Help Center/ GeminiDB/ GeminiDB DynamoDB-Compatible API/ Working with GeminiDB DynamoDB-Compatible API/ Data Backup/ Managing Automated Backups of a GeminiDB DynamoDB-Compatible Instance
Updated on 2026-07-10 GMT+08:00
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Managing Automated Backups of a GeminiDB DynamoDB-Compatible Instance

You can create automated backups of GeminiDB DynamoDB-Compatible instances to ensure data reliability. If a database or table is deleted maliciously or accidentally, backups can help restore your data.

Billing

After you purchase an instance, GeminiDB DynamoDB-Compatible API provides additional backup storage equal in size to the purchased storage, free of charge. For example, if you purchase an instance with 100 GB of storage, you will get an additional 100 GB of backup storage at no extra cost. If backup data stays within 100 GB, it is stored in OBS free of charge. If it exceeds 100 GB, you will be billed for the additional space at standard OBS rates. For details, see OBS Pricing Details.

Usage Notes

  • Backup files are saved as packages in OBS buckets. Uploading backup files and reading service data both consume bandwidth, so the upload bandwidth of OBS is limited. The upload bandwidth of a single node ranges from 20 MB/s to 70 MB/s.

    You need to specify appropriate nodes based on the backup bandwidth limit to achieve better performance.

  • CPU usage may increase by 5% to 15% due to the additional resource consumption during backup upload.
  • While backups are uploaded, the memory usage does not increase significantly. Generally, the memory usage is about 300 MB. How much memory usage actually increases depends on the instance data volume. The increased memory mainly caches data during backup upload and read. After the backups are uploaded, the memory usage becomes normal.
  • You can manually modify incremental backups of a GeminiDB DynamoDB-Compatible instance.
  • To enable incremental backup, submit a service ticket on the console to contact the customer service.
  • After the incremental backup function is enabled, differential backup is selected by default. To enable PITR backup, submit a service ticket on the console to contact the customer service.

Automated Backup Policy

Automated backups are generated according to a backup policy and saved as packages in OBS buckets to ensure data confidentiality and durability. You are advised to back up your DB instance regularly. If the DB instance fails or data is corrupted, you can restore data from backups. Backing up data affects read and write performance, so set the automated backup time window to off-peak hours.

When you create an instance, automated backup is enabled by default.

Figure 1 Enabling the automated backup policy
  • Incremental Backup is enabled by default. You can click to manually enable or disable it. After it is enabled, the system stores backup data in OBS. Select an incremental backup type. Differential backup is selected by default.
    • Differential backup: Data can be restored to a specified point in time.
    • PITR backup: Data can be restored to any point in time.
      Figure 2 Selecting an incremental backup type
    Enabling Incremental Backup will take effect in the next full backup. You are advised to select Create a backup immediately after the incremental backup policy is modified.
    • If you select it, the full backup request is delivered immediately, and the incremental backup takes effect.
    • If you do not select it, the incremental backup will take effect in the next full backup.
      Figure 3 Selecting Create a backup immediately after the incremental backup policy is modified
  • Incremental Backup Interval: Incremental backups are generated every 15 minutes.
  • Retention Period: Automated backup files are saved for seven days by default. You can set the retention period from 1 to 3,660 days. Automated full backups are automatically deleted when their retention period expires.
    • Extending the retention period enhances data durability.
    • If you shorten the retention period, the new backup policy takes effect for existing backups. Any automated backups (including full and incremental backups) that have expired will be automatically deleted. Manual backups will not be automatically deleted but you can delete them manually.
    • If the retention period is shorter than seven days, the system automatically backs up data daily.
    • The system checks existing automated backups and deletes any backups that exceed your specified retention period.
    • Time Window: a one-hour period within a 24-hour day during which the backup is scheduled, for example, 00:00–01:00. The backup time is displayed in GMT. If the selected time zone switches between daylight saving time (DST) and standard time, the corresponding local backup time window changes accordingly.

    If Retention Period is set to 2, full and incremental backups that have been stored for more than two days will be automatically deleted. For instance, a backup generated on Monday will be deleted on Wednesday; or a backup generated on Tuesday will be deleted on Thursday.

    Policy for automatically deleting full backups:

    Expired backups will be automatically deleted.

  • Backup Cycle: All options are selected by default.
    • All: Each day of the week is selected. The system automatically backs up data every day.
    • Custom days: You can select one or more days of the week. The system automatically backs up data on the specified days.

    A full backup begins within one hour of the specified time. The backup duration depends on the volume of data. A larger volume of data requires a longer backup time.

  • After an instance is created, you can modify the automated backup policy. The system will automatically back up data based on this policy.
  • If automated backup is disabled, any automated backups in progress stop immediately.

Managing Automated Backups

  1. Log in to the Huawei Cloud console.
  2. On the Instances page, click the target instance name to go to the Basic Information page.
  3. Choose Backups & Restorations in the navigation pane, and click Modify Backup Policy. In the displayed dialog box, set the backup policy. Click OK.

    For details about how to set a backup policy, see Automated Backup Policy.

    Figure 4 Modifying the backup policy

  4. Check or manage the generated backups on the Backups or Backups & Restorations page.

You can view incremental backups and their size of an instance.

  • To view the size and records of incremental backups, submit a service ticket on the console to contact the customer service.
  • You can view incremental backups and their size only after you enable Incremental Backup, or no data is displayed.
  1. Log in to the Huawei Cloud console.
  2. On the Instances page, click the target instance name to go to the Basic Information page.
  3. In the navigation pane, choose Backups & Restorations.
  4. On the Backups & Restorations page, click Incremental Backup.

    Figure 5 Incremental backup

  5. View incremental backups and their size.
  1. Log in to the Huawei Cloud console.
  2. On the Instances page, click the target instance name to go to the Basic Information page.
  3. In the navigation pane, choose Backups & Restorations. On the displayed page, click Modify Backup Policy and click next to Incremental Backup.

    Figure 6 Disabling Incremental Backup

  1. Log in to the Huawei Cloud console.
  2. On the Instances page, click the target instance name to go to the Basic Information page.
  3. Choose Backups & Restorations in the navigation pane, and click Modify Backup Policy.
  4. In the displayed dialog box, click and click OK.

    Figure 7 Disabling backup policies

    When disabling Automated Backup, you can decide whether to delete automated backups:
    • If you select Delete automated backups, all backup files within the retention period will be deleted. There are no automated backups displayed until you enable automated backup again.
    • If you do not select Delete automated backups, backup files within the retention period will be retained, but you can still manually delete them later if needed. For details, see Deleting an Automated Backup.

    If automated backup is disabled, any automated backups in progress stop immediately.

If automated backup is disabled, you can delete stored automated backups to free up storage space.

If automated backup is enabled, the system will delete automated backups when they expire. You cannot delete them manually.

To delete an automated backup, disable the automated backup policy first. For details, see Disabling Automated Backup.

Deleted backups cannot be restored.

  1. Log in to the GeminiDB console.
  2. Method 1:

    On the Instances page, click the target instance name to go to the Basic Information page.

    In the navigation pane, choose Backups & Restorations, locate the backup you want to delete, and click Delete in the Operation column.

    Figure 8 Deleting a single backup

    You can also select multiple backups and then click Batch Delete to delete them at once.

    Figure 9 Deleting backups in batches

    Method 2:

    On the Backups page, locate the backup you want to delete and click Delete in the Operation column.

    Figure 10 Deleting a single backup

    You can also select multiple backups and then click Batch Delete to delete them at once.

    Figure 11 Deleting backups in batches

  3. In the Delete Backup dialog box, confirm the backup details and click Yes.
Parent Topic: Data Backup