Scaling down the storage of a MySQL RDS database with zero downtime using AWS Blue/Green Deployment

AWS RDS Blue/Green Deployment: Zero-Downtime Database Updates

As a DevOps engineer, you know the challenge of updating RDS databases without disrupting production workloads. Traditional methods often risk downtime. But with AWS Blue/Green Deployment, you can perform updates with zero downtime. This article provides a step-by-step guide using the AWS RDS console.

Before starting, schedule your update during a period of low workload and minimal dev activity. Inform your team of the scheduled maintenance. For this example, we'll downscale a database instance's storage. The same process applies to other updates. Crucially, enable automated backups for MySQL or MariaDB RDS instances before proceeding.

Preparation

We'll downscale storage from 400GB to 200GB on a cluster with one master and three replicas.

Step 1: Initiate Blue/Green Deployment

Select the master database. Under Actions, choose Create Blue/Green Deployment. This opens the "Blue" screen (your production environment).

Step 2: Create the Green Environment

Name your Blue/Green deployment (case-insensitive). This creates a copy of your production environment (Blue) as a staging environment (Green).

Step 3: Configure the Green Environment

Specify the database engine and parameter group. For downscaling storage, use the same settings as the Blue environment.

Step 4: Configure the Green Instance

Select the same instance type as the Blue environment.

Step 5: Downscale Storage

Reduce the allocated storage for the Green deployment (master and replicas). The console update applies to the entire cluster.

(Master comparison)

(Replica comparison)

Review the cost estimate before clicking Create.

Deployment time varies depending on database size, workload, and replica count. In our example, it took 5 hours. AWS handles renaming and endpoint updates; no application configuration changes are needed. Minimal lag on the Blue (primary) environment was observed. The result: Zero downtime!

The above is the detailed content of Scaling down the storage of a MySQL RDS database with zero downtime using AWS Blue/Green Deployment. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!