I'm looking to set up automated backups for our EC2 instances and RDS Aurora databases, but I'm a bit lost on the most efficient and cost-effective method to do this. I've attempted to configure snapshot rules, but I can't find a way to automatically delete older snapshots, like keeping only one week of backups. I also explored Amazon Backup, but it seems to have a different workflow compared to standard snapshots. What would be the best approach for ensuring daily backups with a one-week retention? Any helpful tips would be greatly appreciated!
5 Answers
For Aurora, consider using the native automated backups instead of snapshots. Aurora backs up automatically and retains data according to your specified backup retention period, which you can set to 7 days. If AWS Backup feels a bit complicated, Amazon Data Lifecycle Manager could also work well for managing EC2 snapshots.
AWS Backup is a good option once you get the policies right for your environment. It can automate a lot of the manual work for you!
Using Lambda functions in combination with cron jobs is another option for custom backup and cleanup tasks. It gives you flexibility if you're looking to tailor the backup process to your requirements.
Are you suggesting that for specific cleanup logic? That could be a neat solution!
For EC2, I suggest using lifecycle policies on your EBS snapshots. It's usually the easiest way to set retention, like keeping backups for just 7 days. Plus, AWS Data Lifecycle Manager makes it pretty straightforward.
True, if you want more centralized control over backups across multiple environments, you could look into something like Eon to manage it all more consistently.
AWS Data Lifecycle Manager really simplifies the retention settings now!
With Aurora, you might want to use AutoBackup (not to be confused with AWS Backup). It will give you point-in-time recovery capabilities without manually managing snapshots. If you're looking at cross-region setups or longer retention needs, consider exploring other solutions like Rubrik or Cohesity.
Yeah, it just takes some time to wrap your head around those policies.