New RDS Options for Convox v2 Racks (AWS ECS)

We’re excited to announce new RDS options for our v2 (AWS ECS) rack users, broadening the capabilities and control you have over your Convox managed Postgres, MariaDB, and MySQL resources. Configured directly from your application’s convox.yml, these features aim to provide more flexibility and safety for your database management. Allowing further fine-tuning of your environment, however you see fit. Here is a deeper dive into these new settings and how they can benefit your operations.

Deletion Protection:

Option: deletionProtection | Default: false

With deletion protection, you can now add an extra layer of security to your databases. When enabled, this feature prevents your database from being accidentally or maliciously deleted. It’s like having a safety net, ensuring that your critical data isn’t lost in a click. While the default setting is off for flexibility, we recommend turning it on for production environments where data is crucial.

It’s important to note that if this feature is enabled, you must explicitly disable it (set it to false) and redeploy your application before you can fully delete the resource, ensuring an additional confirmation step before any critical action.

Preferred Backup Window:

Option: preferredBackupWindow | Default: <null>

The preferred backup window option allows you to specify the daily time range for creating automated backups. This setting ensures that backups occur during low-traffic periods, minimizing impact on your operations. By setting this in UTC and ensuring it does not conflict with your maintenance windows, you maintain performance while securing your data. AWS assigns a default maintenance window if you do not specify one, occurring during off-peak hours to minimize the impact. You can edit an existing RDS instance’s maintenance window via the AWS Management Console, AWS CLI, or RDS API to better align with your preferred backup times and operational needs.

Backup Retention Period:

Option: backupRetentionPeriod | Default: 1

The backup retention period defines the number of days to retain automated backups. While the default is set to retain backups for one day, adjusting this period allows you to balance between cost and the need for historical data. Disabling automated backups is also an option, but please consider the potential risks and ensure you have an alternative backup strategy for production environments.

Getting Started

Incorporating these features into your Convox-managed RDS instances is as simple as editing your convox.yml and redeploying. Our v2 Resources Documentation provides detailed guidance with to help you seamlessly configure and integrate these new features.

Here is an example of a simple convox.yml for an application using these three new options:

services: 
  web: 
    resources: 
      - mydb 
resources: 
  mydb: 
    type: mysql 
    options: 
      class: db.t3.micro 
      storage: 10 
      deletionProtection: true 
      preferredBackupWindow: "03:00-03:30" 
      backupRetentionPeriod: 7     

Conclusion

Integrating these new RDS options into your Convox v2 racks means greater control, enhanced security, and better performance management. Whether you’re looking to protect against data loss, manage resource usage efficiently, or ensure business continuity, these settings provide additional tools at your disposal.

As you explore these new features, consider how each one aligns with your operational requirements and security policies. A well-thought-out configuration can significantly enhance your cloud infrastructure’s resilience and efficiency. Additionally, we always advise thoroughly testing any changes in a dedicated staging or development environment first to ensure smooth and safe deployment to your production systems.

Stay tuned for more updates and features as we continue to enhance Convox. Happy deploying!