AWS RDS Supported Databases: Complete List and Usage

AWS RDS supports several popular database engines including MySQL, PostgreSQL, MariaDB, Oracle, Microsoft SQL Server, and Amazon Aurora. These managed databases allow easy setup, scaling, and maintenance in the cloud.

Syntax

When creating an RDS instance, you specify the database engine using the Engine parameter. This tells AWS which database type to set up and manage for you.

Common values for Engine include:

• mysql
• postgres
• mariadb
• oracle-ee or oracle-se2
• sqlserver-ee, sqlserver-se, sqlserver-ex, or sqlserver-web
• aurora or aurora-postgresql

bash

aws rds create-db-instance \
    --db-instance-identifier mydbinstance \
    --engine mysql \
    --db-instance-class db.t3.micro \
    --allocated-storage 20 \
    --master-username admin \
    --master-user-password password123

Example

This example shows how to create a PostgreSQL database instance using AWS CLI. It specifies the engine as postgres and sets basic parameters like instance class and storage.

bash

aws rds create-db-instance \
    --db-instance-identifier example-postgres-db \
    --engine postgres \
    --db-instance-class db.t3.micro \
    --allocated-storage 20 \
    --master-username adminuser \
    --master-user-password MySecurePass123

Output

An RDS DB instance named 'example-postgres-db' will be created with PostgreSQL engine, ready to use after provisioning.

Common Pitfalls

Common mistakes when selecting RDS database engines include:

• Choosing an unsupported engine name or misspelling it (e.g., postgress instead of postgres).
• Using an engine version not supported in your AWS region.
• Confusing Amazon Aurora with standard MySQL or PostgreSQL engines; Aurora is a separate, optimized engine.

Always check the AWS documentation for the latest supported engines and versions.

bash

aws rds create-db-instance --db-instance-identifier bad-db --engine postgress --db-instance-class db.t3.micro --allocated-storage 20 --master-username admin --master-user-password pass

# Correct usage:
aws rds create-db-instance --db-instance-identifier good-db --engine postgres --db-instance-class db.t3.micro --allocated-storage 20 --master-username admin --master-user-password pass

Quick Reference

Database Engine	Engine Identifier	Description
MySQL	mysql	Popular open-source relational database
PostgreSQL	postgres	Advanced open-source relational database
MariaDB	mariadb	Community-developed fork of MySQL
Oracle	oracle-ee / oracle-se2	Enterprise commercial database
Microsoft SQL Server	sqlserver-ee / sqlserver-se / sqlserver-ex / sqlserver-web	Microsoft's relational database
Amazon Aurora	aurora / aurora-postgresql	AWS's high-performance cloud database compatible with MySQL/PostgreSQL

Key Takeaways

AWS RDS supports MySQL, PostgreSQL, MariaDB, Oracle, Microsoft SQL Server, and Amazon Aurora.

Specify the database engine using the 'Engine' parameter when creating an RDS instance.

Amazon Aurora is a special AWS-optimized database compatible with MySQL or PostgreSQL.

Check for correct engine names and supported versions to avoid deployment errors.

Use AWS CLI or console to create and manage RDS instances with your chosen database engine.