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Amazon RDS ​

How to back up and restore AWS RDS managed databases via SimpleBackups.

Amazon RDS is a managed relational database service that supports MySQL, PostgreSQL, Aurora MySQL, and Aurora PostgreSQL. Connecting it to SimpleBackups lets you store portable backup files in your own storage with flexible retention schedules, complementing RDS's native snapshot functionality. This guide covers both manual connection and automatic API-based setup.

Connecting your database ​

Step 1: Open your RDS database ​

From the AWS console, navigate to Databases under RDS.

AWS RDS database list screen

Step 2: Configure IP filtering ​

  1. Select the database you want to back up.
  2. Ensure that Publicly accessible is set to Yes. If not, use Modify to change it.
  3. Open the default VPC security groups and add the SimpleBackups IP addresses to the Inbound Rules.

RDS VPC security group configuration screen

RDS inbound rules editor

RDS inbound rule type selection

RDS inbound rule saved

Step 3: Copy your connection credentials ​

  1. Navigate to the Connectivity & security section and copy the Endpoint and Port.

RDS connectivity and security tab showing endpoint and port

  1. Navigate to the Configuration section and copy the Master username.

RDS configuration tab showing master username

Step 4: Set up a database backup in SimpleBackups ​

Navigate to creating a new database backup and choose Serverless. You can connect using either manual form fill or automatic import:

Manual connection

Select the database Type and fill in the connection details, or click Paste connection string and enter the full connection URI.

SimpleBackups database connection form with manual fields

Automatic import via DBaaS provider

  1. Click Connect your DBaaS Provider.
  2. Choose an Amazon RDS provider.
  3. Select the managed database you want to back up.
  4. Click Load.

SimpleBackups DBaaS provider selection for Amazon RDS

Step 5: Validate and activate ​

Click Validate connection to confirm that SimpleBackups can reach your database. Once validated, configure your schedule and activate the backup.

Restoring a backup ​

To restore a backup, navigate to your backup page and open the Logs tab. Click the detail icon on the backup you want to restore from, then open the Restore tab. Generate a download link and copy it.

Amazon RDS backup logs tab

Amazon RDS backup detail view

Amazon RDS restore tab with download link

Run the following command to download and decompress your backup (replace the URL with your signed download link):

bash
wget -O - "<signed-download-url>" | gunzip -c > backup.pgsql

Then restore using pg_restore, replacing <your-database-uri> with your full database connection string:

bash
pg_restore -d "<your-database-uri>" ./backup.pgsql