Amazon RDS (Relational Database Service) and Amazon Aurora are both managed database services provided by Amazon Web Services (AWS) that allow you to run a relational database in the cloud without having to manage the underlying infrastructure.
Amazon RDS supports several popular relational database engines such as MySQL, PostgreSQL, Oracle, SQL Server, and MariaDB. With Amazon RDS, you can easily launch a database instance, scale compute and storage resources, and perform automated backups and software patching.
Amazon Aurora is a MySQL and PostgreSQL-compatible relational database engine that is designed for high performance, scalability, and availability. Aurora is built on a distributed, fault-tolerant, and self-healing storage system that replicates data across multiple Availability Zones (AZs). Aurora also provides features such as read replicas, automatic failover, and point-in-time recovery.
Here are some key differences between Amazon RDS and Amazon Aurora:
- Performance: Aurora is designed for high performance and can provide up to five times the performance of a standard MySQL or PostgreSQL database on the same hardware.
- Scalability: Aurora is designed to scale horizontally, meaning you can add replicas to distribute read traffic, while RDS is designed to scale vertically by increasing compute and storage resources.
- Availability: Aurora provides automatic failover and self-healing capabilities, making it highly available and resilient to failures. RDS also provides high availability through Multi-AZ deployments.
- Cost: Aurora can be more expensive than RDS for small workloads, but can be more cost-effective for larger workloads due to its better performance and scalability.
When to use each:
Use Amazon RDS when:
- You need to use a specific relational database engine that is supported by RDS.
- You have a small to medium-sized workload and do not require high performance or scalability.
- You want a more cost-effective solution for running a relational database.
Use Amazon Aurora when:
- You require high performance and scalability for your workload.
- You need automatic failover and self-healing capabilities for increased availability and resilience.
- You want to take advantage of the benefits of a distributed, fault-tolerant storage system.
- You need to run a MySQL or PostgreSQL-compatible database.
Here’s a summary table comparing Amazon RDS and Amazon Aurora:
| Feature | Amazon RDS | Amazon Aurora |
|---|---|---|
| Supported Engines | MySQL, PostgreSQL, Oracle, SQL Server, MariaDB | MySQL, PostgreSQL |
| Performance | Good | Up to 5x performance of standard MySQL/PostgreSQL |
| Scalability | Vertical scaling | Horizontal scaling with replicas |
| Availability | Multi-AZ deployments | Automatic failover and self-healing capabilities |
| Cost | Cost-effective for small to medium workloads | More expensive for small workloads, cost-effective for larger workloads |
Note that this is a general comparison, and specific use cases may require different considerations. Ultimately, the choice between Amazon RDS and Amazon Aurora depends on the specific requirements of the workload, including performance, scalability, availability, and cost.