There are several leading relational database management system (RDBMS) platforms out there, but can they help users configure and manage their databases?

Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS), a product of Amazon Web Services (AWS), is a database as a service (DBaaS) solution that maintains and optimizes an RDBMS.

RDS became one of the first widely available DBaaS products in 2009, and it remains one of the strongest options due to its security, integrations with other Amazon database tools, and capabilities. customization.

See below for more on Amazon RDS.

Focus on Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS)

Database Software as a Service (DBaaS)

DBaaS software acts as a manager of an RDBMS, automating and managing database operations such as configuration, updates, and scaling through universal DBaaS abstractions that work with all databases. data supported.

When using a DBaaS, Database Administrators (DBAs) do not necessarily need to know all the details of a database, such as programming language, location and size. clusters, to perform an instance or an action in the database.

AWS explains that RDS is also designed to support some of the routine tasks typically handled by a DBA, such as hardware provisioning, patches, and backups, so they can focus on the needs and issues. Top-level database optimizations.

See more : What is a database management system?

Amazon RDS Features

Although RDS extends several features that help customers optimize databases, their most touted features emerge during the implementation phase.

These core implementation features include the Amazon RDS Management Console, the AWS RDS Command Line Interface, and simple API calls that make setup quick and easy. They also establish and describe the settings and parameters of the preselected database. Even with limited knowledge of Amazon tools, RDS does most of the setup work before a user begins to launch.

Some other features of Amazon RDS include:

• Multiple read replicas
• Synchronous data replication
• Database snapshots
• SSD storage options
• Automatic host backups and replacements
• Automatic software fix
• Amazon Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) Access (Encrypted IPsec VPN)
• Cloud implementation; or on-premise implementation via Amazon RDS on VMware
• Reserved Instance and on-demand pricing

Amazon RDS integrations

As a database-as-a-service offering, Amazon RDS is uniquely designed to integrate with multiple large RDBMS platforms.

While some user reviews point out the need for RDS to integrate with some lesser-known RDBMS platforms, RDS provides strong connections and setup instructions for the following systems:

• Microsoft SQL Server
• Oracle Database
• MySQL
• PostgreSQL
• Marie DB
• Amazonian Aurora

Learn more about Microsoft SQL Server: MS SQL Server Relational Database Management System (RDBMS) Review

Learn more about the Oracle database: Oracle Relational Database Management System Review

Benefits of Amazon RDS

RDS offers many benefits to organizations that need help with database configuration, migration, monitoring, and security.

Here are some of the top benefits reported by RDS users:

• Launch Savings: RDS reduces the time and complexity of launching an RDBMS
• Retained data: Strong disaster recovery features like snapshot restore and data protection during migrations, upgrades and other revisions (expected and unexpected) in the system
• Data security: Frequent patches and security audits optimize the overall security of the RDBMS
• Secured access : With virtual private cloud (VPC) and other security features like MFA, users can limit and manage who on the network can access databases
• Control service costs: Users pay only for the RDS features they use, and depending on the number of instances they need, they can get free services for up to one year.

Amazon RDS Use Cases

Businesses of all sizes and backgrounds rely on Amazon RDS to help them manage their databases, especially in areas such as secure data replication, cloud management, automated maintenance, and database optimization. of data.

Find out what a few users have to say about their experience with RDS:

“Our call handling system, VACOLS, includes 20 million records stored in an Oracle 11g database. The system is over 20 years old and is being modernized. Meanwhile, we need to make sure that the data is replicated securely in the cloud for security purposes. We use AWS DMS to replicate the database to an Oracle RDS database in AWS GovCloud, in a Multi-AZ deployment. This setup ensures that VACOLS data is preserved, secure and highly available in the cloud, which is a serious victory for VA and for our veterans, who rely on us for the protection of their information. -Site Reliability Engineer, Federal Government, User Review at AWS

“We are a presentation software vendor, and building a scalable database and storage system is not part of our skill set… With AWS, we don’t have to do any maintenance and our databases. data automatically adapts to our needs. »-Senior tooling engineer, software industry, user review at AWS

“With Amazon RDS for MySQL, we no longer need to spend time and money optimizing IOPS to achieve strong database performance. By being in the cloud, we don’t have to worry about hardware acquisition costs. In the end, we reduced our costs by 25%. -Director of application development and cloud operations, software industry, user review at AWS

Amazon RDS User Reviews

Here are some of the main pros and cons that users highlight about RDS:

In terms of weaknesses, some users are expressing concerns about RDS functionality, both from a beginner’s and expert point of view.

Some newbies find features like the dashboard and query research too difficult without existing AWS knowledge or access to a database expert. Database experts, on the other hand, recognize that there are limits to coding and customization to make software more accessible, but some of them are frustrated with their limited access, especially to logs.

Amazon RDS pricing

When a customer exceeds the free trial period or switches to a paid plan, they can choose from several customizable price packages.

RDS does not require a minimum purchase and the customer only pays for the features they need. The pro: Customers don’t pay too much for tools they don’t need or don’t know how to use. The hidden downside: With so many features to choose from that adjust costs, the customer needs to know what they want and their budget so they don’t overbuy.

Here are some components of the RDS package that can affect the total price:

On-demand or reserved instances

• Instances on demand: This is an option for companies running fewer instances or who don’t want a long-term commitment. The customer pays based on the compute capacity at the time of execution of their instance.
• Reserved instances: Businesses can reserve a DB instance for up to three years, giving them a big discount but a stronger commitment to the software.

Database storage options

• General purpose storage (SSD)
• Provisioned IOPS Storage (SSD)
• Magnetic storage
• Backup storage (by region)

Data transfer

• Internet to RDS
• RDS to Internet
• RDS to other cloud applications
• RDS to other global locations

Businesses can easily be overwhelmed when pricing their exact RDS needs.

Potential users can try this AWS Price Calculator to refine and check the price of the product.

Amazon RDS Competitors

RDS is a leading player in the rapidly growing Database as a Service market, which reached approximately $ 12 billion in 2020 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 15.7%.

At this rate, the market will more than double over the next few years and reach $ 24.8 billion by 2025, according to Markets and market research.

Here are some of the major product competitors in the DBaaS market:

• Oracle Database
• IBM DB2
• Atlas MongoDB
• SAP HANA
• SQL Azure Database

See more : Best Database Management Software 2020