypted dedicated and general-purpose instances.	10-29	Cloud disk encryption
New feature	Geo-disaster recovery	ApsaraDB RDS for SQL Server introduces the geo-disaster recovery feature. Built on SQL Server Distributed Availability Groups (DAG) and the cross-region networking capabilities of DTS, this feature enables you to create disaster recovery instances across regions for real-time data synchronization between primary and secondary instances. This ensures high database availability and disaster recovery and provides low-latency access by allowing users to connect to the nearest instance.	10-27	Geo-disaster recovery overview Create a geo-disaster recovery instance
New feature	Geo-disaster recovery	Create disaster recovery instances across regions for real-time data synchronization between primary and secondary instances. Provides low-latency access by allowing users to connect to the nearest instance. Built on SQL Server Distributed Availability Groups (DAG) and the cross-region networking capabilities of DTS.	10-27	Geo-disaster recovery overview; Create a geo-disaster recovery instance
New feature	Convert Serverless to pay-as-you-go	Convert a Serverless instance to a pay-as-you-go instance.	10-14	Convert a Serverless instance to a pay-as-you-go instance
Enhancement	Delete privileged accounts	Delete privileged accounts from the console. A deleted account can no longer log on to the instance and loses all associated database permissions.	10-09	Delete a privileged account; Create a privileged account

Category	Feature	Description	Release date	Documentation
New feature	SQL parameter logging	Log actual SQL parameters by setting the `rds_capture_sql_param` parameter to `1`. When enabled, audit logs and slow query logs display complete SQL statements with their parameters.	09-12	Manage instance parameters in the console

Category	Feature	Description	Release date	Documentation
Enhancement	Stored procedure: sp_rds_manage_tempdb_user	The `sp_rds_manage_tempdb_user` stored procedure grants or revokes the `db_owner` permission on the `tempdb` database for a specified account. Useful for reclaiming space in `tempdb`.	08-11	Stored procedure (sp_rds_manage_tempdb_user)

Category	Feature	Description	Release date	Documentation
Enhancement	Database properties: db_owner	Use the `db_owner` property to specify the owner of a database. The owner receives the highest level of permissions on that database.	07-30	Manage database properties
New feature	Minor engine versions	New minor engine versions for SQL Server 2022, 2019, 2017, and 2016: 2022: 16.0.4200.1 / 2019: 15.0.4435.7 / 2017: 14.0.3495.9 / 2016: 13.0.6460.7	07-12	Release notes for minor engine versions of SQL Server; Upgrade a minor engine version
Enhancement	Single-database backup retention	Specify a retention period for a backup set when performing a manual backup in the console or via API. Extend the retention period of an existing manual backup set.	07-07	Perform a manual backup

Category	Feature	Description	Release date	Documentation
Enhancement	SSL encryption for public network connections	Enforce SSL encryption for public network connections and configure the minimum required TLS version.	06-16	Configure SSL encryption
New feature	Basic series for Enterprise Cluster Edition 2017/2019/2022	The Basic series (dedicated) is now available for SQL Server 2017, 2019, and 2022 Enterprise Cluster Edition. Suitable for personal learning, development, testing, or small websites and applications.	06-11	[New feature] Basic series for Enterprise Cluster Edition 2017/2019/2022

Category	Feature	Description	Release date	Documentation
Enhancement	Standard monitoring: alwayson_lagsecs	The `sqlserver.alwayson_lagsecs` metric monitors the replication lag between the primary and secondary nodes of a Cluster Edition instance.	05-21	View standard monitoring metrics

Category	Feature	Description	Release date	Documentation
New feature	Custom slow query log threshold	Configure the `rds_slow_log_threshold` parameter to set the threshold for collecting slow query logs.	03-20	Manage instance parameters in the console

Category	Feature	Description	Release date	Documentation
New feature	Minor engine versions	New minor engine versions for SQL Server 2022, 2019, and 2016.	02-18	Release notes for minor engine versions of SQL Server
Enhancement	Stored procedure: sp_rds_update_db_stats	The `sp_rds_update_db_stats` stored procedure updates database statistics. Customize the sample rate, degree of parallelism, timeout period, and threshold percentage.	02-17	Update database statistics

Category	Feature	Description	Release date	Documentation
Enhancement	SA account management	Manually delete database accounts with SA permissions in the RDS console.	01-10	Create a database account with SA permissions

2024
December
Category Feature Description Release date Documentation
New feature 5-minute log backup interval Set the log backup interval to 5 minutes. The setting takes effect immediately. Suitable for business scenarios that require a stringent recovery point objective (RPO) and high data continuity and integrity. 12-09 Back up an ApsaraDB RDS for SQL Server instance
November
Category Feature Description Release date Documentation
Enhancement Cross-region backup and restore Cross-region backups now support all editions. Automatically back up data to another region for regulatory compliance or disaster recovery. 11-04 Enable cross-region backups; Restore data to a new instance across regions
October
Category Feature Description Release date Documentation
New feature Data archiving to OSS Archive database-level data to OSS for instances that use ESSDs. Convert infrequently accessed online databases into cold storage databases from the console or via API. 10-12 Archive data to OSS
September
Category Feature Description Release date Documentation
New feature Database attribute management View or modify database attributes in the console. Manually shrink database transaction logs and update database statistics. 09-25 Manage database attributes
Enhancement Major version upgrades and cross-zone migrations for security-hardened instances Instances with Transparent Data Encryption (TDE), SSL encryption, cloud disk encryption, or snapshot backup enabled now support major version upgrades and cross-zone migrations. 09-14 Upgrade the major engine version; Migrate an instance across zones
New feature Custom password policies Configure password policies at the Windows host level to control password expiration. 09-13 Configure a custom password policy
Enhancement Cross-region backup for cloud-disk-encrypted instances Cross-region backups now support instances with cloud disk encryption enabled. When restoring from a backup to a new instance in a different region: if the source uses physical backup, you can choose whether to enable cloud disk encryption; if the source uses snapshot backup, cloud disk encryption is enabled by default. 09-03 Enable cross-region backups; Restore data to a new instance across regions
August
Category Feature Description Release date Documentation
New feature Instance parameter management Modify instance parameters in the console to customize your instance. 08-27 Modify the parameters of an instance
July
Category Feature Description Release date Documentation
New feature Distributed transaction whitelist Configure a distributed transaction whitelist for Basic Edition instances to control which entities can participate in distributed transactions. 07-09 Configure a distributed transaction whitelist
June
Category Feature Description Release date Documentation
New feature Security group rules Configure custom security group rules to control access permissions for authorized entities. 06-28 Configure security group rules
Enhancement Standard monitoring More performance monitoring metrics are now available. 06-18 View monitoring data
New feature System character set collation Set the system character set collation when creating an instance. The default value is `Chinese_PRC_CI_AS`. 06-17 Create an ApsaraDB RDS for SQL Server instance
New feature Instance time zone Set the instance time zone to match your business logic or handle data across multiple time zones. More regional time zones are now supported. 06-11 Modify the character set collation and time zone of an instance
April
Category Feature Description Release date Documentation
New feature Error log cleanup Clear accumulated error log files to free up disk space. Previously uploaded Errorlog data remains viewable in the console. 04-17 Manage logs
Enhancement Increased cloud disk storage capacity Maximum storage capacity for ESSDs (PL1, PL2, and PL3) and general ESSDs increased to 32,000 GB. 04-09 Primary instance types; Read-only instance types; Create an ApsaraDB RDS for SQL Server instance; Change the specifications of an instance
New feature
New database versions
ApsaraDB RDS for SQL Server now supports instances that run SQL Server 2014 Enterprise Edition (High-availability Edition) and SQL Server 2014 Standard Edition (Basic and High-availability Editions).These instances are available as dedicated instances.
Note
Basic Edition instances that run SQL Server 2014 Standard Edition are supported only in regions outside the Chinese mainland.
04-01
Primary instance types
Create an ApsaraDB RDS for SQL Server instance
New feature New database versions: SQL Server 2014 SQL Server 2014 Enterprise Edition (High-availability Edition) and SQL Server 2014 Standard Edition (Basic and High-availability Editions) are now supported.
Note
Basic Edition instances that run SQL Server 2014 Standard Edition are available only in regions outside the Chinese mainland.
04-01 Primary instance types; Create an ApsaraDB RDS for SQL Server instance
March
Category Feature Description Release date Documentation
New feature SSL encryption with custom certificates Use a custom `pfx` certificate to encrypt SSL connections. Upload the certificate to OSS before enabling SSL encryption. 03-05 Configure SSL encryption
February
Category Feature Description Release date Documentation
Enhancement Decoupled character set and time zone settings The time zone and character set features are now managed independently. Modify the time zone for dedicated instances that contain databases, or modify the system character set for shared instances. 02-28 Modify the character set collation and time zone of an instance
New feature TDE for SQL Server 2022 Standard Edition Transparent Data Encryption (TDE) is now supported for SQL Server 2022 Standard Edition instances. TDE performs real-time I/O encryption and decryption of data files. 02-27 Configure TDE
January
Category Feature Description Release date Documentation
New feature Upgrade Basic Edition to Cluster Edition Upgrade a Basic Edition instance to Cluster Edition for a high-availability architecture with one primary and one secondary instance. Supports up to seven read-only instances, readable secondaries, and secondary instance backups. 01-31 Overview of Cluster Edition; Upgrade the major engine version
New feature Fast read-only instance initialization Eligible Cluster Edition primary instances that use ESSDs now support fast read-only instance initialization. Reduces creation time to minutes with no I/O impact on the primary instance. 01-05 Overview of fast initialization for read-only instances
Enhancement Enforce SSL for internal connections Enforce SSL encryption for internal network connections and configure the minimum required TLS version. 01-03 Configure SSL encryption

Category	Feature	Description	Release date	Documentation
New feature	5-minute log backup interval	Set the log backup interval to 5 minutes. The setting takes effect immediately. Suitable for business scenarios that require a stringent recovery point objective (RPO) and high data continuity and integrity.	12-09	Back up an ApsaraDB RDS for SQL Server instance

Category	Feature	Description	Release date	Documentation
Enhancement	Cross-region backup and restore	Cross-region backups now support all editions. Automatically back up data to another region for regulatory compliance or disaster recovery.	11-04	Enable cross-region backups; Restore data to a new instance across regions

Category	Feature	Description	Release date	Documentation
New feature	Data archiving to OSS	Archive database-level data to OSS for instances that use ESSDs. Convert infrequently accessed online databases into cold storage databases from the console or via API.	10-12	Archive data to OSS

Category	Feature	Description	Release date	Documentation
New feature	Database attribute management	View or modify database attributes in the console. Manually shrink database transaction logs and update database statistics.	09-25	Manage database attributes
Enhancement	Major version upgrades and cross-zone migrations for security-hardened instances	Instances with Transparent Data Encryption (TDE), SSL encryption, cloud disk encryption, or snapshot backup enabled now support major version upgrades and cross-zone migrations.	09-14	Upgrade the major engine version; Migrate an instance across zones
New feature	Custom password policies	Configure password policies at the Windows host level to control password expiration.	09-13	Configure a custom password policy
Enhancement	Cross-region backup for cloud-disk-encrypted instances	Cross-region backups now support instances with cloud disk encryption enabled. When restoring from a backup to a new instance in a different region: if the source uses physical backup, you can choose whether to enable cloud disk encryption; if the source uses snapshot backup, cloud disk encryption is enabled by default.	09-03	Enable cross-region backups; Restore data to a new instance across regions

Category	Feature	Description	Release date	Documentation
New feature	Instance parameter management	Modify instance parameters in the console to customize your instance.	08-27	Modify the parameters of an instance

Category	Feature	Description	Release date	Documentation
New feature	Distributed transaction whitelist	Configure a distributed transaction whitelist for Basic Edition instances to control which entities can participate in distributed transactions.	07-09	Configure a distributed transaction whitelist

Category	Feature	Description	Release date	Documentation
New feature	Security group rules	Configure custom security group rules to control access permissions for authorized entities.	06-28	Configure security group rules
Enhancement	Standard monitoring	More performance monitoring metrics are now available.	06-18	View monitoring data
New feature	System character set collation	Set the system character set collation when creating an instance. The default value is `Chinese_PRC_CI_AS`.	06-17	Create an ApsaraDB RDS for SQL Server instance
New feature	Instance time zone	Set the instance time zone to match your business logic or handle data across multiple time zones. More regional time zones are now supported.	06-11	Modify the character set collation and time zone of an instance

Category	Feature	Description	Release date	Documentation
New feature	Error log cleanup	Clear accumulated error log files to free up disk space. Previously uploaded Errorlog data remains viewable in the console.	04-17	Manage logs
Enhancement	Increased cloud disk storage capacity	Maximum storage capacity for ESSDs (PL1, PL2, and PL3) and general ESSDs increased to 32,000 GB.	04-09	Primary instance types; Read-only instance types; Create an ApsaraDB RDS for SQL Server instance; Change the specifications of an instance
New feature	New database versions	ApsaraDB RDS for SQL Server now supports instances that run SQL Server 2014 Enterprise Edition (High-availability Edition) and SQL Server 2014 Standard Edition (Basic and High-availability Editions).These instances are available as dedicated instances. Note Basic Edition instances that run SQL Server 2014 Standard Edition are supported only in regions outside the Chinese mainland.	04-01	Primary instance types Create an ApsaraDB RDS for SQL Server instance
New feature	New database versions: SQL Server 2014	SQL Server 2014 Enterprise Edition (High-availability Edition) and SQL Server 2014 Standard Edition (Basic and High-availability Editions) are now supported. Note Basic Edition instances that run SQL Server 2014 Standard Edition are available only in regions outside the Chinese mainland.	04-01	Primary instance types; Create an ApsaraDB RDS for SQL Server instance

Category	Feature	Description	Release date	Documentation
New feature	SSL encryption with custom certificates	Use a custom `pfx` certificate to encrypt SSL connections. Upload the certificate to OSS before enabling SSL encryption.	03-05	Configure SSL encryption

Category	Feature	Description	Release date	Documentation
Enhancement	Decoupled character set and time zone settings	The time zone and character set features are now managed independently. Modify the time zone for dedicated instances that contain databases, or modify the system character set for shared instances.	02-28	Modify the character set collation and time zone of an instance
New feature	TDE for SQL Server 2022 Standard Edition	Transparent Data Encryption (TDE) is now supported for SQL Server 2022 Standard Edition instances. TDE performs real-time I/O encryption and decryption of data files.	02-27	Configure TDE

Category	Feature	Description	Release date	Documentation
New feature	Upgrade Basic Edition to Cluster Edition	Upgrade a Basic Edition instance to Cluster Edition for a high-availability architecture with one primary and one secondary instance. Supports up to seven read-only instances, readable secondaries, and secondary instance backups.	01-31	Overview of Cluster Edition; Upgrade the major engine version
New feature	Fast read-only instance initialization	Eligible Cluster Edition primary instances that use ESSDs now support fast read-only instance initialization. Reduces creation time to minutes with no I/O impact on the primary instance.	01-05	Overview of fast initialization for read-only instances
Enhancement	Enforce SSL for internal connections	Enforce SSL encryption for internal network connections and configure the minimum required TLS version.	01-03	Configure SSL encryption

2023
August
Category Feature Description Release date Documentation
Enhancement Cross-region backup for TDE-enabled instances Cross-region backup and restore now support instances with TDE enabled. 08-31 Cross-region backup; Restore data across regions
Enhancement Backup page reorganization The Backup and restoration page is reorganized: the Data Backup and Log Backup tabs are moved under the Base Backups tab; the Backup Settings tab is renamed to Backup Strategy. Existing functionality is unchanged. 08-15 Backup and restoration
July
Category Feature Description Release date Documentation
New feature Restart secondary instance Cluster Edition instances now support restarting the secondary instance to resolve issues such as full connections or performance degradation. 07-18 Restart a secondary instance
New feature Back up secondary instances Cluster Edition instances support a secondary-preferred backup mode. Physical backups run on the secondary instance to reduce the I/O load on the primary instance. 07-03 Back up ApsaraDB RDS for SQL Server instances
June
Category Feature Description Release date Documentation
New feature Major version release: SQL Server 2022 SQL Server 2022 Cluster Edition, SQL Server 2022 Standard Edition, and SQL Server 2022 Web Edition are now supported. 06-13 Create an ApsaraDB RDS for SQL Server instance; Feature overview
New feature Host accounts Create a host account to log on to the host running the RDS instance. 06-08 Create and log on with a host account
May
Category Feature Description Release date Documentation
New feature Minor engine versions for SQL Server 2016 New minor engine versions for SQL Server 2016. 05-18 Release notes for minor engine versions of ApsaraDB RDS for SQL Server
New feature Minor engine versions for SQL Server 2019 and 2017 New minor engine versions for SQL Server 2019 and 2017. 05-16 Release notes for minor engine versions of ApsaraDB RDS for SQL Server
New feature SQL Explorer and Audit The autonomy services now support SQL Explorer and Audit. 05-12 SQL Explorer and Audit
April
Category Feature Description Release date Documentation
Enhancement Database restoration The system now validates the selected backup set or point in time before restoring a database to prevent task failures. When restoring a single database to an existing instance, back up the single database first, then use that backup as the restore starting point. When restoring an accidentally deleted database, the system checks the availability of the selected point in time or backup set and provides a notification. 04-27 Restore data of an ApsaraDB RDS for SQL Server instance
New feature Task Center View the progress and history of instance operations. 04-04 Use the Task Center
March
Category Feature Description Release date Documentation
New feature Automatic storage expansion The system monitors instance storage and automatically expands it when storage runs low. 03-28 Configure automatic storage expansion
New feature Serverless (General Availability) Serverless instances offer real-time elastic scaling of CPU and memory on a cloud disk architecture. Designed for small-to-medium enterprises and individual developers. 03-20 [New feature/specification] ApsaraDB RDS for SQL Server serverless instances are now generally available
Enhancement Instance creation: specify port Specify the instance port when creating an instance. 03-16 Create an ApsaraDB RDS for SQL Server instance
January
Category Feature Description Release date Documentation
Enhancement Non-disruptive scaling Some instances now support changing only the storage performance level (PL) or storage space without a scheduled instance switchover. 01-03 Change the specifications of an ApsaraDB RDS for SQL Server instance

Category	Feature	Description	Release date	Documentation
Enhancement	Cross-region backup for TDE-enabled instances	Cross-region backup and restore now support instances with TDE enabled.	08-31	Cross-region backup; Restore data across regions
Enhancement	Backup page reorganization	The Backup and restoration page is reorganized: the Data Backup and Log Backup tabs are moved under the Base Backups tab; the Backup Settings tab is renamed to Backup Strategy. Existing functionality is unchanged.	08-15	Backup and restoration

Category	Feature	Description	Release date	Documentation
New feature	Restart secondary instance	Cluster Edition instances now support restarting the secondary instance to resolve issues such as full connections or performance degradation.	07-18	Restart a secondary instance
New feature	Back up secondary instances	Cluster Edition instances support a secondary-preferred backup mode. Physical backups run on the secondary instance to reduce the I/O load on the primary instance.	07-03	Back up ApsaraDB RDS for SQL Server instances

Category	Feature	Description	Release date	Documentation
New feature	Major version release: SQL Server 2022	SQL Server 2022 Cluster Edition, SQL Server 2022 Standard Edition, and SQL Server 2022 Web Edition are now supported.	06-13	Create an ApsaraDB RDS for SQL Server instance; Feature overview
New feature	Host accounts	Create a host account to log on to the host running the RDS instance.	06-08	Create and log on with a host account

Category	Feature	Description	Release date	Documentation
New feature	Minor engine versions for SQL Server 2016	New minor engine versions for SQL Server 2016.	05-18	Release notes for minor engine versions of ApsaraDB RDS for SQL Server
New feature	Minor engine versions for SQL Server 2019 and 2017	New minor engine versions for SQL Server 2019 and 2017.	05-16	Release notes for minor engine versions of ApsaraDB RDS for SQL Server
New feature	SQL Explorer and Audit	The autonomy services now support SQL Explorer and Audit.	05-12	SQL Explorer and Audit

Category	Feature	Description	Release date	Documentation
Enhancement	Database restoration	The system now validates the selected backup set or point in time before restoring a database to prevent task failures. When restoring a single database to an existing instance, back up the single database first, then use that backup as the restore starting point. When restoring an accidentally deleted database, the system checks the availability of the selected point in time or backup set and provides a notification.	04-27	Restore data of an ApsaraDB RDS for SQL Server instance
New feature	Task Center	View the progress and history of instance operations.	04-04	Use the Task Center

Category	Feature	Description	Release date	Documentation
New feature	Automatic storage expansion	The system monitors instance storage and automatically expands it when storage runs low.	03-28	Configure automatic storage expansion
New feature	Serverless (General Availability)	Serverless instances offer real-time elastic scaling of CPU and memory on a cloud disk architecture. Designed for small-to-medium enterprises and individual developers.	03-20	[New feature/specification] ApsaraDB RDS for SQL Server serverless instances are now generally available
Enhancement	Instance creation: specify port	Specify the instance port when creating an instance.	03-16	Create an ApsaraDB RDS for SQL Server instance

Category	Feature	Description	Release date	Documentation
Enhancement	Non-disruptive scaling	Some instances now support changing only the storage performance level (PL) or storage space without a scheduled instance switchover.	01-03	Change the specifications of an ApsaraDB RDS for SQL Server instance

2022

December

Category	Feature	Description	Release date	Documentation
New feature	Performance events	View details and statistics for abnormal, optimization, and auto-scaling events, whether scheduled, in progress, or completed.	12-30	View performance events
Enhancement	System admin account	Create a system admin account in the RDS console. The account is not available by default.	12-19	Create a system admin account
New feature	Cross-region backup for Cluster Edition 2017	Cross-region backup is now supported for Cluster Edition instances that run SQL Server 2017 and use the snapshot backup method.	12-15	Cross-region backup

November

Category	Feature	Description	Release date	Documentation
New feature	Self-service diagnostics	Diagnose connection issues from internal ECS instances and external clients.	11-28	Self-service diagnostics
New feature	Instance suspension	Suspend an instance to release its compute resources. You are not charged for the instance specification while it is suspended.	11-10	Suspend an instance

October

Category	Feature	Description	Release date	Documentation
Enhancement	Incremental automatic backups	When configuring a physical backup policy, enable incremental backups. Incremental backups are enabled by default and run in a cycle of one full backup followed by two incremental backups.	10-23	Configure automatic backups
Enhancement	Manual backup performance	Manual physical backups are faster due to improved scheduling algorithms and concurrency control.	10-23	Create a manual backup

September

Category	Feature	Description	Release date	Documentation
Enhancement	Stored procedures	Stored procedure commands are updated.	09-08	Stored procedures

July

Category	Feature	Description	Release date	Documentation
Enhancement	Major version upgrade	Upgrade any instance to a newer major engine version and a higher edition.	07-19	Upgrade the major engine version
Enhancement	Recycle bin	Manually release instances created more than seven days ago. Released instances are moved to the recycle bin, where you can restore or permanently destroy them.	07-19	Instance recycle bin
Enhancement	System admin account: expanded support	Create a system admin (SA) account for more instance editions and versions.	07-19	Create a system admin account
Enhancement	Active Directory: expanded support	Join more editions and versions of SQL Server instances to a self-managed Active Directory domain.	07-19	Join an RDS SQL Server instance to a self-managed AD domain

June

Category	Feature	Description	Release date	Documentation
New feature	Cross-version and cross-edition upgrade	Upgrade instances across versions and editions.	06-24	Upgrade the major engine version

May

Category	Feature	Description	Release date	Documentation
New feature	Migrate across zones	Migrate instances of all versions across zones.	05-28	Migrate an instance across zones
New feature	Performance Center	The Performance Center includes the Monitoring Dashboard and additional performance features.	05-20	Monitoring Dashboard
New feature	Enterprise-level Console	Manage large numbers of instances with batch operations: modify parameters, edit tags, renew instances, and modify attributes.	05-11	Add tags to an instance; Renewal overview; Set parameters; Configure the maintenance window

April

Category	Feature	Description	Release date	Documentation
New feature	Manual primary/secondary switchover	Cluster Edition instances now support manual primary/secondary switchover.	04-29	Perform a manual or automatic primary/secondary switchover
Enhancement	Primary/secondary switchover log	After a primary/secondary switchover on a High-availability or Cluster Edition instance, view the switchover logs on the Service Availability page.	04-29	Manage logs
New feature	RAM policy: 12 new conditions	12 new conditions are added to RAM policies for more granular control over RAM user permissions.	04-14	Use RAM policies to manage RAM user permissions
New feature	Minor engine version updates for Cluster Edition	Cluster Edition instances now support minor engine version updates.	04-13	Update the minor engine version

March

Category	Feature	Description	Release date	Documentation
New feature	Readable secondary databases	Cluster Edition instances support readable secondary databases. The secondary node is read-only by default, eliminating the need for a separate read-only instance.	03-28	Readable secondary databases
Enhancement	Snapshot backup for shared and Cluster Edition instances	Snapshot backup is now supported for shared instances and Cluster Edition instances.	03-18	Back up an instance by using the snapshot method
New feature	Instance release protection	Enable release protection for pay-as-you-go instances to prevent accidental manual release.	03-08	Enable or disable release protection for an instance

2021

December

Category	Feature	Description	Release date	Documentation
New feature	Block creation of unencrypted instances	Attach a RAM policy to a RAM user to prevent creating RDS instances without disk encryption.	12-20	Use RAM policies to manage the permissions of RAM users

November

Category	Feature	Description	Release date	Documentation
New feature	Host accounts	Connect to the underlying host of an RDS instance via Bastionhost.	11-30	Create a host account and use it to log on
New feature	Change vSwitch	Change the vSwitch for an RDS instance.	11-30	Change the vSwitch of an instance
New feature	Cross-region backup: expanded regions	Cross-region backup is now available in additional regions.	11-26	Enable cross-region backups
New feature	New shared instance types	New shared instance types are now available for ApsaraDB RDS for SQL Server. Supported versions include SQL Server 2012 Standard Edition, 2016 Standard Edition, 2017 Standard Edition, 2019 Standard Edition, 2012 Enterprise Edition, and 2016 Enterprise Edition.	11-25	Primary ApsaraDB RDS for SQL Server instance types
New feature	New shared instance types	New shared instance types for SQL Server 2012 Standard Edition, 2016 Standard Edition, 2017 Standard Edition, 2019 Standard Edition, 2012 Enterprise Edition, and 2016 Enterprise Edition.	11-25	Primary ApsaraDB RDS for SQL Server instance types
New feature	Commercial release of backup downloads	Outbound traffic from internet backup downloads that exceeds the free quota is now charged.	11-25	[Promotions/Price Changes] The backup download feature is commercially released

September

Category	Feature	Description	Release date	Documentation
Enhancement	DescribeDBInstances pagination	Use the `MaxResults` parameter to specify the maximum number of entries per page and the `NextToken` parameter to retrieve the next page of results.	09-15	DescribeDBInstances

August

Category	Feature	Description	Release date	Documentation
Enhancement	Increased storage capacity for primary instances	Maximum storage for primary instances increased to 16,000 GB. Does not apply to SQL Server 2008 R2.	08-30	Primary ApsaraDB RDS for SQL Server instance types
New feature	TDE with Bring Your Own Key (BYOK)	TDE with Bring Your Own Key (BYOK) is now supported.	08-04	Configure Transparent Data Encryption (TDE)

July

Category	Feature	Description	Release date	Documentation
New feature	Download physical backups for individual databases	Download the physical backup file for a specific database.	07-29	Download a data backup file or a log backup file
New feature	TDE for SQL Server 2019 Standard Edition	Transparent Data Encryption (TDE) is now supported for SQL Server 2019 Standard Edition instances.	07-09	Configure Transparent Data Encryption (TDE)

June

Category	Feature	Description	Release date	Documentation
Enhancement	Network traffic collection	Network traffic is now collected from the Windows network adapter for Basic, High-availability, and Cluster Edition instances, more accurately reflecting bandwidth usage. You may notice a spike in network traffic on the Monitoring and Alerts page during data backups.	06-04	View standard monitoring metrics
New feature	One-click alerting	Enable one-click alerting to set up alerts for key monitoring metrics.	06-01	Manage alerts for an ApsaraDB RDS instance

May

Category	Feature	Description	Release date	Documentation
New feature	Availability zone selection for secondary instances	Select the availability zone for a secondary instance when creating an RDS instance.	05-27	Create an ApsaraDB RDS for SQL Server instance

April

Category	Feature	Description	Release date	Documentation
New feature	SQL Server 2019 Enterprise Edition	SQL Server 2019 Enterprise Edition is now supported.	04-27	Features
New feature	New alert metrics: IOPS, TPS, QPS	Set alerts for IOPS, Transactions Per Second (TPS), and Queries Per Second (QPS).	04-22	Manage alerts for an ApsaraDB RDS instance
New feature	Snapshot backup for cloud disk instances	Change the backup method to snapshot backup for instances that use cloud disks.	04-06	Snapshot backup

March

Category	Feature	Description	Release date	Documentation
New feature	View error logs	View error logs in the console for all SQL Server versions.	03-26	Manage logs
Enhancement	Uppercase letters in database names	Use uppercase letters in database names when creating a database.	03-23	Create a database

2020

November

Category	Feature	Description	Release date	Documentation
Enhancement	Restore to higher database engine version	Restore data to an RDS for SQL Server instance that runs a higher database engine version.	2020-11-18	Restore SQL Server data

October

Category	Feature	Description	Release date	Documentation
New feature	Cross-region backup	RDS automatically replicates local backup files to a different region for regulatory compliance and disaster recovery.	2020-10-23	Cross-region backup

September

Category	Feature	Description	Release date	Documentation
Enhancement	RAM-based authorization	Best practice: use Resource Access Management (RAM) to grant RAM users permissions to manage RDS instances.	2020-09-08	Authorize a RAM user to manage RDS instances

July

Category	Feature	Description	Release date	Documentation
New feature	Account named `Sa`	Create an account named `Sa` for seamless application access to RDS instances.	2020-07-22	Create standard, privileged, and global read-only accounts

June

Category	Feature	Description	Release date	Documentation
New feature	Self-managed domain	Connect an RDS for SQL Server instance to a self-managed domain.	2020-06-12	Connect an SQL Server instance to a self-managed domain
Enhancement	Storage upgrade (SSD to ESSD, cross-zone)	Upgrade the storage type from SSD to ESSD across zones.	2020-06-11	Change instance specifications

May

Category	Feature	Description	Release date	Documentation
Enhancement	Storage upgrade (SSD to ESSD)	Upgrade the storage type from SSD to ESSD.	2020-05-07	Change instance specifications

April

Category	Feature	Description	Release date	Documentation
Enhancement	Switch billing method to pay-as-you-go	Switch the billing method of an RDS instance from subscription to pay-as-you-go.	2020-04-21	Switch the billing method from subscription to pay-as-you-go
New feature	SQL Server 2008 R2 cloud disk edition	The cloud disk edition of RDS for SQL Server 2008 R2 is now available.	2020-04-10	Create an RDS for SQL Server instance

February

Category	Feature	Description	Release date	Documentation
New feature	SQL Server 2019 Standard Edition (beta)	The beta version of RDS for SQL Server 2019 Standard Edition is now available.	2020-02-28	Quickly create and use an RDS for SQL Server instance
New feature	Cloud disk encryption	Cloud disk encryption with service-managed keys is now supported for multi-zone deployments.	2020-02-26	Use the cloud disk encryption feature
New feature	Database management for SQL Server 2017 Enterprise Cluster Edition	The database management feature is now available for SQL Server 2017 Enterprise Cluster Edition instances.	2020-02-25	Create a database

2019

October

Category	Feature	Description	Release date	Documentation
New feature	SQL Server 2017 Standard Edition	SQL Server 2017 Standard Edition is now supported.	2019-10-18	Feature differences between SQL Server versions and RDS editions
New feature	ESSD PL2/PL3 storage	ESSD PL2 and PL3 storage types are now supported for instances in Chinese mainland regions. Compared to PL1, a PL3 ESSD delivers up to 20 times the IOPS and 11 times the throughput.	2019-10-17	Storage types
New feature	Multi-zone deployment	Multi-zone deployment is now available in China (Zhangjiakou) Zone A and Zone C.	2019-10-10	Create an ApsaraDB RDS for SQL Server instance

September

Category	Feature	Description	Release date	Documentation
Enhancement	New purchase page	A new purchase page is now available.	2019-09-12	Create an ApsaraDB RDS for SQL Server instance

July

Category	Feature	Description	Release date	Documentation
New feature	SQL Server 2016 Enterprise Edition on Basic Edition	Basic Edition dedicated instances that run SQL Server 2016 Enterprise Edition are now available.	2019-07-25	Create an ApsaraDB RDS for SQL Server instance
New feature	Five-year subscription	Five-year subscriptions are now supported.	2019-07-20	Create an ApsaraDB RDS for SQL Server instance
Enhancement	Upgrade Basic Edition to High-availability Edition	Upgrade from Basic Edition to High-availability Edition on the Basic Information page in the RDS console.	2019-07-17	Upgrading the database version