# rds-backup

Part of **RDS**

# ApsaraDB RDS Backup and Restore Console Guide

## Operations Overview

| Operation | Console Entry | Prerequisites | Description |
|----------|---------------|---------------|-------------|
| Backup Database Instance | Console > ApsaraDB RDS > Instances > Select Instance > Backup and Recovery | An ApsaraDB RDS instance must be created and running; backup enabled; sufficient permissions | Configure automated/manual backups and perform point-in-time recovery |
| Cross-Region Backup and Restore | Console > RDS > Instances > Backup & Restoration > Cross-region Backup | Source RDS instance created; target region has capacity; cross-region permissions granted | Replicate backups across regions for disaster recovery |
| Manage Snapshots | Console > RDS > Custom Cloud Disks > Create Snapshot | Cloud disk in 'In_use' or 'Available' state; attached to RDS Custom instance if available | Create or delete snapshots for RDS Custom cloud disks |
| Enable High-Frequency Snapshot Backup | Console > RDS > Instances > [Instance Name] > Backup & Restoration | Storage type = ESSD/Premium ESSD; not Serverless; service-linked role created | Set snapshot frequency as low as 15 minutes for reduced RPO |
| Perform Backup / Download / Delete / View Quota | Console > RDS > Instances > Backup & Restore | RDS for PostgreSQL instance created; High-availability Edition for Advanced Download | Execute full/database backups, download files, view quota, or delete backups |

## Operation Steps

### Backup Database Instance

**Navigation**: Console > ApsaraDB RDS > Instances > Select Instance > Backup and Recovery

**Prerequisites**:
- An ApsaraDB RDS instance must be created and running
- The instance must have backup enabled in its configuration
- User must have sufficient permissions to perform backup and recovery operations

1. Navigate to the ApsaraDB RDS console and select the target instance  
   - Element: **Instances** (link) — left navigation panel

2. Click on the **Backup and Recovery** tab for the selected instance  
   - Element: **Backup and Recovery** (tab) — main content area

3. Click the **Create Manual Backup** button to initiate a one-time backup  
   - Element: **Create Manual Backup** (button) — top-right corner  
   - Notes: A confirmation dialog will appear before the backup is created.

4. Select a point-in-time for recovery from the timeline or enter a specific timestamp  
   - Element: **Point-in-Time Recovery** (dropdown) — recovery section  
   - Notes: Available time range depends on the backup retention policy.

5. Click **Recover Database** to restore the instance to the selected point in time  
   - Element: **Recover Database** (button) — bottom of the recovery form  
   - Notes: Recovery may take several minutes depending on data size.

| Parameter | Type | Required | Options/Values | Description |
|-----------|------|----------|----------------|-------------|
| Backup Retention Period | dropdown | Yes | 1 day, 7 days, 14 days, 30 days, 90 days | Specifies how long automated backups are retained before deletion. |
| Backup Type | radio | Yes | Automated, Manual | Determines whether the backup is scheduled automatically or triggered manually. |
| Point-in-Time Recovery Time | text_input | No | — | Enter a specific timestamp to recover the database to that exact moment. |

### Cross-Region Backup and Restore

**Navigation**: Console > RDS > Instances > Backup & Restoration > Cross-region Backup

**Prerequisites**:
- An ApsaraDB RDS instance must be created in the source region
- The target region must have sufficient storage capacity
- Proper permissions for cross-region operations (RAM role or API access)

1. Navigate to the Cross-region Backup section in the RDS console  
   - Element: **Cross-region Backup** (link) — left navigation panel under Backup & Restoration

2. Select the source RDS instance from the list  
   - Element: **Select Instance** (dropdown) — main content area  
   - Notes: Only instances with enabled backup retention are listed.

3. Choose the target region for backup replication  
   - Element: **Target Region** (dropdown) — form fields section  
   - Notes: The selected region must support cross-region backup functionality.

4. Click the **Create Backup** button to initiate cross-region backup  
   - Element: **Create Backup** (button) — top-right corner of the form  
   - Notes: A confirmation dialog may appear; confirm the operation.

| Parameter | Type | Required | Options/Values | Description |
|-----------|------|----------|----------------|-------------|
| Source Instance | dropdown | Yes | — | The RDS instance from which the backup will be taken. |
| Target Region | dropdown | Yes | — | The geographical region where the backup will be stored. |
| Backup Retention Period | number_input | No | — | Number of days to retain the cross-region backup (minimum 1 day). |

### Manage Snapshots

**Navigation**: Console > RDS > Custom Cloud Disks > Create Snapshot

**Prerequisites**:
- The cloud disk must be in 'In_use' or 'Available' state.
- If the cloud disk is in 'In_use' state, the RDS Custom instance must be 'Running' or 'Stopped'.
- If the cloud disk is in 'Available' state, it must have been attached to an RDS Custom instance at least once.

1. Log on to the RDS console  
   - Element: **RDS console** (link) — left navigation panel

2. Click the **Custom Cloud Disks** tab  
   - Element: **Custom Cloud Disks** (tab) — top navigation

3. Find the target cloud disk and click **Create Snapshot** in the Actions column  
   - Element: **Create Snapshot** (button) — Actions column

4. Enter a snapshot name and click **OK**  
   - Element: **OK** (button) — bottom of dialog box  
   - Notes: The snapshot name field is labeled 'Snapshot Name' in the UI.

5. To delete a snapshot, navigate to **RDS Custom > Storage And Snapshots**  
   - Element: **RDS Custom** (menu) — left-side navigation panel

6. Click **Delete Snapshot** in the Actions column for the target snapshot  
   - Element: **Delete Snapshot** (button) — main content area

7. Confirm deletion by clicking **OK** in the confirmation dialog  
   - Element: **OK** (button) — confirmation message

| Parameter | Type | Required | Options/Values | Description |
|-----------|------|----------|----------------|-------------|
| Snapshot Name | text_input | Yes | — | A user-defined name for the snapshot to help identify it later. |

### Enable High-Frequency Snapshot Backup

**Navigation**: Console > RDS > Instances > [Instance Name] > Backup & Restoration

**Prerequisites**:
- Storage type must be Enterprise SSDs (ESSDs) or Premium ESSDs
- Instance type must not be Serverless RDS
- Service-linked role AliyunServiceRoleForDBS must be created if first time using backup feature

1. Navigate to the backup section of the RDS instance details page  
   - Element: **Backup** (menu) — left-side navigation pane

2. Go to the **Backup Strategy** tab and locate the data backup settings section  
   - Element: **Backup Strategy** (tab) — top navigation

3. Click the **Edit** button in the data backup settings section  
   - Element: **Edit** (button) — data backup settings section

4. Set the snapshot backup frequency between 15 minutes and 12 hours  
   - Element: **Snapshot backup frequency** (dropdown) — data backup settings form  
   - Notes: The system automatically enables the second-level backup feature if it is disabled.

| Parameter | Type | Required | Options/Values | Description |
|-----------|------|----------|----------------|-------------|
| Snapshot backup frequency | dropdown | Yes | 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hour, 2 hours, 3 hours, 4 hours, 6 hours, 12 hours | Sets how often snapshots are taken. Values range from 15 minutes to 12 hours. |

### Perform Backup / Download / Delete / View Quota

**Navigation**: Console > RDS > Instances > Backup & Restore

**Prerequisites**:
- An RDS for PostgreSQL instance must be created
- For Advanced Download: instance must be High-availability Edition with cloud disks
- For cross-account backup: proper RAM role and permissions configured

1. Navigate to the RDS console and select the target instance  
   - Element: **Instances** (link) — left navigation panel

2. Click on the **Backup & Restore** tab  
   - Element: **Backup & Restore** (tab) — main content area

3. Select the backup type from the list (e.g., Full Backup, Database Backup)  
   - Element: **Full Backup** (button) — top-right corner

4. Click **Download Backup Files** to initiate a standard download  
   - Element: **Download Backup Files** (link) — main content area

5. Use the **Advanced Download** option if available and applicable  
   - Element: **Advanced Download** (button) — main content area  
   - Notes: Available only for High-availability Edition instances using cloud disks

6. View the free quota for backup storage  
   - Element: **View the free quota for backup storage** (link) — main content area

7. Delete unwanted backups by selecting them and clicking **Delete or Reduce Backups**  
   - Element: **Delete or Reduce Backups** (button) — main content area

## FAQ

Q: Where can I find the backup retention settings?
A: Go to Console > RDS > Instances > [Your Instance] > Backup & Recovery > Backup Strategy tab. Click Edit to modify retention period.

Q: Can I restore only a single database or table from a backup?
A: Yes, for RDS MySQL 5.6 High-availability Edition in Singapore, individual database/table restore is supported using xbstream-formatted backups. Activate via support ticket if not visible.

Q: What happens if I delete a backup manually?
A: The backup is permanently removed and cannot be recovered. Storage charges stop accruing immediately after deletion.

Q: Why is the "Advanced Download" button grayed out?
A: Advanced Download is only available for High-availability Edition instances using cloud disks. Standard instances or local SSDs do not support this feature.

Q: Do automated backups count against my free quota?
A: Yes, both automated and manual backups consume backup storage quota. However, automated backup operations themselves are not charged per request—only storage beyond the free tier incurs fees.

## Pricing & Billing

### Billing Model
Billing is based on multiple models: per-request for operations (manual backup, recovery), per-storage for backup data, and per-download for advanced file retrieval.

### Price Reference
| Tier | Price |
|------|-------|
| Automated Backup | 0.001 / |
| Manual Backup | 0.002 / |
| Point-in-Time Recovery | 0.005 / |
| Cross-region Backup | 0.005 / + storage fees in target region |
| Standard backup storage | 0.002 /GB/ |
| Advanced Download | 0.005 /GB |

### Free Tier
- Monthly 100 GB free backup storage
- Up to 10 manual backups per month are free
- Backup storage within the free quota incurs no charges

### Billing Notes
- Recovery operations are billed per attempt—even if failed.
- Cross-region backup incurs both operation fees and target-region storage costs.
- Advanced Download charges apply per actual downloaded volume.
- Automatic backups do not incur per-operation fees, but their storage counts toward quota.
- Internet traffic for backup downloads is no longer free as of October 18, 2022.