Amazon RDS for SQL Server enhances differential and transaction log restores support

Amazon Relational Database Service (Amazon RDS) for SQL Server now supports differential and transaction log restores for instances configured with Multi-AZ and instances with read replicas in the same region. The native SQL Server backup and restore feature provides essential protection for critical data in your SQL Server databases, and it allows you to migrate your databases between different environments, such as from on-premises to Amazon RDS for SQL Server. Differential backups capture all data changes since the most recent full backup, while transaction log backups record every transaction in the database. When combined with full backups, these restore options help you create a comprehensive disaster recovery strategy that minimizes data loss.

Previously, to use native SQL Server differential and transaction log restores, you had to remove Multi-AZ and read replicas to convert your instance to Single-AZ mode, restore the databases, and then reconfigure Multi-AZ and read replicas. Now you can reduce restore time by performing differential and transaction log restores directly on Multi-AZ instances and instances with read replicas, without converting them to Single-AZ first. This enhancement maintains high availability through Multi-AZ and allows read replicas to continue serving read workloads in the same Region during the restore process.

For more information about using differential and transaction log restores, see the Amazon RDS for SQL Server User Guide. This feature is available in all AWS Regions where Amazon RDS for SQL Server is available.