Amazon RDS Overview and Management

Questions and Answers

What is Amazon RDS?

RDS is a managed service that makes it easy to set up, operate, and scale a relational database in the cloud.

Which relational database engines does RDS support?

Amazon Aurora, MySQL, MariaDB, Oracle, SQL Server, and PostgreSQL

What does RDS manage on my behalf?

Provisioning infrastructure capacity, installing database software, performing backups, and patching the software.

When would I use RDS vs. EC2 Relational Database AMIs?

RDS offloads database administration, while EC2 allows you to manage your own relational database. Signup and view all the answers

What is a database instance (DB instance)?

A DB instance is a database environment in the cloud with specified compute and storage resources. Signup and view all the answers

How many DB instances can I run with RDS?

By default, customers can have a total of 40 RDS DB instances. Signup and view all the answers

How many databases or schemas can I run with a DB instance?

Aurora, MySQL, MariaDB, PostgreSQL: no limit; Oracle: 1 database per instance; SQL Server: 30 databases per instance. Signup and view all the answers

How do I import data into an RDS DB instance?

Use mysqldump or mysqlimport for MySQL, Data Pump for Oracle, and Import/Export wizard for SQL Server. Signup and view all the answers

What is a maintenance window, and will my DB instance be available during maintenance events?

Maintenance windows are 30 minutes long, and your DB instance may be offline during scale compute operations. Signup and view all the answers

What should I do if my queries seem to be running slow?

Enable Enhanced Monitoring for insights and consider scaling your DB instance class. Signup and view all the answers

How do I control if and when the engine version of my DB instance is upgraded?

You can manually upgrade your DB or enable Auto Minor Version Upgrade for automatic updates. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Amazon RDS Overview

Amazon RDS (Relational Database Service) simplifies setting up and managing relational databases in the cloud.
Offers cost-efficient and scalable capacity while handling database administration tasks.
Free's up users to concentrate on their applications and business needs.

Supported Database Engines

RDS supports several relational database engines:
- Amazon Aurora
- MySQL
- MariaDB
- Oracle
- SQL Server
- PostgreSQL

Management Responsibilities of RDS

RDS manages:
- Infrastructure provisioning
- Database software installation
- Backup operations
- Software patching
In Multi-AZ configurations, RDS handles data replication and automatic failover.
Users maintain control over application-specific settings, schema design, and performance tuning.

RDS vs. EC2 Relational Database AMIs

RDS is a managed service reducing the overhead of database administration tasks.
EC2 can run relational database AMIs providing full control, ideal for custom configurations or specific use cases.
Choice depends on requirements for administration and management.

Database Instance (DB Instance)

A DB instance is a dedicated database environment with designated compute and storage resources.
Users can create/delete DB instances and manage configurations via the console, API, or CLI.
Each DB instance can host multiple databases or schemas, determined by the chosen engine type.

DB Instance Limits

Default limit is 40 DB instances per customer:
- Maximum of 10 instances can be Oracle or SQL under the "License Included" model.
- All instances can be Oracle or SQL under a "BYOL" (Bring Your Own License) model.
Limit increases can be requested.

Databases and Schemas per DB Instance

No software-imposed limits for Aurora, MySQL, MariaDB, PostgreSQL.
Oracle allows one database per instance; no limit on schemas.
SQL Server permits 30 databases per instance.

Importing Data into RDS DB Instance

Data import methods vary by database:
- MySQL: mysqldump or mysqlimport
- Oracle: Data Pump, import/export, SQL Loader
- SQL Server: Import/Export wizard, .bak files, Bulk Copy Program (BCP)

Maintenance Windows and Availability

Maintenance windows last 30 minutes, timing can be adjusted by users.
Most maintenance tasks do not require downtime, only scale compute operations may briefly take the instance offline.
Security and durability-related patching occurs infrequently with no outage in Multi-AZ deployments.

Addressing Slow Queries

Enable Enhanced Monitoring for detailed metrics on CPU, memory, file systems, and disk I/O.
High CPU utilization may hinder query performance; consider scaling instance class if needed.
Access slow query logs for optimization insights (available for RDS for MySQL, MariaDB, Oracle, and SQL Server).

Engine Version Upgrades

Manual upgrades to the latest minor version can be conducted via console or API.
Option to enable Auto Minor Version Upgrade for automatic updates.
Scheduled engine upgrades communicated 30 days in advance; downtime is required.
Major upgrades do not occur automatically and may require user intervention.

Description

This quiz covers the essentials of Amazon RDS, including its purpose, supported database engines, and management responsibilities. Explore how Amazon RDS simplifies database administration and compare it to EC2 relational database AMIs.