DynamoDB backups are essential features for ensuring data reliability and business continuity in AWS. There are two primary backup mechanisms available: on-demand backups and point-in-time recovery (PITR).
On-demand backups allow you to create full backups of your DynamoDB tables at any time. Thes…DynamoDB backups are essential features for ensuring data reliability and business continuity in AWS. There are two primary backup mechanisms available: on-demand backups and point-in-time recovery (PITR).
On-demand backups allow you to create full backups of your DynamoDB tables at any time. These backups are stored in Amazon S3 and do not affect table performance or availability. They are retained until you explicitly delete them, making them ideal for long-term archival and compliance requirements. You can restore these backups to a new table in the same or different AWS region.
Point-in-time recovery (PITR) provides continuous backups of your DynamoDB table data. Once enabled, PITR maintains incremental backups of your table for the last 35 days. This feature allows you to restore your table to any second within that retention period, which is crucial for recovering from accidental write or delete operations. PITR operates at no additional cost beyond storage.
Key considerations for SysOps Administrators include understanding that backups capture table data, provisioned capacity settings, local secondary indexes, and global secondary indexes. However, auto-scaling policies, IAM policies, CloudWatch alarms, and tags are not included in backups.
For business continuity planning, you should implement a combination of both backup strategies. On-demand backups serve as snapshots for specific milestones or before major changes, while PITR provides protection against recent data corruption or accidental deletions.
Restoration always creates a new table, preserving the original table intact. Restore times depend on table size and can range from minutes to hours. Global tables require special consideration as backups must be managed per region.
Best practices include enabling PITR on all production tables, scheduling regular on-demand backups using AWS Backup service, testing restore procedures periodically, and monitoring backup status through CloudWatch metrics to ensure your disaster recovery strategy remains effective.
DynamoDB Backups: Complete Guide for AWS SysOps Administrator Associate
Why DynamoDB Backups Are Important
DynamoDB backups are critical for ensuring data protection, disaster recovery, and business continuity. In production environments, data loss can result in significant financial impact and reputation damage. AWS provides robust backup mechanisms for DynamoDB that enable organizations to meet compliance requirements, recover from accidental deletions, and maintain operational resilience.
What Are DynamoDB Backups?
DynamoDB offers two primary backup mechanisms:
1. On-Demand Backups - Full backups of your table data created at any time - No impact on table performance or availability - Backups are retained until explicitly deleted - Can be used to restore to a new table in the same region - Zero-second Recovery Point Objective (RPO)
2. Point-in-Time Recovery (PITR) - Continuous backups of your table data - Allows restoration to any point within the last 35 days - Must be enabled per table - Provides protection against accidental write or delete operations - Incremental backups with per-second granularity
How DynamoDB Backups Work
On-Demand Backup Process: - Backups are created using the AWS Console, CLI, or SDK - DynamoDB captures the table data, provisioned capacity settings, and indexes - Backups do not capture auto-scaling policies or CloudWatch alarms - Stored in S3 but managed entirely by AWS - Restoration creates a new table with the backed-up data
Point-in-Time Recovery Process: - Once enabled, DynamoDB maintains incremental backups automatically - The system tracks all changes to items in your table - You specify a timestamp for restoration (within the 35-day window) - Restoration creates a new table with data from that exact moment - Latest restorable time is typically within 5 minutes of the current time
Key Features and Considerations
- Both backup types have no impact on table performance - Backups include Global Secondary Indexes (GSIs) and Local Secondary Indexes (LSIs) - Encryption settings are preserved during backup - Restores always create a new table; you cannot overwrite an existing table - Cross-region restoration is not supported natively; use AWS Backup for this - AWS Backup service can orchestrate DynamoDB backups with other AWS resources
Cost Considerations
- On-demand backups: Charged per GB-month of storage - PITR: Charged based on the size of the table (per GB-month) - Restore operations: Charged per GB of data restored
Exam Tips: Answering Questions on DynamoDB Backups
Key Points to Remember:
1. PITR vs On-Demand: If a question mentions recovering from an accidental deletion that happened hours ago, PITR is the answer. For scheduled full backups or compliance snapshots, on-demand backups are appropriate.
2. 35-Day Retention: PITR only maintains a 35-day rolling window. Questions asking about recovery beyond 35 days require on-demand backups.
3. Restoration Creates New Tables: Always remember that DynamoDB restores to a NEW table. You must then update applications to point to the new table or rename tables.
4. No Performance Impact: Both backup methods operate in the background with zero performance degradation to your production table.
5. Cross-Region Backup: For cross-region backup requirements, the answer is AWS Backup service, not native DynamoDB backup features.
6. Global Tables: Each region has its own backup. PITR must be enabled separately for each replica.
7. Encryption: Backups inherit the encryption settings of the source table and remain encrypted at rest.
8. AWS Backup Integration: When questions mention centralized backup management across multiple AWS services, AWS Backup is the solution.
Common Exam Scenarios: - Recovering from ransomware or data corruption: PITR - Meeting compliance requirements for long-term retention: On-demand backups - Automating backup schedules: AWS Backup - Minimizing RTO during disaster recovery: Pre-create backup strategy with documented restoration procedures