User guide

Amazon Redshift Snapshots
Topics
• Overview (p. 82)
• Managing Snapshots Using the Console (p. 86)
• Managing Snapshots Using the AWS SDK for Java (p. 94)
• Managing Snapshots Using the Amazon Redshift CLI and API (p. 97)
Overview
Snapshots are point-in-time backups of a cluster. There are two types of snapshots: automated and
manual. Amazon Redshift stores these snapshots internally in Amazon S3 by using an encrypted Secure
Sockets Layer (SSL) connection. If you need to restore from a snapshot, Amazon Redshift creates a new
cluster and imports data from the snapshot that you specify.
Amazon Redshift periodically takes snapshots and tracks incremental changes to the cluster since the
last snapshot. Amazon Redshift retains all of the data required to restore a cluster from a snapshot.
You can monitor the progress of long-running snapshots by either calling describe-cluster-snapshots in
the CLI, by calling the DescribeClusterSnapshots API action, or viewing the snapshot details in the AWS
Management Console. For an in-progress snapshot, these display information such as the size of the
incremental snapshot, the transfer rate, the elapsed time, and the estimated time remaining.
Amazon Redshift provides free storage for snapshots that is equal to the storage capacity of your cluster
until you delete the cluster. After you reach the free snapshot storage limit, you are charged for any
additional storage at the normal rate. Because of this, you should evaluate how many days you need to
keep automated snapshots and configure their retention period accordingly, and delete any manual
snapshots that you no longer need. For pricing information, go to the Amazon Redshift product detail
page.
Automated Snapshots
When automated snapshots are enabled for a cluster, Amazon Redshift periodically takes snapshots of
that cluster. Automated snapshots are enabled by default when you create a cluster. These snapshots
are deleted at the end of a retention period. The default retention period is one day, but you can modify
it by using the Amazon Redshift console or programmatically by using the Amazon Redshift API.
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Amazon Redshift Management Guide
Overview