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ApsaraDB RDS:Release notes

Last Updated:Dec 24, 2024

This topic describes the release notes for ApsaraDB RDS for MySQL and provides links to the relevant references.

Note

For more information about the release notes for AliSQL, see Release notes for AliSQL.

2024

December

Category

Feature

Description

Release date

References

Feature optimization

Cloud disk encryption

Cloud disk encryption is supported free of charge for standard RDS for MySQL instances on RDS Basic Edition. You can enable this feature when you create an instance. This feature encrypts the data on each disk of your RDS for MySQL instance based on block storage to ensure data security.

12-18

New feature

RDS native replication

Native replication instances are developed by Alibaba Cloud in the cloud-native era and are cost-effective and self-managed. This deployment model is new to ApsaraDB RDS for MySQL instances. Native replication instances use the capabilities of the native MySQL kernel and provide multi-layer technical methods to control and manage databases. This helps implement network and permission compatibility. You can also run native MySQL native replication commands to manage replication and node topologies.

12-06

RDS native replication (in invitational preview)

New feature

Write optimization

The write optimization feature helps ensure the atomicity of each write operation on data pages and allows you to disable the InnoDB doublewrite mechanism in a secure manner. This reduces the number of write I/O operations, simplifies flush operations, and significantly reduces IOPS and bandwidth required for data writes to disks to improve the write performance of your RDS instance.

12-03

Use the write optimization feature

November

Category

Feature

Description

Release date

References

Feature optimization

Increase of the maximum IOPS of ApsaraDB RDS for MySQL instances with local disks

The maximum IOPS for ApsaraDB RDS for MySQL instances that use local disks will be increased up to 150,000. You are not charged additional fees for the increase of the maximum IOPS.

11-29

[Product changes/Feature changes] The maximum IOPS of ApsaraDB RDS for MySQL instances with local disks is increased

New feature

Support on the configuration of the minimum number of nodes for the database proxy of RDS for MySQL

You can configure the minimum number of reserved nodes to retain a specific number of read-only nodes to process read requests in the event of an exception. For example, the primary node is faulty or data replication on a read-only node is interrupted. After you configure the minimum number of reserved nodes, a specific number of read-only nodes are reserved to process read requests.

11-26

Configure the minimum number of reserved nodes

Feature optimization

Support on the change of the key for cloud disk encryption

ApsaraDB RDS for MySQL instances that use dedicated instance types support the change of the key for cloud disk encryption.

11-22

Use the cloud disk encryption feature

New feature

Support on TDE for RDS instances that run RDS High-availability Edition and use cloud disks

The Transparent Data Encryption (TDE) feature is supported by RDS instances that run RDS High-availability Edition and use cloud disks. You can use this feature to perform real-time I/O encryption and decryption on data files.

11-14

Configure TDE

October

Category

Feature

Description

Release date

References

New feature

Cross-zone deployment and nearest access of database proxies for ApsaraDB RDS for MySQL

ApsaraDB RDS for MySQL supports the cross-zone deployment and the nearest access feature of database proxies. By using the deployment method and new feature, you can deploy your application, proxy nodes, and read-only nodes within the same zone to reduce latency.

10-22

New feature

Instance types of standard primary ApsaraDB RDS for MySQL instances

The mysql.x2.8xlarge.xc instance type that provides 64 CPU cores and 128 GB of memory and the mysql.x4.8xlarge.xc instance type that provides 64 CPU cores and 256 GB of memory are supported for standard (originally known as x86 architecture) primary ApsaraDB RDS for MySQL instances that run RDS Cluster Edition.

10-18

Instance types for standard primary ApsaraDB RDS for MySQL instances (original x86 architecture)

September

Category

Feature

Description

Release date

References

New feature

Restoration of individual databases and tables

ApsaraDB RDS for MySQL Cluster Edition instances support the restoration feature for individual databases and tables. This feature can be used in scenarios in which misoperations are performed and data needs to be quickly restored or scenarios in which historical data needs to be analyzed.

09-14

Restore individual databases and tables

New feature

Column encryption

Column encryption rules and role permissions can be configured for an ApsaraDB RDS for MySQL instance in the ApsaraDB RDS console.

09-13

Configure column encryption rules in the ApsaraDB RDS console

Feature optimization

Major engine version upgrade

The major engine version of an RDS instance can be upgraded from MySQL 5.7 to MySQL 8.0. This applies if the RDS instance runs RDS Cluster Edition or runs RDS High-availability Edition with read-only RDS instances attached.

09-01

Upgrade the major engine version

August

Category

Feature

Description

Release date

References

Feature optimization

Node addition

When you add a node to an RDS cluster, the instance type of the node can be different from the instance type of the primary node.

08-30

Add a node to an ApsaraDB RDS for MySQL cluster

New feature

Database proxy

If your database proxy version is 2.9.1 or later, connection pooling and a latency threshold can be configured for the database proxy endpoint that uses the read-only attribute.

08-29

New feature

Database proxy

The database proxy feature can be enabled on the ApsaraDB RDS buy page.

08-13

New feature

Database proxy

Starting August 1, 2024, persistent connections are supported during the failover of an ApsaraDB RDS for MySQL instance for which the version of the database proxy is 2.9.1. This reduces the risk of connection interruptions and improves the connection reliability.

08-01

July

Category

Feature

Description

Release date

References

Feature optimization

Automatic performance scaling

The automatic performance scaling feature is supported for RDS instances that run RDS High-availability Edition and use general-purpose instance types and local disks. As your business grows, data volume increases, and new services or new features are released, the database traffic increases and computing resources become insufficient. Increasing the database computing resources, such as CPU cores and memory resources, is an effective method to resolve the problems. The computing specifications can be automatically increased for RDS instances that run RDS High-availability Edition and use general-purpose instance types and local or cloud disks to handle traffic spikes. When traffic decreases, DAS automatically scales down the instance specifications to prevent inefficient use of resources.

07-05

New feature

Custom certificate

The SSL encryption feature can be used to encrypt data that is transmitted between ApsaraDB RDS for MySQL instances and clients. This prevents data from being monitored, intercepted, or tampered with by third parties. When you configure SSL encryption for an ApsaraDB RDS for MySQL instance, you can use custom certificates as well as certificates that are managed by Alibaba Cloud.

07-02

June

Category

Feature

Description

Release date

References

New feature

Zero-ETL

ApsaraDB RDS provides the zero-ETL feature to synchronize data from an ApsaraDB RDS for MySQL instance to a data warehouse. You do not need to create or maintain data synchronization tasks, and you are not charged for data synchronization tasks. This reduces data transmission costs and O&M costs. The data warehouse can be an AnalyticDB for MySQL cluster or an ApsaraDB for ClickHouse cluster.

06-30

New feature

YiTian product type

  • New regions: Jakarta Zone A and Jakarta Zone B

  • New zones: Hong Kong Zone B and Hangzhou Zone B

06-30

How do I handle zone- and region-related issues?

New feature

Persistent connection

Starting June 27, 2024, persistent connections are supported by the database proxy feature for ApsaraDB RDS for MySQL instances that run RDS Cluster Edition.

06-27

New feature

Read-only instance management

Starting June 20, 2024, ApsaraDB RDS for MySQL provides standard read-only RDS instances that run RDS Basic Edition. To offload read requests from the primary RDS instance, you can create one or more read-only RDS instances. Read-only RDS instances help increase the read capability of your database system and the throughput of your application.

06-20

[New features/New specifications] Read-only ApsaraDB RDS for MySQL instances that run RDS Basic Edition are available for purchase from June 20, 2024

New feature

MySQL version upgrade

The precheck is supported before you upgrade the MySQL version of your RDS instance.

06-20

Check report details of a major engine version upgrade

New feature

General ESSDs

The general Enterprise SSD (ESSD) is a new storage type supported by ApsaraDB RDS. General ESSDs are compatible with all features of ESSDs and support the I/O burst, I/O acceleration, and data archiving features.

06-20

New feature

Serverless

The billing method of an RDS instance that uses general ESSDs can be changed between pay-as-you-go and serverless.

06-06

Overview of serverless ApsaraDB RDS for MySQL instances

New feature

Serverless

The cloud disk encryption feature is supported for serverless RDS instances.

06-06

Cloud disk encryption

Feature optimization

MySQL version upgrade

The limit on SSL validation is deleted when you upgrade the MySQL version of your RDS instance.

06-03

Upgrade the major engine version

May

Category

Feature

Description

Release date

References

New feature

The YiTian product type is supported for ApsaraDB RDS instances that run MySQL 5.7

The YiTian product type is developed based on the ARM architecture that uses Alibaba Cloud-developed YiTian chips to provide ultra-high cost-effectiveness. The YiTian product type allows you to create RDS instances in a quick manner and helps reduce IT investment and costs.

05-29

New feature

Instance type for YiTian primary ApsaraDB RDS for MySQL instances

YiTian primary ApsaraDB RDS for MySQL instances are newly available for purchase in the following zone:

Hong Kong Zone D

05-20

Instance types for YiTian primary ApsaraDB RDS for MySQL instances (original ARM architecture)

New feature

Migration of database proxies across zones

The database proxies of an RDS instance can be migrated across zones. You can migrate database proxies of your RDS instance to another zone in the region in which the RDS instance resides.

05-16

Migrate proxy nodes across zones

April

Category

Feature

Description

Release date

References

New feature

New version of the ApsaraDB RDS buy page

The new version of the ApsaraDB RDS buy page is supported for ApsaraDB RDS for MySQL. Compared with the old version of the ApsaraDB RDS buy page, the new version simplifies and enhances the instance purchasing process.

04-29

Create an RDS instance

New feature

Cross-region backup and restoration

The cross-region backup and restoration feature is supported for RDS instances that run RDS Cluster Edition. After you enable the feature, the system automatically backs up the data of your RDS instance to another region. This feature can be used in scenarios such as regulatory compliance and disaster recovery.

04-23

New feature

Backup download

The backup file of an RDS instance that uses the ESSD storage type can be downloaded in the CSV format with headers. This helps you analyze data or archive data. In addition, the data of an RDS instance can be restored to a self-managed MySQL instance by using the backup file in the CSV or SQL format.

04-15

Feature optimization

Serverless RDS instances

The following regions and zones are supported for serverless RDS instances:

Seoul Zone A

Bangkok Zone A

Manila Zone A

Tokyo Zone A and Tokyo Zone B

Kuala Lumpur Zone B

Silicon Valley Zone A and Silicon Valley Zone B

Virginia Zone A and Virginia Zone B

London Zone A and Zone B

Shanghai Zone M, Shanghai Zone N, Shanghai Zone E, Shanghai Zone G, Shanghai Zone F, Shanghai Zone B, and Shanghai Zone L

Beijing Zone L, Beijing Zone I, Beijing Zone H, Beijing Zone G, and Beijing Zone K

Hangzhou Zone I and Hangzhou Zone J

Qingdao Zone C

Zhangjiakou Zone A, Zhangjiakou Zone B, and Zhangjiakou Zone C

Hohhot Zone A and Hohhot Zone B

Ulanqab Zone A, Ulanqab Zone B, and Ulanqab Zone C

Shenzhen Zone E and Shenzhen Zone F

Heyuan Zone A and Heyuan Zone B

Guangzhou Zone A and Guangzhou Zone B

Chengdu Zone A and Chengdu Zone B

04-13

Overview of serverless RDS instances

March

Category

Feature

Description

Release date

References

New feature

Major engine version upgrade for ApsaraDB RDS for MySQL instances that use cloud disks

The major engine version upgrade feature is supported for RDS instances that run RDS High-availability Edition or RDS Basic Edition with ESSDs. This feature allows you to upgrade the major engine version of an RDS instance from 5.7 to 8.0. This feature cannot be used to upgrade the major engine versions of read-only RDS instances.

03-28

Upgrade the major engine version

Feature optimization

Specification change

The storage type of an RDS instance can be changed from local SSD to ESSD for better elasticity.

03-20

Change the storage type from local SSD to ESSD or general ESSD

February

Category

Feature

Description

Release date

References

Feature optimization

SSL encryption

The SSL encryption feature is supported for RDS instances that run RDS Basic Edition.

02-26

Use a cloud certificate to enable SSL encryption

New feature

Always-confidential database

The always-confidential database feature is supported for ApsaraDB RDS for MySQL. The feature provides an encryption solution that prevents unauthorized access to your data and ensures compliance with data protection regulations.

02-22

Overview

January

Category

Feature

Description

Release date

References

Feature optimization

PITR

The point-in-time recovery (PITR) feature is supported for ApsaraDB RDS for MySQL. The PITR feature is an enhancement of the log backup feature. The PITR feature is used to restore the data of your RDS instance that uses local disks to a point in time based on the value of the Time Range of Specific Points in Time for Restoration parameter. To use the PITR feature, you must turn on Restoration to Specific Point in Time. The PITR feature resolves the issue that the restorable time range of your RDS instance is significantly shortened when the first full backup set of the RDS instance is deleted due to expiration.

01-30

Configure the PITR feature

Feature optimization

Enhanced SSD (ESSD)

The maximum storage capacity of an RDS instance that uses ESSDs of performance level 1 (PL1), PL2, or PL3 is changed from 32 TB to 64 TB.

01-29

Specifications

New feature

New instance types for YiTian and standard RDS instances on RDS Basic Edition

Instance types that provide 1 CPU core and 1 GB of memory, 1 CPU core and 2 GB of memory, 2 CPU cores and 2 GB of memory, and 2 CPU cores and 4 GB of memory are supported for YiTian RDS instances on RDS Basic Edition. For example, your RDS instance resides in the Singapore region and uses the economy product type. If the RDS instance uses an instance type with 1 CPU core and 1 GB of memory, the monthly fee of the RDS instance is USD 3. If the RDS instance uses an instance type with 1 CPU core and 2 GB of memory, the monthly fee is USD 4. We recommend that you use the subscription billing method, which is more cost-effective. For more information, visit the ApsaraDB RDS buy page.

New instance types that provide 4 cores and 8 GB of memory and 8 cores and 16 GB of memory are released for standard RDS instances on RDS Basic Edition.

01-05

New feature

Whitelist template

The whitelist template feature is supported for ApsaraDB RDS for MySQL. This feature allows you to add IP addresses to a whitelist template and associate the template with multiple RDS instances in an efficient manner.

01-03

Use the whitelist template feature

2023

December

Category

Feature

Description

Release date

References

New feature

Binlog Cache Free Flush

The binlog cache free flush feature is supported for ApsaraDB RDS for MySQL. This feature is used to resolve the following issues during large transactions: The time that is required to process binary logs during the transaction commitment is excessively long, and your ApsaraDB RDS for MySQL instance stops responding or fails to process write requests for a long period of time. This helps improve instance stability.

12-28

Binlog Cache Free Flush

New feature

Backup retention policy after instance release

The backup files of an RDS instance that uses cloud disks can be retained for a long period of time. You can specify a backup retention policy for your RDS instance, and the backup files of the RDS instance are retained for a long period of time based on the backup retention policy even if the RDS instance is released. This feature is also available for serverless RDS instances that use cloud disks.

12-25

Retain backup files for a long period of time

New feature

Database proxy

The persistent connection capability is added to the database proxy feature for RDS instances that run MySQL on RDS High-availability Edition and use cloud disks. This capability ensures that your application remains connected to the database proxy of your RDS instance by using a database proxy endpoint during an instance switchover. This helps improve service availability.

12-15

Configure persistent connection settings

New feature

Database proxy

General-purpose database proxies are provided free of charge.

12-15

October

Category

Feature

Description

Release date

References

Feature optimization

Instances that run RDS Cluster Edition

Direct node connection endpoints are supported for RDS clusters. An RDS cluster is referred to as an RDS instance that runs RDS Cluster Edition.

10-20

View and manage instance endpoints and ports

Feature optimization

Instances that run RDS Cluster Edition

The number of secondary nodes in an RDS cluster is increased from 4 to 8. An RDS cluster supports one primary node and up to eight secondary nodes.

10-20

RDS Cluster Edition

Feature optimization

Serverless RDS instances

The minor engine versions of serverless ApsaraDB RDS for MySQL instances that run RDS High-availability Edition can be updated.

10-20

Update of the minor engine version

Feature optimization

Serverless RDS instances

The scaling range of RDS Capacity Units (RCUs) is changed from [0.5,16] to [0.5,32] for serverless RDS instances. The maximum number of RCUs is 32.

10-18

Configure a serverless RDS instance

September

Category

Feature

Description

Release date

References

Feature optimization

Serverless RDS instances

RDS High-availability Edition is supported for serverless RDS instances.

09-25

Pricing of serverless RDS instances

Feature optimization

Serverless RDS instances

The scaling range of RCUs is changed from [0.5,8] to [0.5,16] for serverless RDS instances. The maximum number of RCUs is 16.

09-15

Configure a serverless RDS instance

August

Category

Feature

Description

Release date

References

New feature

Parameter diagnostics

The parameter diagnostics feature is supported. You can use this feature to query the static parameter diagnostic results and parameter modification history within the last seven days.

08-07

Use the parameter diagnostics feature

June

Category

Feature

Description

Release date

References

New feature

Parameter configuration

The values of the innodb_flush_log_at_trx_commit and sync_binlog parameters can be modified.

06-25

Modify the innodb_flush_log_at_trx_commit and sync_binlog parameters

April

Category

Feature

Description

Release date

References

Feature optimization

Specification change

Manual storage reduction is supported for RDS instances that run MySQL on RDS Basic Edition or RDS High-availability Edition and use ESSDs.

04-21

Reduce the storage capacity of an RDS instance that uses ESSDs

Feature optimization

Automatic storage expansion

The automatic storage expansion feature is supported for RDS instances that run MySQL on RDS Cluster Edition.

04-19

Feature optimization

Specification change

The architecture of an RDS instance that runs MySQL can be changed between x86 and ARM.

04-17

Configuration items

Feature optimization

Instances that run RDS Cluster Edition

RDS Cluster Edition is supported for RDS instances that run MySQL 5.7 or MySQL 8.0. An RDS cluster consists of one primary node and up to four secondary nodes to achieve high availability. Secondary nodes are readable. An RDS cluster is referred to as an RDS instance that runs RDS Cluster Edition.

04-14

RDS Cluster Edition

Feature optimization

Data replication mode

The MySQL group replication (MGR) mode is supported for RDS instances that run MySQL on RDS Cluster Edition.

04-14

Use the MGR mode on an RDS cluster

Feature optimization

RDS edition upgrade

The RDS instance that runs MySQL 8.0 or MySQL 5.7 and uses ESSDs can be upgraded from RDS High-availability Edition to RDS Cluster Edition.

04-14

Upgrade the RDS edition from RDS High-availability Edition to RDS Cluster Edition

New feature

ARM architecture

The ARM architecture can be selected when you create an RDS instance.

04-03

Architectures

March

Category

Feature

Description

Release date

References

Feature optimization

High-frequency physical backup

The high-frequency physical backup feature is supported for RDS instances that run MySQL 8.0 on RDS High-availability Edition and uses local disks. This feature allows you to back up your RDS instance at a high frequency.

03-29

Use the high-frequency physical backup feature of an RDS instance

Feature optimization

Instance creation

A port can be specified for an RDS instance when you create the RDS instance.

03-16

Create an RDS instance

February

Category

Feature

Description

Release date

References

New feature

Restoration of individual databases and tables

The fast restoration feature for individual databases and tables is supported for RDS instances that run MySQL and use cloud disks. You can restore individual databases or tables to the original RDS instance by backup set or point in time. This helps you quickly restore or analyze data.

02-15

Restore individual databases and tables.

New feature

New performance insight

The Performance Schema feature of MySQL is used to collect statistics on SQL statements to help you evaluate instance loads and identify the root causes of performance issues. The new performance insight feature also provides solutions to resolve the issues. This increases the stability of your database system.

02-07

Use the new performance insight feature

January

Category

Feature

Description

Release date

References

Feature optimization

Monitoring and alerting

Diagnostic views for common issues are provided in addition to the classic view. You can quickly identify the causes of issues based on the trend charts of monitoring items that are displayed in these diagnostic views.

01-13

View the metrics of an RDS instance

New feature

Parameter configuration

The parameters that specify the maximum number of connections to an RDS instance with cloud disks can be modified. The parameters include max_user_connections and max_connections.

01-03

Modify the parameters that specify the maximum number of connections to an RDS instance

New feature

Task Center

Task Center is supported. After you perform operations on your RDS instance, you can view the task progress and historical task details on the Task Center page in the ApsaraDB RDS console. You can also change the switching time for specific tasks on the Task Center page.

01-03

Use Task Center

2022

December

Category

Feature

Description

Release date

References

New feature

Performance events

The system provides the performance events feature. You can view the details and statistics of abnormal events, optimization events, and auto scaling events of an RDS instance. The events include the events that are planned to be executed, the events that are being executed, and the events that are completed.

12-30

View performance events

New feature

Cross-region backup

  • The cross-region backup feature is supported for RDS instances that run MySQL on RDS Basic Edition or RDS High-availability Edition and use cloud disks. You can use this feature to back up data from a region to another region in the ApsaraDB RDS console for regulatory compliance or disaster recovery.

  • The cross-region backup feature is supported for RDS instances that run SQL Server 2017 EE on RDS Cluster Edition and use the snapshot backup method. The feature allows you to back up your data to a different region for regulation compliance or disaster recovery. For more information, see Use the snapshot backup feature.

12-15

Use the cross-region backup feature

Feature optimization

Instance locking

  • The storage used by the temporary files of an RDS instance can be checked when the RDS instance is locked. If excessive storage is used by the temporary files, the system notifies you in the ApsaraDB RDS console, and you can restart the RDS instance in the ApsaraDB RDS console.

  • If your RDS instance is locked, a message indicating whether the disk space of the RDS instance can be changed on an on-premises device is displayed. If the disk space of the RDS instance can be changed on the on-premises device, you can change the specifications on your on-premises device and quickly unlock the instance in emergency scenarios.

12-09

N/A

November

Category

Feature

Description

Release date

References

New feature

Self-service diagnostics

The self-service diagnostics feature is added. You can use the feature to troubleshoot both the internal IP addresses of Elastic Compute Service (ECS) instances and the public addresses of clients that are connected to your RDS instance.

11-28

Use the self-service diagnostics feature

New feature

Official release of Serverless

Serverless RDS instances are available for purchase. Serverless RDS instances allow you to scale the CPU and memory resources in real time. Serverless RDS instances also supports the automatic start and stop and forced scaling features.

11-10

Overview

September

Category

Feature

Description

Release date

References

New feature

Deletion of manual backup files

The manual backup files of an RDS instance can be deleted in the ApsaraDB RDS console.

09-14

Delete the backup files or reduce the backup frequency

Feature optimization

Advanced download

The advanced download feature is available in the following regions: Singapore, US (Silicon Valley), and US (Virginia).

09-05

Download the backup files of an RDS instance

New feature

Instance parameters

The innodb_temp_data_file_path parameter is added. This parameter specifies the upper limit of the storage that can be occupied by temporary tables. When you execute an SQL statement, a temporary table is generated. If the storage that is occupied by temporary tables exceeds the upper limit that is specified by the innodb_temp_data_file_path parameter, SQL statements cannot be executed. If you modify this parameter, an instance restart is required for the modification to take effect.

Note

This parameter is available only for RDS instances that run MySQL 5.7.

09-01

Modify instance parameters

August

Category

Feature

Description

Release date

References

New feature

New minor engine version

Version 20220530 of AliSQL is released.

08-10

Release notes for AliSQL

New feature

Advanced download

An advanced download task can be created at any point in time or based on a specific backup file. You can set the download destination to a URL or configure the system to directly write data to an Object Storage Service (OSS) bucket.

08-05

Download the backup files of an RDS instance

July

Category

Feature

Description

Release date

References

Feature optimization

Forbidden keywords

The forbidden keywords of RDS instances are updated.

07-22

Forbidden keywords

New feature

High-frequency physical backup

The high-frequency physical backup feature is supported for RDS instances. This feature allows you to back up data at fine granularities of time.

07-20

Use the high-frequency physical backup feature of an RDS instance

June

Category

Feature

Description

Release date

References

New feature

New metrics

The MySQL_ROW_LOCK and MySQL_SelectScan metrics are added. The MySQL_ROW_LOCK metric provides information about row-level locking. The MySQL_SelectScan metric provides information about full table scans.

06-28

View the monitoring information

Performance parameters

New feature

New minor engine version

Version 20220523 of AliSQL is released.

06-14

Release notes for AliSQL

Feature optimization

Specification change

Specification changes immediately take effect and your workloads are not affected if you increase the storage capacity or change the PL of the ESSD storage type for an RDS instance.

06-14

Change the specifications of an RDS instance

Feature optimization

VPC change

The virtual private cloud (VPC) of an RDS instance that uses cloud disks and has a minor engine version of 20201031 or later can be directly changed.

06-13

Change the VPC and vSwitch for an RDS instance

Feature optimization

Notification of SSL certificate expiration and automatic renewal of SSL certificates

If an SSL certificate is about to expire, Alibaba Cloud notifies you of the expiration by email and internal message before the expiration time. If the SSL certificate expires, Alibaba Cloud automatically renews the SSL certificate within a specific period of time. You can view the internal messages on the Event Center page.

06-09

Use a cloud certificate to enable SSL encryption

May

Category

Feature

Description

Release date

References

New feature

New minor engine version

Version 20220430 of AliSQL is released.

05-28

Release notes for AliSQL

New feature

Performance center

The performance center feature is supported. On the Performance Center page of the ApsaraDB RDS console, you can use the inspection and scoring feature and the monitoring dashboard feature.

  • The inspection and scoring feature is available only for RDS instances.

  • The monitoring dashboard feature is available for RDS instances that run MySQL, PostgreSQL, and SQL Server.

Note

ApsaraDB RDS supports the performance center feature from May 20, 2022.

05-20

New feature

Enterprise-level console

The enterprise-level ApsaraDB RDS console is released. You can use the enterprise-level ApsaraDB RDS console to modify parameters, edit tags, and modify attributes of multiple RDS instances at a time. You can also renew multiple RDS instances at a time. This improves the experience of batch instance management.

05-11

Add tags to ApsaraDB RDS instances

Renewal policy

Configure parameters for an RDS instance

Set the maintenance window of an RDS instance

New feature

New minor engine version

Version 20220331 of AliSQL is released.

05-05

Release notes for AliSQL

April

Category

Feature

Description

Release date

References

New feature

RAM policies

Resource Access Management (RAM) policies are used to manage the permissions of RAM users. The RAM policies involve 12 conditions.

04-14

Use RAM policies to manage the permissions of RAM users

March

Category

Feature

Description

Release date

References

New feature

Advanced download and download of data backup files for restoration

The advanced download feature is supported. You can use this feature to convert data backup files into CSV files, download the CSV files, and then use the files to restore data to a self-managed MySQL database.

03-18

Download the backup files of an RDS instance

Feature optimization

Primary/secondary switchover logs

The entry point to the primary/secondary switchover logs is moved from the Logs page to the Service Availability page of the ApsaraDB RDS console.

03-16

Switch workloads over between primary and secondary RDS instances

New feature

Fast restoration for individual databases and tables

The fast individual database and table restoration feature is added to provide a faster restoration speed than standard restoration.

03-08

Restore individual databases and tables.

New feature

Snapshot retention policy

Increase Snapshot Frequency can be selected when you enable Single-digit Second Backup. The snapshot retention policy is updated.

03-08

Configure automatic backup

New feature

Instance release protection

If your RDS instance uses the pay-as-you-go billing method and runs critical workloads, the release protection feature can be enabled for your RDS instance. This feature prevents your RDS instance from being manually released due to accidental operations or lack of communication among team members.

03-08

Enable or disable the release protection feature

Feature optimization

New minor engine version

Version 20211231 of AliSQL is released. The new minor engine version incorporates the changes in the official version 5.7.35 to optimize service performance. For more information, see 5.7.35.

03-06

Release notes for AliSQL

2021

December

Category

Feature

Description

Release date

References

New feature

Prohibit the creation of ApsaraDB RDS instances whose disks are not encrypted

Users can attach a RAM policy to a RAM user to prevent the RAM user from creating RDS instances for which disk encryption is disabled.

12-20

Use RAM policies to manage the permissions of RAM users on ApsaraDB RDS instances

New feature

Migration of an RDS instance that uses cloud disks across zones in the same region

RDS instances that use cloud disks can be migrated across zones in the same region.

12-14

Migrate an RDS instance across zones in the same region

November

Category

Feature

Description

Release date

References

Feature optimization

Cross-region backup

The cross-region backup feature is improved to support cross-region backups in more Alibaba Cloud regions.

11-26

Use the cross-region backup feature

New feature

Commercial release of the backup download feature

The backup download feature is about to be upgraded and commercially released. In the commercial release, a free quota for backup downloads over the Internet is provided. If the traffic that users consume for downloading backup files over the Internet exceeds the free quota, users are charged additional fees.

11-25

[Special offers/Price changes] Commercial release of the backup download feature for RDS instances that use local disks

October

Category

Feature

Description

Release date

References

New feature

The RDS edition of an RDS instance that runs MySQL 8.0 can be upgraded from Basic Edition to High-availability Edition.

The RDS edition of an RDS instance that runs MySQL 8.0 can be upgraded from RDS Basic Edition to RDS High-availability Edition.

10-28

Upgrade from RDS Basic Edition to RDS High-availability Edition

Feature optimization

Upgrade from MySQL 5.6 to MySQL 5.7

The major engine version of an RDS instance can be upgraded from MySQL 5.6 to MySQL 5.7. This upgrade is supported in all Alibaba Cloud regions.

10-28

Upgrade the major engine version

September

Category

Feature

Description

Release date

References

Feature optimization

Pagination for the DescribeDBInstances operation

The MaxResults parameter can be used to specify the maximum number of entries per page, and the NextToken parameter can be used to specify the token that is used to display the next page. The NextToken parameter is set to its value that is returned from the most recent call of the DescribeDBInstances operation.

10-15

Query RDS instances

New feature

Upgrade from MySQL 5.6 to MySQL 5.7

The major engine version of an RDS instance can be upgraded from MySQL 5.6 to MySQL 5.7 in the Singapore region. This upgrade is made available in a canary release.

09-25

Upgrade the major engine version

August

Category

Feature

Description

Release date

References

New feature

TDE for RDS instances that run MySQL 5.7 on RDS Enterprise Edition

Transparent data encryption (TDE) is supported. TDE can be used to perform real-time I/O encryption and decryption on data files. Developers can use TDE without the need to modify the configurations of their applications.

08-16

Configure TDE

New feature

Automatic scale-up for RDS instances that use local disks

The automatic storage expansion feature of Database Autonomy Service (DAS) can automatically scale up your RDS instance based on your workloads to handle traffic spikes and ensure the stability of your RDS instance.

08-16

Enable the automatic scale-up feature

Feature optimization

The CreateDBInstance operation is optimized.

The CreateDBInstance operation can be called to create multiple RDS instances at a time.

08-13

Create an RDS instance

July

Category

Feature

Description

Release date

References

New feature

Automatic performance scaling

The automatic storage expansion feature of DAS can automatically scale up your RDS instance based on your workloads to handle traffic spikes and ensure the stability of your RDS instance.

07-01

Enable the automatic scale-up feature

June

Category

Feature

Description

Release date

References

New feature

Alerting

An alerting system can be built for an RDS instance with a few clicks. This alerting system helps users monitor crucial metrics and identify abnormal metrics at the earliest opportunity.

06-01

Manage alerts on an RDS instance

New feature

Metric

A new metric is added to the ApsaraDB RDS console. This metric indicates the number of bytes that is written to the redo log files of an RDS instance per second.

06-01

View the monitoring information

May

Category

Feature

Description

Release date

References

New feature

Selection of zones for secondary RDS instances

The zones of secondary RDS instances can be selected.

05-27

Create an RDS instance

March

Category

Feature

Description

Release date

References

New feature

Custom upgrade time

The time at which ApsaraDB RDS upgrades the database engine version of an RDS instance from MySQL 5.5 to MySQL 5.6 can be customized.

03-26

Upgrade the major engine version

New feature

Custom password policies

The password policies of RDS instances that run MySQL 5.7 can be modified to increase password strength.

03-12

Configure a custom password policy

Feature optimization

Recycle bin

The policies based on which RDS instances are moved to the recycle bin are modified. Only the RDS instances that meet the specified conditions are moved to the recycle bin after these instances expire or are released.

03-12

Recycle bin

2020

December

Feature

Description

Release date

References

ESSDs for RDS instances that run the RDS Basic Edition

ESSDs are supported for RDS instances that run RDS Basic Edition.

2020-12-15

Create an RDS instance

Storage capacity expansion for ESSDs

The storage capacity of an RDS instance that runs the RDS High-availability Edition with ESSDs can be expanded to up to 32,000 GB.

2020-12-15

Create an RDS instance

September

Feature

Description

Release date

References

AliSQL

Version 20200831 of AliSQL is released. In this version, start global transaction identifiers (GTIDs) and end GTIDs are added to the mysqlbinlog extension. The concurrency control (CCL) mechanism is optimized to efficiently determine how transactions wait and concurrently run. Various log sequence numbers (LSNs) in the redo log are supported.

2020-09-09

Release notes for AliSQL

RAM authorization

The permissions on RDS instances can be granted to RAM users by using RAM.

2020-09-08

Authorize a RAM user to manage ApsaraDB RDS instances

August

Feature

Description

Release date

References

Dedicated database proxy

The dedicated proxy feature is supported. This feature supports various operations, such as the operations to create, modify, and delete proxy endpoints for an RDS instance.

2020-08-20

Introduction to database proxies

TDE

TDE is supported for RDS instances that run MySQL 8.0 on RDS High-availability Edition with local disks.

2020-08-12

Configure TDE

July

Feature

Description

Release date

References

Single-digit second backups

The single-digit second backup feature is supported for RDS instances that are equipped with ESSDs. Single-digit second backups can be enabled on the Backup Settings tab of the Backup and Restoration page in the ApsaraDB RDS console. If the single-digit second backup feature is enabled, ApsaraDB RDS can issue a backup task in single-digit seconds. The single-digit second backup feature is suitable for scenarios with urgent backup requirements. For example, if the data of an RDS instance must be backed up before an emergency release, a single-digit backup can be performed.

2020-07-28

Configure automatic backup

AliSQL

Version 20200630 of AliSQL is released. The performance agent feature and the faster DDL feature are supported. The maximum number of connections that are allowed is increased. The global parameter max_execution_time is supported, and the thread pool feature is optimized. A few bugs are fixed. For example, standard accounts are not authorized to execute the DROP DATABASE statement, and ApsaraDB RDS cannot correctly count waits if commands are read from a database client.

2020-07-20

Release notes for AliSQL

June

Feature

Description

Release date

References

Online expansion of storage capacity

The online expansion of storage capacity is supported for RDS instances that run MySQL 5.7 or MySQL 8.0 with cloud disks. The expansion requires about 5 minutes or less.

2020-06-19

Change the specifications of an RDS instance

Username length

The maximum length of a username for RDS instances that run MySQL 5.7 or MySQL 8.0 is increased to 32 characters.

2020-06-16

Create an account on an ApsaraDB RDS for MySQL instance

May

Feature

Description

Release date

References

Minor engine version update

An update policy can be selected for the minor engine version when you purchase an RDS instance.

2020-05-15

Create an RDS instance

Restoration of individual databases and tables

The restoration of individual databases and tables is accelerated by four times.

2020-05-12

Restore individual databases and tables.

April

Feature

Description

Release date

References

Cross-region restoration

The data of an RDS instance can be restored from a cross-region backup file to an existing RDS instance.

2020-04-24

Restore data across regions.

Memory management

Custom memory management is supported.

2020-04-22

Change the size of the InnoDB buffer pool

Billing method

The billing method of an RDS instance can be changed from subscription to pay-as-you-go.

2020-04-21

Switch the billing method from subscription to pay-as-you-go

Dedicated database proxy

Custom proxy endpoints are supported for the dedicated proxy of an RDS instance.

2020-04-15

Introduction to database proxies

Data restoration

Auto-renewal can be enabled for new RDS instances to which data is restored.

2020-04-14

Restore full data

SSL encryption

SSL encryption is supported for RDS instances that run MySQL 5.7 or MySQL 8.0 on RDS Enterprise Edition.

2020-04-09

Use a cloud certificate to enable SSL encryption

Restoration of individual databases and tables

The restoration of individual databases and tables is supported for RDS instances that run MySQL 8.0.

2020-04-01

Restore individual databases and tables.

March

Feature

Description

Release date

References

Dedicated database proxy

The proxy of an RDS instance can be upgraded from shared proxy to dedicated proxy.

2020-03-20

Introduction to database proxies

Dedicated clusters

Dedicated clusters are formerly known as host groups. These clusters are supported for RDS instances that run MySQL 5.6.

2020-03-18

Introduction to ApsaraDB MyBase dedicated clusters

Dedicated database proxy

The dedicated proxy feature is supported for RDS instances that run MySQL 5.6 on RDS High-availability Edition with local disks.

2020-03-13

Introduction to database proxies

Alert rule

Alert rules are optimized. Alerts can be reported at 1-minute intervals, and more metrics are added.

2020-03-02

Manage alerts

February

Feature

Description

Release date

References

RDS Enterprise Edition

RDS Enterprise Edition is supported for RDS instances that run MySQL 5.7 or MySQL 8.0 in all Alibaba Cloud regions.

2020-02-28

RDS Enterprise Edition

Zones of primary RDS instances

The single-zone deployment method and the multi-zone deployment method are supported. Users can specify a zone for a primary RDS instance.

2020-02-27

Create an RDS instance

Long-term retention of backup files

Backup files can be retained for a long period of time.

2020-02-26

Configure automatic backup

Storage type

The following new PLs of ESSDs are added to the ApsaraDB RDS buy page: PL2 ESSD and PL3 ESSD.

2020-02-21

Storage types

Change of the RDS edition

The RDS edition of an RDS instance that runs MySQL 5.6 can be changed from RDS Enterprise Edition to RDS High-availability Edition.

2020-02-13

Change the specifications of an RDS instance

Number of ECS security groups

The number of ECS security groups that are supported for each RDS instance is increased from 1 to 10.

2020-02-04

Use a database client or the CLI to connect to an RDS instance

January

Feature

Description

Release date

References

X-Engine

The X-Engine storage engine that is developed by Alibaba Cloud is supported. X-Engine can compress a large amount of data with a significantly high compression ratio in online transaction processing (OLTP) scenarios.

2020-01-15

Introduction to X-Engine

Monitoring of hosts in dedicated clusters

Hosts in dedicated clusters can be monitored. The host monitoring information can be displayed, and alert rules can be configured.

2020-01-15

View host details

System parameter templates

The following system parameter templates are provided: a high-availability template and a high-performance template.

2020-01-14

Use parameter templates

Performance insight

The performance insight feature is supported for RDS instances that run RDS High-availability Edition or RDS Enterprise Edition.

2020-01-09

Use the original performance insight feature

TDE

TDE with Bring Your Own Keys (BYOKs) is supported for RDS instances that run MySQL 5.7 on RDS High-availability Edition with local disks.

2020-01-07

Configure TDE

2019

December

Feature

Description

Release date

References

Dedicated database proxy

The dedicated proxy feature is supported for RDS instances that run MySQL 5.7 or MySQL 8.0 on RDS Enterprise Edition.

2019-12-25

Introduction to database proxies

RDS Enterprise Edition

RDS Enterprise Edition is supported for RDS instances that run MySQL 8.0.

2019-12-24

Create an RDS instance

Dedicated clusters

ECS Bare Metal Instance, which is designed to run in the SHENLONG architecture, is supported for dedicated clusters. RDS instances that are equipped with ESSDs can be created in these dedicated clusters.

2019-12-19

Create a host

Dedicated database proxy

The dedicated proxy feature is supported for RDS instances that run MySQL 5.7 or MySQL 8.0 on RDS High-availability Edition with cloud disks.

2019-12-17

Introduction to database proxies

November

Feature

Description

Release date

References

New instance types

New general-purpose instance types are provided for RDS instances that run MySQL 5.7 on RDS Enterprise Edition.

2019-11-24

Primary instance types

Use the SQL Explorer feature on an ApsaraDB RDS for MySQL instance

The SQL Explorer feature is supported for RDS instances that run MySQL 5.7 on RDS Enterprise Edition.

2019-11-21

SQL Explorer and Audit

Read-only instance management

Read-only RDS instances can be created for primary RDS instances that run MySQL 5.7 on RDS Enterprise Edition.

2019-11-19

Create a read-only RDS instance

New instance types

New instance types that provide 12, 24, 52, and 104 CPU cores are provided for RDS instances that run RDS High-availability Edition with cloud disks.

2019-11-15

Primary instance types

New instance types

A new instance type that provides 1 CPU core and 1 GB of memory is provided for RDS instances that run MySQL 8.0 on RDS Basic Edition.

2019-11-12

Primary instance types

October

Feature

Description

Release date

References

Dedicated database proxy

The dedicated proxy feature is supported for RDS instances that run MySQL 5.7 on RDS High-availability Edition with local disks. The dedicated proxy of an RDS instance provides advanced features, such as read/write splitting and short-lived connection optimization.

2019-10-28

Introduction to database proxies

Dedicated database proxy

The dedicated proxy feature is supported for RDS instances that run MySQL 8.0 on RDS High-availability Edition with local disks. The dedicated proxy of an RDS instance provides advanced features, such as read/write splitting and short-lived connection optimization.

2019-10-15

Introduction to database proxies

Price adjustment

The prices of RDS instances that are equipped with cloud disks are reduced by up to 50%.

2019-10-15

Billable items, billing methods, and pricing

September

Feature

Description

Release date

References

Adjustment of storage capacity range

The storage capacity range is adjusted for dedicated RDS instances that are equipped with local disks.

2019-09-18

Primary instance types

The RDS edition of an RDS instance can be upgraded from RDS Basic Edition to RDS High-availability Edition.

The RDS edition of an RDS instance can be upgraded from RDS Basic Edition to RDS High-availability Edition.

2019-09-15

Change the specifications of an RDS instance

New instance types

A new instance type that provides 90 cores and 720 GB of memory is provided for RDS instances that belong to the dedicated host instance family.

2019-09-15

Primary instance types

New version of the ApsaraDB RDS buy page

A new ApsaraDB RDS buy page is released.

2019-09-12

Create an RDS instance

Change of the VPC

The VPC of an RDS instance can be changed.

2019-09-12

Change the VPC and vSwitch of an RDS instance

August

Feature

Description

Release date

References

Parameter template

Parameter templates are provided. A parameter template can be used to manage multiple parameters of an RDS instance at a time.

2019-08-27

Use parameter templates

SSL encryption disabling

The SSL encryption feature can be disabled.

2019-08-23

Use a cloud certificate to enable SSL encryption

Temporary disabling of automatic failover

The automatic failover feature can be temporarily disabled for up to one week.

2019-08-22

Switch workloads over between primary and secondary RDS instances

Backup and restoration of individual databases and tables

The backup and restoration of individual databases and tables are supported for RDS instances that run MySQL 5.6 or 5.7.

2019-08-20

Restore individual databases and tables.

Instance rebuilding from the recycle bin

Subscription RDS instances that are locked due to overdue payments can be rebuilt from the recycle bin.

2019-08-16

Recycle bin

Cross-region backup

Cross-region backups are supported. After cross-region backups are enabled for an RDS instance, ApsaraDB RDS can replicate the backup files of the RDS instance to a different region than the RDS instance.

2019-08-13

Cross-region backup

SQL Explorer

The time range that is supported by the SQL Explorer feature for log queries can be set to 24 hours or less.

2019-08-08

SQL Explorer and Audit

SQL Explorer

The SQL Explorer feature is supported for RDS instances that run MySQL 5.7 on RDS High-availability Edition with cloud disks. This feature logs all SQL statements that are executed.

2019-08-01

SQL Explorer and Audit

July

Feature

Description

Release date

References

TDE

TDE with BYOKs is supported for RDS instances that run MySQL 5.6.

2019-07-30

Configure TDE

Change of the VPC endpoint

The VPC endpoint of an RDS instance can be changed.

2019-07-29

Configure endpoints

Up to 16 TB storage capacity

The maximum storage capacity is increased to up to 16 TB for RDS instances that run MySQL 5.7 or MySQL 8.0 on RDS High-availability Edition with ESSDs.

2019-07-29

Primary instance types

Five-year subscription

Five-year subscription is supported for RDS instances that run MySQL, SQL Server, PostgreSQL, and MariaDB.

2019-07-20

Create an RDS instance