Amazon RDS for Microsoft SQL Server

Amazon RDS for Microsoft SQL Server® makes it easy to set up, operate, and scale SQL Server deployments in the cloud. With Amazon RDS, you can deploy multiple editions of SQL Server (2008 R2 and 2012) including Express, Web, Standard and Enterprise, in minutes with cost-efficient and re-sizable compute capacity. Amazon RDS frees you up to focus on application development by managing time-consuming database administration tasks including provisioning, backups, software patching, monitoring, and hardware scaling.

Now upgrade from SQL Server 2008 R2 to 2012
With a few clicks you can now upgrade existing SQL Server 2008 R2 DB Instances to SQL Server 2012 using Amazon RDS for SQL Server's Major Version Upgrade feature. Learn More

Beyond the Free Tier, you can run Amazon RDS for SQL Server under two different licensing models – “License Included” and “License Mobility through Software Assurance (or Bring Your Own License – BYOL)”. In the "License Included" service model, you do not need separately purchased Microsoft SQL Server licenses. "License Included" pricing starts at $0.035 per hour and is inclusive of software, underlying hardware resources, and Amazon RDS management capabilities. Microsoft’s License Mobility program allows customers who already own SQL Server licenses to run SQL Server deployments on Amazon RDS. This benefit is available to Microsoft Volume Licensing (VL) customers with SQL Server licenses covered by active Microsoft Software Assurance (SA) contracts. The Microsoft License Mobility program is suited for customers who prefer to use existing SQL Server licenses or purchase new licenses directly from Microsoft.

You can take advantage of hourly pricing with no upfront fees or long-term commitments. In addition, you also have the option to purchase Reserved DB Instances under one or three year reservation terms. With Reserved DB Instances, you can make low, one-time, upfront payment for each DB Instance and then pay a significantly discounted hourly usage rate, achieving up to 65% net cost savings.

Amazon RDS for SQL Server DB Instances can be provisioned with either standard storage or Provisioned IOPS storage. Amazon RDS Provisioned IOPS is a storage option designed to deliver fast, predictable, and consistent I/O performance, and is optimized for I/O-intensive, transactional (OLTP) database workloads.

Amazon RDS for SQL Server - Free Tier
If you are new to AWS, you can get started for free. Click here to learn about the Free Usage Tier of Amazon RDS for SQL Server.

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Features

Easy, Managed Deployments

Amazon RDS for SQL Server is a managed service that is designed for developers who require the features and capabilities of SQL Server for building a new application. You can also move existing applications that utilize SQL Server to Amazon RDS without having to rewrite the application completely. Since Amazon RDS for SQL Server provides you direct access to the native capabilities of the SQL Server edition you have specified, your applications and tools should work seamlessly.

  • Pre-configured Parameters – Amazon RDS for SQL Server deployments are pre-configured with a set of parameters and settings appropriate for the SQL Server edition and DB Instance class you have selected. You can simply launch a SQL Server DB Instance and connect it to your application within minutes without additional configuration. If you desire additional control, you can achieve it via DB Parameter Groups.
  • Monitoring and Metrics – Amazon RDS provides Amazon CloudWatch metrics for your DB Instance deployments at no additional charge. You can use the AWS Management Console to view key operational metrics for your DB Instance deployments, including compute/memory/storage capacity utilization, I/O activity, and DB Instance connections.
  • DB Event Notifications – Amazon RDS provides Amazon SNS notifications via email or SMS for your DB Instance deployments. You can use the AWS Management Console or the Amazon RDS APIs to subscribe to over 40 different DB events associated with your Amazon RDS deployments.
  • Automatic Software Patching – Amazon RDS enables you to have the SQL Server software powering your deployment stay up-to-date with the latest patches automatically. You can exert optional control over when and if your DB Instance is patched via DB Engine Version Management.

Fast, Predictable Performance

  • Provisioned IOPS – Using the Amazon RDS APIs or with a few clicks on the AWS Management Console, you can provision the IOPS for your SQL Server DB Instance. Starting immediately, when you create new DB Instances using the AWS Management Console or the Amazon RDS APIs, you can provision from 1,000 IOPS to 10,000 IOPS with corresponding storage from 100GB to 1TB for new SQL Server DB Instances. If you want to migrate an existing SQL Server DB Instance to Provisioned IOPS storage, you can export the data from your DB Instance and import into a new DB Instance equipped with Provisioned IOPS storage.

Backup & Disaster Recovery

  • Automated Backups – Turned on by default, the automated backup feature of Amazon RDS enables point-in-time recovery for your DB Instance. Amazon RDS will back up your DB Instance daily and your transaction logs at 5 minute intervals and store both for a user-specified retention period. This allows you to restore your DB Instance to any second during your retention period, up to the last five minutes. Your automatic backup retention period can be configured to up to 35 days.
  • DB Snapshots – DB Snapshots are user-initiated backups of your DB Instance. These full database backups will be stored by Amazon RDS until you explicitly delete them. You can create a new DB Instance from a DB Snapshot whenever you desire.

Push-Button Scaling

  • DB Instance Class – Using a few clicks of the AWS Management Console, you can scale the compute and memory resources powering your deployment up or down. Scaling operations typically complete within a few minutes.

    Note: Amazon RDS does not currently support increasing storage or IOPS of an existing SQL Server DB Instance. Please refer to the Amazon RDS User Guide for more details.

Availability & Reliability

  • Automatic Host Replacement – Amazon RDS will automatically replace the compute instance powering your deployment in the event of a hardware failure.

Isolation and Security:

Using Amazon VPC, you can isolate your DB Instances in your own virtual network, and connect to your existing IT infrastructure using industry-standard encrypted IPSec VPN. To learn more about Amazon RDS in VPC, refer to the Amazon RDS User Guide. In addition, using Amazon RDS, you can configure firewall settings and control network access to your DB Instances.

SQL Server Editions

Amazon RDS supports multiple SQL Server (2008 R2 and 2012) Editions. Support for a given edition varies by licensing model. See pricing for more information on the licensing models offered by Amazon RDS for SQL Server:

  • License Included: Express, Web and Standard Edition
  • BYOL: Standard and Enterprise Edition

Please note that in accordance with Microsoft’s licensing policies, SQL Server Web Edition can only be used to support public and internet accessible Web pages, Websites, Web applications and Web services. Refer to the AWS Service Terms for more details.

DB Instance Classes

Amazon RDS for SQL Server currently supports the following DB Instance Classes:

  • Micro DB Instance: 630 MB memory, Up to 2 ECU (for short periodic bursts), 64-bit platform, Low I/O Capacity, Provisioned IOPS Optimized: No
  • Small DB Instance: 1.7 GB memory, 1 ECU (1 virtual core with 1 ECU), 64-bit platform, Moderate I/O Capacity, Provisioned IOPS Optimized: No
  • Medium DB Instance: 3.75 GB memory, 2 ECU (1 virtual core with 2 ECU), 64-bit platform, Moderate I/O Capacity, Provisioned IOPS Optimized: No
  • Large DB Instance: 7.5 GB memory, 4 ECUs (2 virtual cores with 2 ECUs each), 64-bit platform, High I/O Capacity, Provisioned IOPS Optimized: 500Mbps
  • Extra Large DB Instance: 15 GB of memory, 8 ECUs (4 virtual cores with 2 ECUs each), 64-bit platform, High I/O Capacity, Provisioned IOPS Optimized: 1000Mbps
  • High-Memory Extra Large DB Instance 17.1 GB memory, 6.5 ECU (2 virtual cores with 3.25 ECUs each), 64-bit platform, High I/O Capacity, Provisioned IOPS Optimized: No
  • High-Memory Double Extra Large DB Instance: 34 GB of memory, 13 ECUs (4 virtual cores with 3,25 ECUs each), 64-bit platform, High I/O Capacity, Provisioned IOPS Optimized: No
  • High-Memory Quadruple Extra Large DB Instance: 68 GB of memory, 26 ECUs (8 virtual cores with 3.25 ECUs each), 64-bit platform, High I/O Capacity, Provisioned IOPS Optimized: 1000Mbps

One ECU provides the equivalent CPU capacity of a 1.0-1.2 GHz 2007 Opteron or 2007 Xeon processor.

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Pricing

Pay only for what you use. There is no minimum fee. Estimate your monthly bill using the AWS Simple Monthly Calculator.

Amazon RDS for SQL Server - Free Tier

New AWS customers can get started with Amazon RDS for SQL Server for free and receive the following Amazon RDS for SQL Server resources each month for free:
  • 750 hours of Amazon RDS for SQL Server Micro DB Instance usage (running SQL Server Express Edition in a single Availability Zone) – enough hours to run a DB Instance continuously each month
  • 20 GB of database storage
  • 10 million I/Os
  • 20 GB of backup storage for your automated database backups and any user-initiated DB Snapshots
Click here to learn more about the offer.

DB Instances (License Included)

Under the "License Included" service model, you do not need separately purchased Microsoft SQL Server licenses. "License Included" pricing is inclusive of software, underlying hardware resources, and Amazon RDS management capabilities.

Currently supported under this model: Express, Web and Standard Editions

On-Demand

On-Demand DB Instances for the License Included model let you pay for compute capacity by the hour your DB Instance runs with no long-term commitments. This frees you from the costs and complexities of planning, purchasing, and maintaining hardware and transforms what are commonly large fixed costs into much smaller variable costs. The pricing below applies to DB Instances deployed in a single Availability Zone (Single-AZ).

Express
Web
Standard

Note that pricing is per DB Instance-hour consumed, from the time a DB Instance is launched until it is terminated. Each partial DB Instance-hour consumed will be billed as a full hour.

Reserved

As with On-Demand DB Instances under the "License Included" service model, you do not need separately purchased SQL Server licenses for Reserved Instances.

With Reserved Instances, you can make a low, one-time, up-front payment for each DB Instance you wish to reserve for a 1 or 3 year term. In return, you receive a significant discount off the ongoing hourly usage rate for the DB Instance(s) you reserve. Amazon RDS provides three RDS Reserved Instance types (Light, Medium, and Heavy Utilization Reserved Instances) that give you the flexibility to choose the right pricing option depending on your usage requirements. To learn more about Reserved DB Instances, please visit our Reserved Instances page. The pricing below applies to DB Instances deployed in a single Availability Zone (Single-AZ or Standard Deployment).

Light Utilization Reserved Instances

Express
Web
Standard

Medium Utilization Reserved Instances

Express
Web
Standard

Heavy Utilization Reserved Instances

Express
Web
Standard

Please note the one-time fee per DB Instance is non-refundable.

DB Instances (Bring Your Own License or BYOL)

Microsoft’s License Mobility program (referred to henceforth as Bring Your Own License or "BYOL") allows customers who already own SQL Server licenses to run SQL Server deployments on Amazon RDS. This benefit is available to Microsoft Volume Licensing (VL) customers with SQL Server licenses (currently including Standard and Enterprise Editions) covered by active Microsoft Software Assurance (SA) contracts. The Microsoft License Mobility program is suited for customers who prefer to use existing SQL Server licenses or purchase new licenses directly from Microsoft or any other reseller. To run a DB Instance under the BYOL model, you must meet the eligibility requirements and follow the Sign Up process laid out here. You must also have the appropriate SQL Server licenses with Software Assurance for the DB Instance class and SQL Server edition you wish to run, and must adhere to Microsoft’s licensing policies.

Supported under this model: Standard Edition and Enterprise Edition. AWS charges are the same for each edition supported under this model. The pricing below applies to a standard DB Instance deployed in a single Availability Zone.

On-Demand

On-Demand DB Instances for the BYOL model also let you pay for compute capacity by the hour your DB Instance runs with no long-term commitments.

Reserved

You can make a low, one-time, up-front payment for each DB Instance you wish to reserve for a 1 or 3 year term. In return, you receive a significant discount off the ongoing hourly usage rate for the DB Instance(s) you reserve.

Light Utilization Reserved Instances

Medium Utilization Reserved Instances

Heavy Utilization Reserved Instances

Please note the one-time fee per DB Instance is non-refundable.

Database Storage (License Included or BYOL)

For each DB Instance class, Amazon RDS provides you the ability to select up to 1 TB of associated storage capacity for your primary data set.

Your database storage charges will be the same whether you are running your Amazon RDS for SQL Server DB Instance under the License Included model or the BYOL model.

Provisioned IOPS Storage

For each DB Instance class, Amazon RDS provides you the ability to specify or provision the I/O capacity your database needs. You can provision from 1,000 IOPS with 100GB of storage to 10,000 IOPS with 1TB of storage with the SQL Server DB Engine. With Provisioned IOPS, you will be charged for the throughput and storage you provision. However, you will not be charged for the I/Os you consume.

Standard Deployment

Standard Storage

For each DB Instance class, Amazon RDS provides you the ability to select up to 1 TB of associated storage capacity for your primary data set.

Your provisioned database storage charges will be the same whether you are running your Amazon RDS for SQL Server DB Instance under the License Included model or the BYOL model.

Standard Deployment

Backup Storage (License Included or BYOL)

Backup storage is the storage associated with your automated database backups and any user-initiated DB Snapshots you have taken. Increasing your backup retention period or taking additional database snapshots increases the backup storage consumed by your database.

  • There is no additional charge for backup storage up to 100% of your provisioned database storage for an active DB Instance.* After the DB Instance is terminated, backup storage is billed at $0.125 per GB-month.
  • Additional backup storage: $0.125 per GB-month

* For example, if you have an active DB Instance with 10GB-month of provisioned database storage, we will provide up to 10GB-month of backup storage at no additional charge. Based upon our experience as database administrators, the vast majority of databases require less raw storage for a backup than for the primary data set, meaning that most customers will never pay for backup storage.

Data Transfer** (License Included or BYOL)

Internet Data Transfer

The pricing below is based on data transferred “in” and “out” of Amazon RDS.

** As part of AWS’s Free Usage Tier, new AWS customers will receive free 15 GB of data transfer out each month aggregated across all AWS services for one year.

*** Rate tiers take into account your aggregate Data Transfer Out usage across Amazon EC2, Amazon EBS, Amazon S3, Amazon Glacier, Amazon RDS, Amazon SimpleDB, Amazon SQS, Amazon SNS, AWS Storage Gateway, Amazon DynamoDB and Amazon VPC.

AWS GovCloud (US) Region

AWS GovCloud (US) is an AWS Region designed to allow US government agencies and customers to move more sensitive workloads into the cloud by addressing their specific regulatory and compliance requirements. The AWS GovCloud (US) framework adheres to U.S. International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) requirements. Workloads that are appropriate for the AWS GovCloud (US) region include all categories of Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI), including ITAR, as well as Government oriented publically available data. For pricing information, please visit the AWS GovCloud (US) Pricing page.


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Detailed Description

Working with Amazon RDS

Amazon RDS allows you to use the AWS Management Console or a simple set of web services APIs to create, delete and modify relational database instances (DB Instances). You can also control access and security for your instance(s) and manage your database backups and snapshots. For a full list of the available Amazon RDS APIs, please see the Amazon RDS API Guide. Some of the most commonly used APIs and their functionality are listed below:

  • Launch DB Instance — Provision a new DB Instance, specifying the DB Engine (SQL Server edition), license model, DB Instance class, storage capacity, DB Engine version (optional), and the backup retention policy you wish to use. A few clicks on the AWS Management Console is all that’s needed to give you access to a running SQL Server, with the software pre-installed and the available resource capacity you request.
  • Modify DB Instance — Modify settings for a running DB Instance. This functionality lets you scale the resources available to your DB Instance in response to the load on your database, or change how it is automatically backed up and maintained on your behalf. You can also use this functionality to gain optional control over how DB Engine versions are upgraded.
  • Take DB Snapshot — Generate a snapshot of your DB Instance. You can restore your DB Instance to user-created snapshots at any point, even to reinstate a previously deleted DB Instance.
  • Restore To Point In Time — Create a new DB Instance from a point-in-time backup. You can restore to any point within the retention period you specified, usually up to the last five minutes of your database’s usage.
  • Delete DB Instance — With Amazon RDS, you can terminate your DB Instance at any time and pay only for the resources you used.

Migrating to Amazon RDS for SQL Server

Click here to learn about best practices for migrating to Amazon RDS for SQL Server.

Paying for What You Use

You will be charged at the end of each month for the Amazon RDS resources you actually consume. Once a DB Instance you have created is available for connection, you will be charged for each hour your DB Instance is running (e.g. $0.035/hour for a Micro DB Instance running Express Edition). Each DB Instance will run until termination, which occurs when you issue an API call to delete the DB Instance, or in the event of an instance failure. Partial DB Instance hours consumed are billed as full hours. In addition to DB Instance hours, you are also billed for your monthly storage, IO requests, and backups. If you scale your storage capacity within the billing period, your bill will be pro-rated accordingly.

Getting Started

The best way to understand Amazon RDS is to review the Getting Started Guide, part of our Technical Documentation. Once you are ready to create your own DB Instance and start building applications, you can use the AWS Management Console or Amazon RDS APIs to launch a DB Instance in minutes.

By default, customers are allowed to have up to a total of 20 Amazon RDS DB instances. Of those 20, up to 10 can be SQL Server DB Instances under the "License Included" model. If you wish to run more instances, please complete this form and we will promptly respond to your request.

Intended Usage and Restrictions

Your use of this service is subject to the Amazon Web Services Customer Agreement.

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