RDS supported engines in AWS - Step-by-Step Execution

Process Flow - RDS supported engines

Start: Choose RDS

↓

Select Engine Type

↓

Configure Instance

↓

Launch Database Instance

↓

Database Ready to Use

This flow shows how you pick an RDS engine type, configure it, and launch a database instance.

Execution Sample

AWS

Choose engine: MySQL
Configure instance size
Launch instance
Connect to database

This sequence shows selecting an engine, setting up, launching, and connecting to an RDS database.

Process Table

Step	Action	Engine Selected	Instance Configured	Result
1	Select engine type	MySQL	No	Engine MySQL selected
2	Configure instance	MySQL	db.t3.medium	Instance configured with db.t3.medium
3	Launch instance	MySQL	db.t3.medium	Instance launched and initializing
4	Instance ready	MySQL	db.t3.medium	Database instance available for connections
5	Connect to database	MySQL	db.t3.medium	Connection successful

💡 Database instance is ready and connected, process complete

Status Tracker

Variable	Start	After Step 1	After Step 2	After Step 3	After Step 4	Final
Engine	None	MySQL	MySQL	MySQL	MySQL	MySQL
InstanceType	None	None	db.t3.medium	db.t3.medium	db.t3.medium	db.t3.medium
InstanceState	None	None	None	Launching	Available	Available
ConnectionStatus	Disconnected	Disconnected	Disconnected	Disconnected	Disconnected	Connected

Key Moments - 3 Insights

Why do we select the engine type before configuring the instance?

Because the engine type determines the database software and features, which affect configuration options. See execution_table step 1 and 2.

What does 'InstanceState' mean in the variable tracker?

'InstanceState' shows the current status of the database instance, like launching or available. It changes from None to Launching to Available as seen in steps 3 and 4.

Why is connection only successful after the instance is available?

Because the database must be fully initialized and ready before accepting connections, shown in execution_table step 4 and 5.

Visual Quiz - 3 Questions

Look at the execution_table, what is the Engine Selected at step 2?

A Oracle

B PostgreSQL

C MySQL

D Aurora

💡 Hint

Check the 'Engine Selected' column at step 2 in the execution_table.

At which step does the InstanceState change to 'Available'?

A Step 2

B Step 4

C Step 3

D Step 5

💡 Hint

Look at the 'InstanceState' variable in variable_tracker after each step.

If you change the engine to PostgreSQL at step 1, what changes in the execution_table?

A Engine Selected changes to PostgreSQL

B InstanceType changes automatically

C ConnectionStatus changes to Connected immediately

D InstanceState skips Launching

💡 Hint

Only the 'Engine Selected' value changes at step 1; other steps remain the same.

Concept Snapshot

RDS supports multiple database engines:
MySQL, PostgreSQL, Oracle, SQL Server, MariaDB, Aurora.
Choose engine first, then configure instance.
Launch instance to create database.
Connect after instance is available.

Full Transcript

This visual execution shows how to select and launch an AWS RDS database instance with a supported engine. First, you pick the engine type like MySQL. Then you configure the instance size. Next, you launch the instance which starts initializing. When the instance state changes to available, the database is ready. Finally, you connect to the database successfully. Variables like Engine, InstanceType, InstanceState, and ConnectionStatus change step-by-step to show progress. Key moments clarify why engine selection comes first, what instance state means, and why connection waits until ready. Quiz questions check understanding of engine choice, instance state timing, and effects of changing engine.

Practice

1. Which of the following database engines is supported by AWS RDS?

easy

A. MySQL

B. MongoDB

C. Cassandra

D. Redis

Solution

1. Step 1: Recall AWS RDS supported engines

   AWS RDS supports popular relational database engines like MySQL, PostgreSQL, Oracle, SQL Server, and Aurora.

2. Step 2: Identify which option matches supported engines

   Among the options, only MySQL is a supported RDS engine. MongoDB, Cassandra, and Redis are not supported by RDS but by other AWS services.

3. Final Answer:

   MySQL -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   RDS supports MySQL = A [OK]

Hint: Remember RDS supports relational engines like MySQL, not NoSQL [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing NoSQL databases as RDS engines
• Assuming Redis is supported by RDS
• Thinking Cassandra is supported by RDS

2. Which of the following is the correct way to specify the engine when creating an RDS instance using AWS CLI?

easy

A. --engine mongodb

B. --engine mysql

C. --engine redis

D. --engine cassandra

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand AWS CLI engine parameter

   The AWS CLI uses the parameter --engine to specify the database engine when creating an RDS instance.

2. Step 2: Identify valid engine names

   Valid engine names include mysql, postgres, oracle, sqlserver, aurora. MongoDB, Redis, and Cassandra are not valid for RDS engine parameter.

3. Final Answer:

   --engine mysql -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   Correct engine name for MySQL is mysql [OK]

Hint: Use lowercase engine names like mysql, not unsupported ones [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using unsupported engines like mongodb or redis
• Capitalizing engine names incorrectly
• Confusing engine parameter with instance type

3. Given the following AWS CLI command to create an RDS instance:

aws rds create-db-instance --db-instance-identifier mydb --engine postgres --allocated-storage 20 --db-instance-class db.t3.micro --master-username admin --master-user-password secret123

What database engine will this RDS instance use?

medium

A. SQL Server

B. MySQL

C. Oracle

D. PostgreSQL

Solution

1. Step 1: Analyze the --engine parameter in the command

   The command specifies --engine postgres, which corresponds to PostgreSQL.

2. Step 2: Match engine parameter to database engine

   Postgres is the short name for PostgreSQL, a supported RDS engine.

3. Final Answer:

   PostgreSQL -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   --engine postgres means PostgreSQL [OK]

Hint: Look for --engine value to identify the database engine [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing postgres with MySQL
• Assuming default engine is MySQL
• Ignoring the --engine parameter

4. You tried to create an RDS instance with the command:

aws rds create-db-instance --db-instance-identifier testdb --engine mongo --allocated-storage 20 --db-instance-class db.t3.micro --master-username admin --master-user-password secret123

But it failed. What is the most likely reason?

medium

A. The master username is missing

B. The allocated storage is too low

C. The engine name 'mongo' is not supported by RDS

D. The instance class db.t3.micro is invalid

Solution

1. Step 1: Check the engine parameter validity

   The engine parameter is set to 'mongo', which is not a supported RDS engine. MongoDB is not supported by RDS.

2. Step 2: Verify other parameters

   Allocated storage of 20 GB and instance class db.t3.micro are valid. Master username is provided.

3. Final Answer:

   The engine name 'mongo' is not supported by RDS -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   Unsupported engine name causes failure [OK]

Hint: Check engine names carefully; unsupported names cause errors [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Assuming MongoDB is supported by RDS
• Blaming storage size or instance class incorrectly
• Overlooking the exact error message

5. You want to migrate an on-premises Oracle database to AWS RDS. Which RDS engine should you choose to ensure compatibility and minimal changes?

hard

A. Oracle

B. PostgreSQL

C. Aurora MySQL

D. SQL Server

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify the source database engine

   The source is an on-premises Oracle database, so compatibility is key.

2. Step 2: Choose the matching RDS engine

   AWS RDS supports Oracle as a managed engine, which ensures compatibility and minimal changes during migration.

3. Step 3: Consider other options

   Aurora MySQL, PostgreSQL, and SQL Server are different engines and would require significant changes.

4. Final Answer:

   Oracle -> Option A

5. Quick Check:

   Match source engine to RDS engine for smooth migration [OK]

Hint: Pick the same engine type for easy migration [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Choosing Aurora MySQL for Oracle migration
• Assuming PostgreSQL is compatible with Oracle
• Ignoring migration compatibility