Amazon RDS manual snapshots are user-initiated backups of your database instances that provide point-in-time recovery capabilities essential for business continuity planning. Unlike automated backups, manual snapshots persist until you explicitly delete them, making them ideal for long-term retenti…Amazon RDS manual snapshots are user-initiated backups of your database instances that provide point-in-time recovery capabilities essential for business continuity planning. Unlike automated backups, manual snapshots persist until you explicitly delete them, making them ideal for long-term retention requirements.
When you create a manual snapshot, RDS captures the entire DB instance, including all databases and their data. The snapshot is stored in Amazon S3, providing 99.999999999% durability. During the snapshot process, the database remains available, though you may experience brief I/O suspension for single-AZ deployments.
Key characteristics of RDS manual snapshots include:
1. **Retention**: Manual snapshots remain available until manually deleted, unlike automated backups which follow retention policies (1-35 days).
2. **Cross-Region Copy**: You can copy snapshots to different AWS regions, enabling disaster recovery strategies and geographic redundancy.
3. **Sharing**: Snapshots can be shared with other AWS accounts or made public, facilitating data migration and collaboration.
4. **Encryption**: Snapshots inherit encryption settings from the source database. Encrypted snapshots remain encrypted, and you can copy unencrypted snapshots to encrypted ones.
5. **Restoration**: Creating a new DB instance from a snapshot provisions a completely new instance with a new endpoint. This process typically takes several minutes depending on database size.
Best practices for reliability include:
- Creating snapshots before major changes or deployments
- Implementing cross-region snapshot copies for disaster recovery
- Establishing snapshot naming conventions for easy identification
- Regularly testing restoration procedures
- Monitoring snapshot creation success through CloudWatch Events
For cost optimization, remember that snapshot storage incurs charges based on the data stored. Implementing lifecycle policies to delete obsolete snapshots helps manage costs while maintaining necessary recovery points for your business continuity requirements.
RDS manual snapshots are a critical component of any database backup and disaster recovery strategy in AWS. They provide point-in-time backups of your entire database instance that you control, allowing you to restore your database to a specific state when needed. Understanding manual snapshots is essential for maintaining data integrity, meeting compliance requirements, and ensuring business continuity.
What Are RDS Manual Snapshots?
RDS manual snapshots are user-initiated backups of your Amazon RDS database instances. Unlike automated backups, manual snapshots:
• Are created on-demand by the user • Do not expire automatically - they persist until you explicitly delete them • Are stored in Amazon S3 (managed by AWS) • Capture the entire DB instance, not just the database • Can be copied across AWS regions • Can be shared with other AWS accounts • Are incremental in nature (only changed blocks are stored after the first snapshot)
How RDS Manual Snapshots Work
Creation Process: 1. You initiate a snapshot through the AWS Console, CLI, or API 2. RDS takes a storage-level snapshot of your DB instance 3. The first snapshot is a full backup; subsequent snapshots are incremental 4. During snapshot creation, there may be brief I/O suspension (for single-AZ deployments) 5. Multi-AZ deployments take snapshots from the standby, minimizing impact
Storage and Retention: • Snapshots are stored in S3 (you cannot access the S3 bucket) • You are charged for snapshot storage beyond your allocated storage • Snapshots remain until manually deleted, even after deleting the source DB instance
Restoration Process: 1. Select the snapshot to restore 2. RDS creates a new DB instance from the snapshot 3. You cannot restore to an existing instance 4. The new instance will have a new endpoint 5. You must update applications with the new endpoint
Key Differences: Manual vs Automated Snapshots
• Retention: Manual snapshots persist indefinitely; automated backups are retained for 0-35 days • Deletion behavior: Manual snapshots survive DB instance deletion; automated backups are deleted with the instance • Initiation: Manual requires user action; automated occur during the backup window • Cost: Both are charged similarly for storage used
Exam Tips: Answering Questions on RDS Manual Snapshots
Scenario Recognition: • When a question mentions long-term retention or compliance requirements - think manual snapshots • When asked about cross-region disaster recovery - consider copying manual snapshots to another region • When sharing database backups with other AWS accounts - manual snapshots can be shared • Questions about preserving data after instance deletion - manual snapshots are the answer
Common Exam Scenarios:
1. Data preserved after deletion: If asked how to retain database data after terminating an RDS instance, the answer involves creating a manual snapshot before deletion
2. Cross-region copying: For disaster recovery across regions, you need to copy manual snapshots to the target region, then restore from there
3. Encryption considerations: Snapshots of encrypted databases are encrypted; you cannot create an unencrypted snapshot from an encrypted instance
4. Sharing snapshots: You can share manual snapshots with other accounts, but encrypted snapshots require sharing the KMS key as well
5. Performance impact: For single-AZ instances, expect brief I/O suspension during snapshot creation; Multi-AZ reduces this impact
Key Points to Remember: • Manual snapshots create a new instance upon restoration - never overwrite existing instances • The new instance will have a new endpoint • Snapshot copying is required for cross-region DR • Manual snapshots do not count against the automated backup retention limit • You pay for snapshot storage exceeding your provisioned storage amount
Elimination Strategy: • Eliminate options suggesting snapshots restore to the same instance • Eliminate options indicating manual snapshots auto-delete • Eliminate options suggesting you can access the underlying S3 bucket • Look for answers that mention creating new instances with new endpoints