Release notes
This topic lists the release notes for ApsaraDB RDS for SQL Server. and ApsaraDB RDS for SQL Server 2014
For minor engine version updates, see Release notes for minor engine versions of RDS for SQL Server.
2026
February
| Category | Feature | Description | Release date | Documentation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
New feature | Dedicated instance types for RDS Basic Edition | RDS Basic Edition now supports multiple dedicated instance types for ApsaraDB RDS for SQL Server 2016 Enterprise Edition. | 12-31 | |
New feature | More database engine versions for RDS Basic Edition | RDS Basic Edition now supports the following database engine versions:
| 12-31 | |
New | High-performance cloud disks | ApsaraDB RDS for SQL Server introduces high-performance cloud disks for workloads with high or bursty I/O. Compared with an ESSD cloud disk, a high-performance cloud disk can deliver higher I/O throughput at traffic peaks without increasing the disk capacity after you enable the I/O burst feature. This allows IOPS to exceed the baseline maximum, which helps manage workloads with I/O bursts. | 07-31 | |
New feature | Fast read-only instance initialization | Eligible primary ApsaraDB RDS for SQL Server Cluster Edition instances that use general ESSDs now support fast read-only instance initialization. This feature significantly reduces the creation time of read-only instances to minutes and has no impact on the I/O of the primary instance. | 03-18 | |
New feature | Simple recovery mode | ApsaraDB RDS for SQL Server supports the full recovery model, which is the default, and the simple recovery mode. After you enable the simple recovery mode, the instance performs only data backups and no longer retains transaction logs or performs log backups. This mode helps reduce the use of instance storage and backup storage, saves backup costs, and prevents issues caused by insufficient storage space. | 01-05 | |
New feature | Data archiving to OSS | ApsaraDB RDS for SQL Server instances that use general ESSDs now support database-level data archiving to OSS. This feature allows you to convert infrequently accessed online databases into cold storage databases from the console or by using API operations. The cold data is stored in low-cost OSS, implementing hot/cold data separation and reducing storage costs. | 04-24 | |
Enhancement | Major version upgrade | ApsaraDB RDS for SQL Server Web Edition instances with entry-level dedicated specifications now support major version upgrades. You can upgrade your instance to a higher version and edition as needed to improve performance and scalability. | 12-13 | |
New feature | Geo-disaster recovery | ApsaraDB RDS for SQL Server introduces the geo-disaster recovery feature. Built on SQL Server Distributed Availability Groups (DAG) and the cross-region networking capabilities of DTS, this feature enables you to create disaster recovery instances across regions for real-time data synchronization between primary and secondary instances. This ensures high database availability and disaster recovery and provides low-latency access by allowing users to connect to the nearest instance. | 05-23 | |
| New feature | Standby read-only endpoint | Connect directly to the standby node of an instance for read-only access. | 02-09 | Enable read/write splitting (read-only endpoint); Readable standby |
2025
December
| Category | Feature | Description | Release date | Documentation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New feature | Major version release | SQL Server 2025 Enterprise Cluster Edition and SQL Server 2025 Standard Edition are now supported. | 12-08 | Feature overview; Create an instance; Feature differences between editions |
| Enhancement | CDC during major version upgrades and AZ migrations | Change Data Capture (CDC) is now fully supported during major version upgrades and availability zone (AZ) migrations. The system automatically ensures uninterrupted CDC capture without manual intervention. | 12-03 | Upgrade database version; Migrate availability zone |
November
| Category | Feature | Description | Release date | Documentation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New feature | Global read-only account | A global read-only account has read-only access to all databases within an instance. Permissions automatically extend to any new databases added later. | 11-14 | Create standard accounts, privileged accounts, and global read-only accounts |
October
| Category | Feature | Description | Release date | Documentation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Enhancement | Cloud disk encryption | Enable cloud disk encryption for existing instances. Rotate the key for encrypted dedicated and general-purpose instances. | 10-29 | Cloud disk encryption |
Enhancement | Geo-disaster recovery | The geo-disaster recovery feature for ApsaraDB RDS for SQL Server includes the following enhancements:
| 10-27 | |
| New feature | Geo-disaster recovery | Create disaster recovery instances across regions for real-time data synchronization between primary and secondary instances. Provides low-latency access by allowing users to connect to the nearest instance. Built on SQL Server Distributed Availability Groups (DAG) and the cross-region networking capabilities of DTS. | 10-27 | Geo-disaster recovery overview; Create a geo-disaster recovery instance |
| New feature | Convert Serverless to pay-as-you-go | Convert a Serverless instance to a pay-as-you-go instance. | 10-14 | Convert a Serverless instance to a pay-as-you-go instance |
| Enhancement | Delete privileged accounts | Delete privileged accounts from the console. A deleted account can no longer log on to the instance and loses all associated database permissions. | 10-09 | Delete a privileged account; Create a privileged account |
September
| Category | Feature | Description | Release date | Documentation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New feature | SQL parameter logging | Log actual SQL parameters by setting the rds_capture_sql_param parameter to 1. When enabled, audit logs and slow query logs display complete SQL statements with their parameters. | 09-12 | Manage instance parameters in the console |
November
Category | Feature | Description | Release date | Related documentation |
Performance Insight | ApsaraDB RDS for SQL Server now includes an execution plan cache analysis feature in Performance Insight. This feature helps you resolve performance issues that stem from missing indexes and implicit data type conversions. | 2019-10-18 | ||
deadlock | You can now use CloudDBA to view deadlocks. | 2020-02-28 | ||
dedicated cluster | RDS for SQL Server now supports dedicated clusters. | 2020-04-24 | ||
New | Shared instance specifications for Basic Edition | ApsaraDB RDS for SQL Server Basic Edition now supports shared instance specifications. Compared with a dedicated instance specification, this option is more cost-effective and can meet a wider range of business requirements. | 11-23 | |
New | Entry-level dedicated instance specification | ApsaraDB RDS for SQL Server Web Edition introduces an entry-level dedicated instance specification. Compared with the standard dedicated instance specification, this option offers slightly lower performance at a more competitive price to meet a wider range of business needs. | 08-16 | |
New | IP whitelist templates | ApsaraDB RDS for SQL Server now supports IP whitelist templates. You can use this feature to create custom, template-based IP whitelist groups and apply them to multiple RDS instances. | 07-18 | Use an IP whitelist template to configure IP whitelists for multiple instances |
New | Database property management | ApsaraDB RDS for SQL Server lets you view or modify various database properties in the ApsaraDB RDS console. You can also manually shrink database transaction logs and update database statistics to optimize database performance and query efficiency. | 07-11 | |
New | Automatic storage expansion | ApsaraDB RDS for SQL Server instances that use cloud disks now support automatic storage expansion. When the percentage of available storage on a database instance reaches the specified threshold, the system automatically triggers an expansion to ensure service stability. | 07-01 | |
Improved | Read-only instances and read/write splitting | ApsaraDB RDS for SQL Server now includes automatic failover and recovery mechanisms for primary and secondary instances. These mechanisms enhance high availability and prevent service interruptions or data loss during a primary instance failure. | 06-01 | |
New | Sparse backup | ApsaraDB RDS for SQL Server now supports sparse backups. This feature allows you to configure a more flexible backup policy while retaining the minimum number of backup sets. This shortens recovery time and reduces backup storage costs. | 03-22 |
August
| Category | Feature | Description | Release date | Documentation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Enhancement | Stored procedure: sp_rds_manage_tempdb_user | The sp_rds_manage_tempdb_user stored procedure grants or revokes the db_owner permission on the tempdb database for a specified account. Useful for reclaiming space in tempdb. | 08-11 | Stored procedure (sp_rds_manage_tempdb_user) |
July
| Category | Feature | Description | Release date | Documentation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Enhancement | Database properties: db_owner | Use the db_owner property to specify the owner of a database. The owner receives the highest level of permissions on that database. | 07-30 | Manage database properties |
| New feature | Minor engine versions | New minor engine versions for SQL Server 2022, 2019, 2017, and 2016: 2022: 16.0.4200.1 / 2019: 15.0.4435.7 / 2017: 14.0.3495.9 / 2016: 13.0.6460.7 | 07-12 | Release notes for minor engine versions of SQL Server; Upgrade a minor engine version |
| Enhancement | Single-database backup retention | Specify a retention period for a backup set when performing a manual backup in the console or via API. Extend the retention period of an existing manual backup set. | 07-07 | Perform a manual backup |
June
| Category | Feature | Description | Release date | Documentation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Enhancement | SSL encryption for public network connections | Enforce SSL encryption for public network connections and configure the minimum required TLS version. | 06-16 | Configure SSL encryption |
May
| Category | Feature | Description | Release date | Documentation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Enhancement | Standard monitoring: alwayson_lagsecs | The sqlserver.alwayson_lagsecs metric monitors the replication lag between the primary and secondary nodes of a Cluster Edition instance. | 05-21 | View standard monitoring metrics |
March
| Category | Feature | Description | Release date | Documentation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New feature | Custom slow query log threshold | Configure the rds_slow_log_threshold parameter to set the threshold for collecting slow query logs. | 03-20 | Manage instance parameters in the console |
February
| Category | Feature | Description | Release date | Documentation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New feature | Minor engine versions | New minor engine versions for SQL Server 2022, 2019, and 2016. | 02-18 | Release notes for minor engine versions of SQL Server |
| Enhancement | Stored procedure: sp_rds_update_db_stats | The sp_rds_update_db_stats stored procedure updates database statistics. Customize the sample rate, degree of parallelism, timeout period, and threshold percentage. | 02-17 | Update database statistics |
February
Category | Feature | Description | Release date | Related documentation |
New | Serverless (Public Preview) | Designed for small to medium-sized enterprises and individual developers, ApsaraDB RDS for SQL Server serverless instances offer real-time, elastic scaling of CPU and memory. This introduces a new product type based on the cloud disk architecture. | 02-20 |
January
| Category | Feature | Description | Release date | Documentation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Enhancement | SA account management | Manually delete database accounts with SA permissions in the RDS console. | 01-06 | Create a database account with SA permissions |
2024
December
| Category | Feature | Description | Release date | Documentation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New feature | 5-minute log backup interval | Set the log backup interval to 5 minutes. The setting takes effect immediately. Suitable for business scenarios that require a stringent recovery point objective (RPO) and high data continuity and integrity. | 12-09 | Back up an ApsaraDB RDS for SQL Server instance |
November
| Category | Feature | Description | Release date | Documentation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Enhancement | Cross-region backup and restore | Cross-region backups now support all editions. Automatically back up data to another region for regulatory compliance or disaster recovery. | 11-04 | Enable cross-region backups; Restore data to a new instance across regions |
October
| Category | Feature | Description | Release date | Documentation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New feature | Data archiving to OSS | Archive database-level data to OSS for instances that use ESSDs. Convert infrequently accessed online databases into cold storage databases from the console or via API. | 10-12 | Archive data to OSS |
September
| Category | Feature | Description | Release date | Documentation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New feature | Database attribute management | View or modify database attributes in the console. Manually shrink database transaction logs and update database statistics. | 09-25 | Manage database attributes |
| Enhancement | Major version upgrades and cross-zone migrations for security-hardened instances | Instances with Transparent Data Encryption (TDE), SSL encryption, cloud disk encryption, or snapshot backup enabled now support major version upgrades and cross-zone migrations. | 09-14 | Upgrade the major engine version; Migrate an instance across zones |
|
Enhancement |
Snapshot backup |
ApsaraDB RDS for SQL Server instances that use general ESSDs now support snapshot backups. Compared with the conventional physical backup method, the snapshot backup method significantly reduces database recovery time and supports larger backup data volumes. |
02-27 |
|
| New feature | Custom password policies | Configure password policies at the Windows host level to control password expiration. | 09-13 | Configure a custom password policy |
| Enhancement | Cross-region backup for cloud-disk-encrypted instances | Cross-region backups now support instances with cloud disk encryption enabled. When restoring from a backup to a new instance in a different region: if the source uses physical backup, you can choose whether to enable cloud disk encryption; if the source uses snapshot backup, cloud disk encryption is enabled by default. | 09-03 | Enable cross-region backups; Restore data to a new instance across regions |
August
| Category | Feature | Description | Release date | Documentation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New feature | Instance parameter management | Modify instance parameters in the console to customize your instance. | 08-27 | Modify the parameters of an instance |
|
New feature |
Basic Edition now available for Enterprise Cluster Edition 2017, 2019, and 2022 |
ApsaraDB RDS for SQL Server 2017 Enterprise Cluster Edition, 2019 Enterprise Cluster Edition, and 2022 Enterprise Cluster Edition now offer Basic Edition instances with dedicated specifications. These instances are ideal for deploying standalone SQL Server 2017, 2019, or 2022 Enterprise Edition for personal learning, development, and testing, or for hosting small-scale websites and applications. |
08-15 |
July
| Category | Feature | Description | Release date | Documentation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New feature | Distributed transaction whitelist | Configure a distributed transaction whitelist for Basic Edition instances to control which entities can participate in distributed transactions. | 07-09 | Configure a distributed transaction whitelist |
June
| Category | Feature | Description | Release date | Documentation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New feature | Security group rules | Configure custom security group rules to control access permissions for authorized entities. | 06-28 | Configure security group rules |
| Enhancement | Standard monitoring | More performance monitoring metrics are now available. | 06-18 | View monitoring data |
| New feature | System character set collation | Set the system character set collation when creating an instance. The default value is Chinese_PRC_CI_AS. | 06-17 | Create an ApsaraDB RDS for SQL Server instance |
| New feature | Instance time zone | Set the instance time zone to match your business logic or handle data across multiple time zones. More regional time zones are now supported. | 06-11 | Modify the character set collation and time zone of an instance |
April
| Category | Feature | Description | Release date | Documentation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New feature | Error log cleanup | Clear accumulated error log files to free up disk space. Previously uploaded Errorlog data remains viewable in the console. | 04-17 | Manage logs |
| Enhancement | Increased cloud disk storage capacity | Maximum storage capacity for ESSDs (PL1, PL2, and PL3) and general ESSDs increased to 32,000 GB. | 04-09 | Primary instance types; Read-only instance types; Create an ApsaraDB RDS for SQL Server instance; Change the specifications of an instance |
| New feature | New database versions: SQL Server 2014 | SQL Server 2014 Enterprise Edition (High-availability Edition) and SQL Server 2014 Standard Edition (Basic and High-availability Editions) are now supported. Note Basic Edition instances that run SQL Server 2014 Standard Edition are available only in regions outside the Chinese mainland. | 04-01 | Primary instance types; Create an ApsaraDB RDS for SQL Server instance |
March
| Category | Feature | Description | Release date | Documentation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New feature | SSL encryption with custom certificates | Use a custom pfx certificate to encrypt SSL connections. Upload the certificate to OSS before enabling SSL encryption. | 03-05 | Configure SSL encryption |
February
| Category | Feature | Description | Release date | Documentation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Enhancement | Decoupled character set and time zone settings | The time zone and character set features are now managed independently. Modify the time zone for dedicated instances that contain databases, or modify the system character set for shared instances. | 02-28 | Modify the character set collation and time zone of an instance |
| New feature | TDE for SQL Server 2022 Standard Edition | Transparent Data Encryption (TDE) is now supported for SQL Server 2022 Standard Edition instances. TDE performs real-time I/O encryption and decryption of data files. | 02-27 | Configure TDE |
January
| Category | Feature | Description | Release date | Documentation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New feature | Upgrade Basic Edition to Cluster Edition | Upgrade a Basic Edition instance to Cluster Edition for a high-availability architecture with one primary and one secondary instance. Supports up to seven read-only instances, readable secondaries, and secondary instance backups. | 01-31 | Overview of Cluster Edition; Upgrade the major engine version |
| New feature | Fast read-only instance initialization | Eligible Cluster Edition primary instances that use ESSDs now support fast read-only instance initialization. Reduces creation time to minutes with no I/O impact on the primary instance. | 01-05 | Overview of fast initialization for read-only instances |
| Enhancement | Enforce SSL for internal connections | Enforce SSL encryption for internal network connections and configure the minimum required TLS version. | 01-03 | Configure SSL encryption |
2023
August
| Category | Feature | Description | Release date | Documentation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Enhancement | Cross-region backup for TDE-enabled instances | Cross-region backup and restore now support instances with TDE enabled. | 08-31 | Cross-region backup; Restore data across regions |
| Enhancement | Backup page reorganization | The Backup and restoration page is reorganized: the Data Backup and Log Backup tabs are moved under the Base Backups tab; the Backup Settings tab is renamed to Backup Strategy. Existing functionality is unchanged. | 08-15 | Backup and restoration |
July
| Category | Feature | Description | Release date | Documentation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New feature | Restart secondary instance | Cluster Edition instances now support restarting the secondary instance to resolve issues such as full connections or performance degradation. | 07-18 | Restart a secondary instance |
| New feature | Back up secondary instances | Cluster Edition instances support a secondary-preferred backup mode. Physical backups run on the secondary instance to reduce the I/O load on the primary instance. | 07-03 | Back up ApsaraDB RDS for SQL Server instances |
June
| Category | Feature | Description | Release date | Documentation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New feature | Major version release: SQL Server 2022 | SQL Server 2022 Cluster Edition, SQL Server 2022 Standard Edition, and SQL Server 2022 Web Edition are now supported. | 06-13 | Create an ApsaraDB RDS for SQL Server instance; Feature overview |
| New feature | Host accounts | Create a host account to log on to the host running the RDS instance. | 06-08 | Create and log on with a host account |
May
| Category | Feature | Description | Release date | Documentation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New feature | Minor engine versions for SQL Server 2016 | New minor engine versions for SQL Server 2016. | 05-18 | Release notes for minor engine versions of ApsaraDB RDS for SQL Server |
| New feature | Minor engine versions for SQL Server 2019 and 2017 | New minor engine versions for SQL Server 2019 and 2017. | 05-16 | Release notes for minor engine versions of ApsaraDB RDS for SQL Server |
| New feature | SQL Explorer and Audit | The autonomy services now support SQL Explorer and Audit. | 05-12 | SQL Explorer and Audit |
April
| Category | Feature | Description | Release date | Documentation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Enhancement | Database restoration | The system now validates the selected backup set or point in time before restoring a database to prevent task failures. When restoring a single database to an existing instance, back up the single database first, then use that backup as the restore starting point. When restoring an accidentally deleted database, the system checks the availability of the selected point in time or backup set and provides a notification. | 04-27 | Restore data of an ApsaraDB RDS for SQL Server instance |
| New feature | Task Center | View the progress and history of instance operations. | 04-04 | Use the Task Center |
March
| Category | Feature | Description | Release date | Documentation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New feature | Automatic storage expansion | The system monitors instance storage and automatically expands it when storage runs low. | 03-28 | Configure automatic storage expansion |
| New feature | Serverless (General Availability) | Serverless instances offer real-time elastic scaling of CPU and memory on a cloud disk architecture. Designed for small-to-medium enterprises and individual developers. | 03-20 | [New feature/specification] ApsaraDB RDS for SQL Server serverless instances are now generally available |
| Enhancement | Instance creation: specify port | Specify the instance port when creating an instance. | 03-16 | Create an ApsaraDB RDS for SQL Server instance |
January
| Category | Feature | Description | Release date | Documentation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Enhancement | Non-disruptive scaling | Some instances now support changing only the storage performance level (PL) or storage space without a scheduled instance switchover. | 01-03 | Change the specifications of an ApsaraDB RDS for SQL Server instance |