Stop and start an ApsaraDB RDS for SQL Server instance-ApsaraDB RDS(RDS)-阿里云帮助中心

Stop an RDS SQL Server instance to release its computing resources and eliminate specification fees.

Usage scenarios

Common scenarios for stopping an instance:

Business changes require temporarily pausing the instance while retaining data.
Testing application behavior when the database is offline in development or testing environments.
Other reasons to temporarily stop an instance, such as reducing costs during inactivity.

The instance must meet the following requirements:

Instance status: Running
Billing method: pay-as-you-go or Serverless
Storage type: ESSD. Ultra Disk is not supported.
Instance family: dedicated or general-purpose. The shared instance family is not supported.
The instance is a primary instance and has no associated read-only instances.

Note

If your instance has a subscription billing method, you must change the billing method to pay-as-you-go before you can stop the instance.
This feature is not supported for instances that run SQL Server 2008 R2 with local disks. You must first upgrade from SQL Server 2008 R2 (with high-performance local disks) to SQL Server 2012 or 2016 before you can stop the instance.

Not available for instances in a classic network. Change the network type first.
Not available for the shared instance family.
If a primary instance has one or more read-only instances, you cannot stop the primary instance or its read-only instances.

Billable items by instance state:

Note

After an instance is stopped, specification fees cease but you are still billed for storage space and backup set retention.

Internal and public endpoints are retained and remain usable after restart.
When you stop an instance, its status changes from Running to Suspending. After the instance is stopped, its status changes to Suspended.

Note
After an instance is stopped, you can restart it only by choosing More > Start Instance from the Action column in the console. See Start an instance.
Only storage data is retained when stopped. In-memory data is cleared.
Most maintenance operations (specification changes, zone migration, restart) are unavailable while stopped. Pending events are not removed.
While stopped, all features are unavailable, including connections, backups, and configuration changes. Adjust your services before stopping the instance.
While stopped, the system retains only the latest full backup. Other backups (full and incremental) expire per the configured retention period.

Warning
Expired backups cannot be used for point-in-time restoration. Alibaba Cloud is not liable for data loss caused by backup expiration.
Starting may fail if computing resources are insufficient. Retry later, or restore data of an ApsaraDB RDS for SQL Server instance from a full backup.

Log on to the ApsaraDB RDS console. In the left-side navigation pane, click Instances. In the top navigation bar, select the region in which the RDS instance resides.
Find the instance that you want to stop. In the Action column, choose More > Stop Instance.
In the Stop Instance dialog box that appears, click OK.

On the Instances page, wait for the instance status to change to Stopped. This indicates that the instance is stopped.

Log on to the ApsaraDB RDS console. In the left-side navigation pane, click Instances. In the top navigation bar, select the region in which the RDS instance resides.
Find the instance that you want to start. In the Action column, choose More > Start Instance.
In the Start Instance dialog box that appears, click OK.
On the Instances page, wait for the instance status to change to Running. This indicates that the instance is started.
Note
- When you start an instance, its status changes from Stopped to Starting. After the instance is started, its status changes to Running.
- It takes approximately 3 to 5 minutes for the instance status to change from Starting to Running.

Q: After I start a stopped instance, do I need to restart it or restore its data?

A: No. The instance resumes normal operation automatically after you start it.
Q: Is historical monitoring data retained after an instance is stopped?

A: Yes. Historical monitoring data is retained.
Q: Is data in memory retained after an instance is stopped?

A: No. Only storage data persists. In-memory data is cleared.
Q: Are pending events for an instance, such as a zone migration or a specification change that is scheduled during a maintenance window, removed when the instance is stopped?

A: No. O&M operations are unavailable while stopped, but pending events remain scheduled.
Q: Does the backup retention period include the time during which an instance is stopped?

A: No. Backups expire per your retention policy while the instance is stopped, but the most recent full backup is always retained regardless of the retention period.
Q: For a multi-zone instance, can the primary and secondary zones be switched after the instance is started?

A: Yes. A failover may occur during startup, which can switch the primary and secondary zones.