Configuring a Cross-Region Backup Policy

Scenarios

RDS can store backups in a different region from the DB instance for disaster recovery. If a DB instance in one region fails, you can use backups from another region to restore the data to a new DB instance.

If you enable cross-region backup, backups are automatically stored in the region you specify. On the Backups page of the RDS console, you can click View Backup in the Operation column and manage cross-region backups. If cross-region backup is not enabled, backups are stored in the region where your instance is located by default.

You can set cross-region backup policies for up to 150 instances under an account by default.

Precautions

To use cross-region backup, contact customer service to apply for required permissions. This function cannot ensure data timeliness. Therefore, the SLA is not guaranteed. If timeliness is a concern, instead of cross-region backup, you are advised to use Data Replication Service (DRS).

Billing

Supported Regions

To use cross-region backup, contact customer service to apply for required permissions.

Cross-region backup is only supported in the regions listed in the following table.

Enabling or Modifying a Cross-Region Backup Policy

1. Log in to the management console.
2. Click in the upper left corner and select a region.
3. Click in the upper left corner of the page and choose Databases > Relational Database Service.
4. On the Instances page, click the DB instance you want to configure a backup policy for.
5. In the navigation pane, choose Backups & Restorations. On the displayed page, click Configure Cross-Region Backup Policy.
6. In the displayed dialog box, enable Cross-Region Full Backup or enable both Cross-Region Full Backup and Cross-Region Log Backup, and specify the region and retention period.
   Figure 1 Setting a cross-region backup policy
   
   • Encrypted backups cannot be stored across regions.
   • The instance name is synchronized only when cross-region backups are synchronized for the first time. The instance ID is the unique identifier for the cross-region backups.
   • If you enable Cross-Region Full Backup, automated full backup files of the DB instance are stored in OBS in the region you specify.
   • If you enable Cross-Region Log Backup, binlog (incremental) backup files of the DB instance are stored in OBS in the region you specify.
   • Cross-region backup files can be retained from 1 to 1,825 days.
   • Only new backup files generated after you set a cross-region backup policy will be stored in OBS in the region you specify.
   • After cross-region log backup is enabled, you can restore a DB instance to a specified point in time only after the next automated full backup replication is complete. The specified time point must be later than the time when the automated full backup is complete.
   • The cross-region backups of all your instances must be stored in the same destination region.
   • After you enable cross-region backup, the completed backup files in the region where your instance is located will be asynchronously replicated to the region you specify.

7. Click OK.
8. To manage cross-region backups, return to the instance list, choose Backups in the navigation pane, and click the Cross-Region Backups tab.
   • By default, all instances with cross-region backups are displayed.
     • To modify the cross-region backup policy, click Set Cross-Region Backup in the Operation column.
     • To view generated cross-region backup files, click View Cross-Region Backup in the Operation column. If a DB instance fails, you can use the cross-region backup files to restore data to a new DB instance.
       Figure 2 Full backups
       
       Figure 3 Binlog backups
       

Disabling a Cross-Region Backup Policy

1. Log in to the management console.
2. Click in the upper left corner and select a region.
3. Click in the upper left corner of the page and choose Databases > Relational Database Service.
4. On the Backups page, click the Cross-Region Backups tab.
5. Locate a DB instance and click Set Cross-Region Backup in the Operation column. On the displayed page, disable the cross-region backup policy.
   

   Disabling the cross-region backup policy deletes the backups stored in the destination region.

   Figure 4 Disabling a cross-region backup policy
   

6. Click OK.