TencentDB for SQL Server provides a cross-region backup feature, supporting storing backup files in another region to help users enhance regulatory compliance and disaster recovery capabilities, while improving data reliability. This article introduces the cross-region backup feature.
Scenarios
Data is a critical component of business operations. While digital transformation brings convenience, it also reveals the vulnerability of electronic data and stored information, which are prone to damage and loss. In the face of natural disasters, system failures, employee errors, and virus infections, a single incident could lead to business disruption or even catastrophic losses. Therefore, ensuring the security and integrity of core data is a priority every enterprise must prioritize.
TencentDB for SQL Server provides a cross-region backup feature to store backup files in other regions, maximizing protection against data loss caused by natural disasters or system failures. Cross-region backup ensures high availability for database recovery, meeting requirements for data availability, security, off-site backup/recovery, geographic disaster recovery, long-term data archiving, and regulatory compliance.
Cross-Region Backup Description
Cross-region backup does not affect local default backups. After cross-region backup is enabled, both are retained.
Cross-region backup is triggered upon completion of the default local automatic backups, which involves dumping the default automatic backups to cross-region backup storage devices.
The backup files in the cross-region backup space consist of automatic backups (including data backups and log backups), meaning that local automatic backups are synchronized to off-site storage.
Cross-region backups are retained for 7 days by default. The retention period supports customization, with a minimum of 7 days and a maximum of 7300 days.
Enabling/disabling cross-region backup and modifying backup region options do not affect existing backups.
The retention period for cross-region backups only affects the lifecycle of backups stored in cross-region storage.
Modifying the retention period for cross-region backups affects the lifecycle of existing cross-region backups.
Modifying cross-region backup region options does not affect the storage region of existing cross-region backups.
Cross-region backups stored in a different region cannot utilize the free storage space for local backups.
Billing Instructions
Cross-region backup fees consist of storage and traffic.
That is: Cross-region backup fees = Cross-region backup storage fees + Cross-region replication traffic fees
Cross-region backup storage fees are charged on a pay-as-you-go basis based on the destination region, while cross-region replication traffic fees are charged on a pay-as-you-go basis based on the link between the source and destination regions.
Differences Between Cross-Region Backup and Same-Region Backup
Comparison Item
Local backup
Cross-region backup
Whether Enabled by Default
Enabled by Default
Disabled by default and requires manual enabling
Backup Storage Region
Backups are stored in the region where the instance is located.
Backups are stored in additional destination regions.
Backup Metering Region and Billing Region
The backup volume is calculated against the backup region of the primary instance to which it belongs.
The backup volume is calculated against the backup region of the primary instance to which it belongs. Backup fees are calculated based on the backup pricing of the backup storage region (that is, the destination region across which backups are stored).
Billing Lifecycle
Yearly/monthly subscription instances are retained for only 7 days by default after entering the recycle bin and will be destroyed along with the instances after 7 days.
Pay-as-you-go instances are retained for only 7 days by default after entering the recycle bin and will be destroyed along with the instances after 7 days.
Yearly/monthly subscription instances are retained for only 7 days by default after the instances are moved to the recycle bin and will be destroyed along with the instances after 7 days.
Pay-as-you-go instances are retained for only 7 days by default after entering the recycle bin and will be destroyed along with the instances after 7 days.
Whether it occupies free storage space
Can utilize free storage space allowance
Cannot occupy free storage space
Backup Storage Space Billing Rules
If the backup size does not exceed the free quota, backups are free. If the free quota is exceeded, hourly backup cost = (total backup file size - free quota) × backup unit price
Billing Space (this region) = Data Backup Volume <Auto + Manual> (this region) + Log Backup Volume <Auto> (this region) - Free Backup Space (this region)
After cross-region backup is enabled, all cross-region backup data generated will be charged.
Billing Space (region of the primary instance) = Data Backup Volume <Auto> (destination region) + Log Backup Volume <Auto> (destination region)
Cross-Region Backup Supported Regions
Source region
Supported Backup Destination Regions
Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Chengdu, Chongqing, Nanjing, Beijing Finance, Shanghai Finance, Shenzhen Finance, Hong Kong (China)
Supports backing up to regions except the source region itself, subject to the regions actually supported in the console.
Note:
Backups from Chinese mainland regions to Hong Kong (China) regions are currently not supported.
Cross-region backup is currently not supported in other countries/regions. The documentation will be updated accordingly when this feature becomes available.
2. In the instance list, find the target instance, click Instance ID or Manage in the Operation column to go to the instance management page.
3. On the instance details page, click the cross-region backup component in the architecture diagram.
4. In the cross-region backup settings window, turn on the button after Cross-Region Backup, complete the relevant configuration (refer to step 4 in Method 1 above for specific configuration), and click OK.
Modify Cross-Region Backup Settings
Note:
Modifying the destination region does not affect the storage region of existing backups, but only affects the storage region of new backups.
Modifying the backup retention period affects the lifecycle of both existing and new cross-region backups.
2. Locate the target instance in the instance list, click the Instance ID or Manage in the Operation column to go to the instance management page.
3. On the Instance Management page, select Backup Management and click Cross-Region Backup.
4. In the cross-region backup settings window, disable the button after Cross-Region Backup.
5. In the pop-up window, select whether to retain historical backups after disabling, and then click OK.
Select Retain: Cleared based on the retention policy, and historical cross-region backup files will be retained and billed based on the configured backup retention period, which can be modified before cross-region backup is disabled.
Select Clean up: Cleared Immediately, and historical cross-region backup files will be cleaned up immediately, meaning that existing cross-region backup files will be deleted along with disabling cross-region backup.
2. In the instance list, find the target instance, click Instance ID or Manage in the Operation column to go to the instance management page.
3. On the architecture diagram of the instance details page, move the mouse to the cross-region backup component, then click disable Cross-Region Backup in the tooltip window.
4. In the cross-region backup settings window, disable the button after Cross-Region Backup.
5. In the pop-up window, select whether to retain historical backups after disabling, and then click OK.
