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RDS for MySQL

Changing an instance configuration

Delete node

RDS for MySQL supports removing read-only nodes from double-node instances and secondary nodes from multiple-node instances. This topic describes the required steps.

Billing

For information about fees for removing instance nodes, refer to Subscription cancellation or instance specification modification.

Prerequisites

An instance is created and in the Running state. For details, see Creating an instance.

Precautions

You cannot delete nodes from a single-node instance.

Double-node instances do not support deleting the secondary node; Multi-node instances must retain at least one secondary node.

Modifying the configuration may automatically trigger data migration, which can cause a database interruption or transient disconnection. While the instance configuration is being modified, most operations related to databases, accounts, and networks cannot be performed.

You do not need to manually restart the instance after modifying the configuration. The change takes minutes, and the duration depends on the number of nodes of the target configuration, the amount of existing data, and the write speed of business data. During the instance configuration modification, the database may have 1 to 3 connection flashes. Operate carefully. It is recommended to perform the operation during off-peak hours and add a reconnection mechanism to the application to reduce the impact of database connection flashes on the business.

Modifying the configuration will not change the instance ID or connection address.

High primary-secondary latency prevents switching between primary and secondary nodes, which can affect configuration modification. It is recommended to estimate the required instance specification and perform an upgrade or expansion before peak business hours.

Deleting a read-only node from an instance during a temporary upgrade is not supported.

If read-write separation is enabled for the instance, the read-write separation weights are automatically calculated based on the new instance specifications after modifying the configuration. View them on the Connectivity page. To modify, refer to Setting the read/write separation policy.

During the process of changing the configuration, the instance page may display an exception, so you can refresh the page later and retry.

Procedure

Log on to the RDS for MySQL console.

In the upper-left corner of the top menu bar, select the project and region for the instance.

tip

If the project of the instance has not been set, the project should be selected as All resources.

Go to the Delete node page of the target instance. RDS for MySQL provides two entry points:

On the Instances page, click Modify configuration > Delete node in the Actions column for the target instance.

After you go to the target instance page, click Modify configuration > Delete node in the upper-right corner.

On the Delete node page of the target instance, complete the following configurations based on your business needs and confirm the impact of the instance specification change.

Parameter	Description
Node specification	Delete a node from the instance. If the instance type is Double node: The instance can have a minimum of 0 read-only nodes. You can delete read-only nodes from up to three availability zones at a time. If the instance type is Multiple node: The instance must have at least 1 secondary node. You can delete secondary nodes from up to three availability zones at a time.
Estimated impact	Confirm the impact of changing the instance specification. tip The estimated impact is based on the resource state when the configuration is completed on the Modify configuration page. The resource status may change when the modification order is submitted or during the actual modification. The estimated impact is not guaranteed to occur, and the actual impact shall prevail. In some cases, the impact cannot be estimated due to system reasons. Click the button on the page to retry.
Switch time	Select the switch time of the change. You can select Execute now, Specific time period, or Maintenance window. Execute now: Execute immediately after submitting the modification order. Specific time period: Perform the specification change within the specified time period. Maintenance window: Execute within the maintenance window set for the instance. You can view the currently set maintenance window for your instance on the Summary page. To adjust, see Configuring maintenance window. tip Multiple node instances currently only support Execute now. If you choose to perform the configuration change in the maintenance window, RDS for MySQL will immediately perform resource scheduling, data synchronization and other prerequisite actions after the change order is submitted, and switch the instance status to Changing. When it comes to the maintenance time, switch the route. After the task execution is completed, the instance status changes to Running.
Specific time period	If you select Specific time period, you need to set the time period for the specification change. tip Time periods cannot be set across days. The minimum time period is two hours. Set the time period within the time range indicated in the console.
Maintenance window	If you choose to modify the configuration during the Maintenance window, you need to confirm the instance's maintenance window. tip You can click Edit to modify the maintenance window of the instance. For detailed rules on setting maintenance window, see Configuring maintenance window. After a task is initiated, you can still modify the instance's maintenance window, but the execution time of the initiated task will not be automatically adjusted with the modification of the maintenance window. If you need to adjust the execution time of a task, you need to manually schedule and adjust it at Task center. For more information about modifying tasks execution time, see Changing the execution time of a task.

Click Confirm order.

Complete the subsequent steps based on the billing type selected.

If the billing method of the instance is Pay-as-you-go: on the Confirm order page, confirm the order details, read and check the Database Products and Services Terms and Unsubscription rules, and then click Buy now to complete the instance configuration change.

If the billing method of the instance is Subscription:

On the Confirm order page, confirm the order details, read and check the Database Products and Services Terms and Unsubscription rules, and click Submit the order.

On the Confirm order information page, reconfirm the order information, and click Next step.

On the Submit payment information page, confirm the payment details, select a payment method, click To pay, and complete the payment as prompted to finish the instance configuration change.

Related API

API	Description
DeleteDBNodes	Call the DeleteDBNodes API to remove read-only nodes from an instance.

Last updated: 2026.08.21 16:00:28