RDS instances used for staging and development do not need to run around the clock, yet many companies are not turning the lights off when they leave and are paying for RDS instances when they are not required. Since Amazon introduced the option of turning off Amazon RDS instances, companies have been able to make considerable cost savings on their RDS spending.
Skeddly introduced the option of automating the switching off and starting of Amazon RDS instances to ensure they were available when needed but were not paid for when they are not. However, while Amazon RDS instances can be terminated and restarted, the same is not true of Aurora RDS clusters.
With Aurora RDS clusters, to save costs the clusters must be deleted and recreated in order for costs to be saved. That process has now been automated by Skeddly.
The new Restore RDS Cluster feature will create a fresh Aurora cluster from the most recent snapshot. To restore an Aurora RDS cluster, users can select the snapshot they wish to use or the platform will choose the most recently created snapshot and restore the cluster on a newly created Aurora instance. As soon as the cluster has been restored it is ready for use and can be accessed.
The function can be configured to select the most recent snapshots from all cluster snapshots, or select a snapshot by Snapshot ID, cluster ID, or resource tag. The cluster can have a constant or variable endpoint, with the latter based on run-time information such as the current date. Users can also modify the cluster parameter group, security groups, and the automated backup period using this feature.
Skeddly can also be used to automate the deletion of Aurora RDS clusters and all associated instances. First the RDS instances will be deleted, followed by the cluster. Prior to deletion, a final snapshot will be taken which can be used as the restoration point ensuring no data is lost.