If you do not need to use an ApsaraDB RDS for SQL Server instance for a period of time, you can stop the instance. After the instance is stopped, its computing resources are released, and you are no longer charged for the instance type. This helps you save costs.
Background information
When working with an RDS instance, you may encounter the following situations:
You need to stop an instance temporarily or for an extended period for business reasons, but you want to retain its data for future use.
In a production operations and maintenance (O&M) scenario, you need to stop an RDS instance to verify the status of your services.
You can stop an instance in any other scenario that requires the instance to be stopped.
Prerequisites
Your ApsaraDB RDS for SQL Server instance must meet the following requirements:
Instance status: Running
Billing method: Pay-as-you-go or Serverless
Storage type: Enterprise SSD (ESSD).
Instance family: Dedicated or general-purpose. Shared instance families are not supported.
The instance is a primary instance and has no read-only instances.
For a subscription instance, you must first change its billing method to pay-as-you-go before you can stop it.
This feature is not supported for instances that run SQL Server 2008 R2 and use local disks. You can first upgrade an instance that runs SQL Server 2008 R2 with premium local disks to SQL Server 2012 or 2016 and then stop the instance.
Limits
This feature is not supported for instances that reside in the classic network. To change the network type, see Change the network type.
This feature is not supported for instances that use shared instance families.
If a primary instance has read-only instances, you cannot stop the primary instance or its read-only instances.
Billing
The following table describes the billing rules for an instance in different states.
Instance status | Instance type fee | Storage space fee | Backup set retention fee |
Running | Charged | Charged | Charged |
Paused | Charged | Charged | Charged |
Stopped | Not charged | Charged | Charged |
Starting | Not charged | Charged | Charged |
After an instance is stopped, its computing resources are released. You are no longer charged for the instance type, but you are still charged for storage space and backup set retention.
Stop an instance
Usage notes
After you stop an instance, its original internal and public endpoints are retained. You can use these endpoints after you restart the instance.
When you stop an instance, its status changes from Running to Stopping. After the instance is stopped, its status changes to Stopped.
NoteAfter an instance is stopped, you can restart it only by choosing in the Actions column of the console. For more information, see Start an instance.
After an instance is stopped, only the data in its storage space is retained. The data in its memory is cleared.
After an instance is stopped, you cannot perform other O&M operations, such as changing specifications, migrating the instance across zones, or restarting the instance. However, pending events for the instance are not removed.
While an instance is stopped, all of its features are unavailable, including instance connections, backups, and specification changes. Adjust your services before you stop the instance.
While an instance is stopped, the system retains its most recent full backup data. Other backup data, including full and incremental backups, still expires after the retention period ends.
WarningAfter a backup expires, you cannot use it to restore data to the corresponding point in time. Alibaba Cloud is not liable for any data loss or other consequences caused by backup expiration.
Because computing resources are revoked after an instance is stopped, the instance may fail to restart due to insufficient inventory. You can try again later or use full backup data to restore SQL Server data.
Procedure
Log on to the ApsaraDB RDS console. In the left-side navigation pane, click Instances. In the top navigation bar, select the region in which the RDS instance resides.
Find the instance that you want to stop and choose in the Actions column.
In the Stop Instance dialog box, click OK.
On the Instances page, wait until the status of the instance changes to Stopped. This indicates that the instance is stopped.
Start an instance
Log on to the ApsaraDB RDS console. In the left-side navigation pane, click Instances. In the top navigation bar, select the region in which the RDS instance resides.
Find the instance that you want to start and choose in the Actions column.
In the Start Instance dialog box, click OK.
On the Instances page, wait until the status of the instance changes to Running. This indicates that the instance is started.
NoteWhen you start the instance, its status changes from Stopped to Starting. After the instance is started, its status changes to Running.
It takes about 3 to 5 minutes for the instance status to change from Starting to Running.
FAQ
Q: Do I need to restart or restore my instance after I start it?
A: No, you do not. A stopped instance is started using the Start an instance feature. After the instance is started, you can use it without performing other operations.
Q: Is the historical monitoring data retained after an instance is stopped?
A: Yes, it is. The historical monitoring data is retained after the instance is stopped.
Q: Is the data in memory retained after an instance is stopped?
A: No, it is not. After an instance is stopped, only the data in its storage space is retained. The data in its memory is cleared.
Q: Are pending events, such as a scheduled zone migration or specification change in a maintenance window, removed after an instance is stopped?
A: No, they are not. After an instance is stopped, you cannot perform other O&M operations, such as changing specifications, migrating the instance across zones, or restarting the instance. However, pending events for the instance are not removed.
Q: Does the backup retention period include the time during which the instance is stopped?
A: No, it does not. The backup retention period does not include the time during which the instance is stopped. During this period, backups expire as scheduled in the backup policy. However, the most recent full backup of the instance is always retained, even if it exceeds the specified retention period.
Q: For a multi-zone instance, can the primary and secondary zones be switched after the instance is started?
A: Yes, they can. A primary/secondary failover may occur when you start the instance. This causes the primary and secondary zones to be switched.