CloudPro/content/rds-database-guide/en.md

Complete Guide to Alibaba Cloud RDS Database Service

Overview

Alibaba Cloud RDS (Relational Database Service) is a stable, reliable, and elastically scalable online database service that supports mainstream database engines such as MySQL, SQL Server, PostgreSQL, MariaDB, and Oracle. It provides comprehensive solutions for disaster recovery, backup, recovery, monitoring, and migration.

Supported Database Engines

MySQL

• Version Support: 5.5, 5.6, 5.7, 8.0
• Feature Advantages: Open source, excellent performance, mature ecosystem
• Use Cases: Web applications, e-commerce platforms, enterprise management systems

SQL Server

• Version Support: 2008 R2, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2019
• Feature Advantages: Enterprise-grade features, BI integration, high availability
• Use Cases: Enterprise applications, data analysis, reporting systems

PostgreSQL

• Version Support: 9.4, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14
• Feature Advantages: Standard compliance, strong extensibility, geographic information support
• Use Cases: Geographic information systems, complex queries, data warehouses

MariaDB

• Version Support: 10.2, 10.3, 10.4, 10.5
• Feature Advantages: MySQL compatibility, performance optimization, active open-source community
• Use Cases: Web applications, small to medium-sized databases

Core Features

High Availability

• Primary-Backup Architecture: Automatic failover to backup instance when primary fails
• Multi-Availability Zone: Cross-zone deployment for improved disaster recovery
• Read-Write Separation: Support for one primary and multiple read replicas

Data Security

• Encrypted Storage: Support for TDE transparent data encryption
• Network Isolation: VPC network isolation and security group access control
• Audit Logging: Record all database operations for security auditing

Backup and Recovery

• Automatic Backup: Support for full and incremental backups
• Manual Backup: Support for manual backup point creation
• Cross-Region Backup: Support for backing up to other regions

Architecture Design

Basic Architecture

Application Layer
       ↓
Load Balancer
       ↓
Primary Instance ←→ Backup Instance
       ↓
Storage Layer (SSD/ESSD)

Read-Write Separation Architecture

Application Layer
       ↓
Read-Write Separation Proxy
       ↓
Primary Instance (Write) ←→ Read Replicas (Read)

High Availability Architecture

Application Layer
       ↓
Primary AZ ←→ Backup AZ
       ↓
Primary Instance ←→ Backup Instance

Performance Optimization

Instance Specification Selection

• General Purpose: Suitable for small to medium applications, balanced CPU and memory
• Dedicated: Suitable for large applications with exclusive CPU resources
• Memory Optimized: Suitable for memory-intensive applications like caching and analytics

Storage Optimization

• SSD Cloud Disk: High-performance storage for I/O-intensive applications
• ESSD Cloud Disk: Ultra-high performance storage supporting NVMe protocol
• Storage Space: Reasonable planning based on data volume to avoid frequent expansion

Parameter Tuning

• Connection Pool Configuration: Reasonable settings for maximum connections and timeout
• Query Cache: Enable query cache to reduce duplicate queries
• Index Optimization: Create appropriate indexes for frequently queried fields

Monitoring and Alerting

Key Metrics

• CPU Usage: Reflects computing resource utilization
• Memory Usage: Reflects memory resource utilization
• Connection Count: Reflects concurrent connection status
• QPS/TPS: Reflects query and transaction processing capability

Alert Configuration

• Threshold Alerts: Set reasonable alert thresholds
• Trend Alerts: Monitor metric change trends
• Anomaly Alerts: Monitor abnormal events and errors

Best Practices

Security Configuration

1. Network Isolation: Use VPC networks and configure security groups
2. Access Control: Use RAM users and follow the principle of least privilege
3. Data Encryption: Enable TDE encryption to protect sensitive data
4. Regular Auditing: Regularly check access logs and operation records

High Availability Deployment

1. Multi-AZ: Deploy to different availability zones for improved disaster recovery
2. Read-Write Separation: Configure read-write separation for improved read performance
3. Monitoring and Alerting: Set up comprehensive monitoring and alerting mechanisms
4. Backup Strategy: Develop reasonable backup and recovery strategies

Performance Optimization

1. Instance Specifications: Choose appropriate instance specifications and storage types
2. Parameter Tuning: Tune database parameters based on application characteristics
3. Index Optimization: Create appropriate indexes for common queries
4. SQL Optimization: Optimize SQL statements to reduce resource consumption

Cost Control

Billing Methods

• Pay-as-you-go: Charge based on actual usage time, suitable for testing environments
• Annual/Monthly Subscription: Lower long-term costs, suitable for production environments
• Reserved Instances: Pre-purchase instances for greater discounts

Cost Optimization Strategies

1. Instance Specifications: Choose the minimum specification that meets requirements
2. Storage Types: Select appropriate storage types based on performance requirements
3. Backup Strategy: Reasonably set backup retention periods to avoid over-backup
4. Resource Monitoring: Release unnecessary resources in a timely manner

Summary

Alibaba Cloud RDS provides enterprise-grade database services with high availability, security, and performance features. Through reasonable configuration and optimization, you can build stable and reliable database systems to support rapid business development.

Choosing appropriate database engines, implementing high-availability architecture, following security best practices, and establishing comprehensive monitoring systems are key elements for successfully using RDS.