Amazon RDS SQL Server snapshots now available on read replicas
Amazon RDS for SQL Server now supports snapshots on read replicas, allowing for more flexible backups and faster disaster recovery.
Amazon RDS for SQL Server now supports creating database snapshots directly on read replica instances. This expansion of Amazon RDS SQL Server snapshots provides more flexibility for backup and disaster recovery workflows.
What is new with Amazon RDS SQL Server snapshots?
- Users can now take manual snapshots of a read replica.
- Automated backups can be enabled by setting a backup retention period greater than zero.
- Automated backups can be retained even when the replica is deleted.
- The feature supports both in-region and cross-region read replicas.
Why does this matter for disaster recovery?
This update provides more predictable recovery timelines for database administrators. Previously, promoting a read replica to a primary instance to take a snapshot or enable Multi-AZ could lead to long, unpredictable delays, especially on large storage configurations such as 64 TiB io2 volumes. Now, the time required to enable Multi-AZ after promotion is significantly reduced because the snapshot data is already maintained on the replica.
How do read replica snapshots work?
Technical details and limitations
Amazon RDS for SQL Server maintains snapshot data on the read replica throughout its entire lifecycle. This mechanism ensures that the first snapshot taken after a replica is promoted to a primary instance completes much faster.
Note: While manual and automated backups are supported, point-in-time recovery (PITR) is not supported from a read replica.
Is this feature available in my region?
This feature is available for SQL Server Enterprise Edition on all SQL Server versions that support read replicas. It is accessible in all AWS Regions where Amazon RDS for SQL Server read replicas are available, including the AWS GovCloud (US) Regions.
Source: aws.amazon.com