Using Amazon RDS Extended Support

With Amazon RDS Extended Support, you can continue running your database on a major engine version past the RDS end of standard support date for an additional cost. On the RDS end of standard support date, Amazon RDS automatically enrolls your databases in RDS Extended Support. Automatic enrollment into RDS Extended Support doesn't change the database engine and doesn't impact the uptime or performance of your DB instance.

This paid offering gives you more time to upgrade to a supported major engine version.

For example, the RDS end of standard support date for RDS for MySQL version 5.7 is February 29, 2024. However, you aren't ready to manually upgrade to RDS for MySQL version 8.0 before that date. In this case, Amazon RDS automatically enrolls your databases in RDS Extended Support on February 29, 2024, and you can continue to run RDS for MySQL version 5.7. Starting March 1, 2024, Amazon RDS automatically charges you for RDS Extended Support.

RDS Extended Support is available for up to 3 years past the RDS end of standard support date for a major engine version. After this time, if you haven't upgraded your major engine version to a supported version, then Amazon RDS will automatically upgrade your major engine version. We recommend that you upgrade to a supported major engine version as soon as possible.

Overview of Amazon RDS Extended Support

After the RDS end of standard support date, if you didn't disable RDS Extended Support during the creation or restoration of your DB instances, then Amazon RDS will automatically enroll them in RDS Extended Support. Amazon RDS automatically upgrades your DB instance to the last minor version released before the RDS end of standard support date, if you aren't already running that version. Amazon RDS won't upgrade your minor version until after the RDS end of standard support date for your major engine version.

You can create new databases with major engine versions that have reached the RDS end of standard support date. RDS automatically enrolls these new databases in RDS Extended Support and charges you for this offering.

If you upgrade to an engine that's still under RDS standard support before the RDS end of standard support date, Amazon RDS won't enroll your engine in RDS Extended Support.

If you attempt to restore a snapshot of a database compatible with an engine that's past the RDS end of standard support date but isn't enrolled in RDS Extended Support, then Amazon RDS will attempt to upgrade the snapshot to be compatible with the latest engine version that is still under RDS standard support. If the restore fails, then Amazon RDS will automatically enroll your engine in RDS Extended Support with a version that's compatible with the snapshot.

You can end enrollment in RDS Extended Support at any time. To end enrollment, upgrade each enrolled engine to a newer engine version that's still under RDS standard support. The end of RDS Extended Support enrollment will be effective the day that you complete an upgrade to a newer engine version that's still under RDS standard support.