Amazon Aurora (both MySQL and PostgreSQL compatible editions) now allow you to stop and start database clusters. This makes it easy and affordable to use database clusters for development and test purposes where the database is not required to be running all of the time.

Stopping and starting a database cluster requires just a few clicks in the AWS Management Console, or a single call using the AWS API or AWS Command Line Interface, and takes just a few minutes. Stopping a database cluster stops the primary instance and any Aurora Replicas. While your database cluster is stopped, you are charged for cluster storage, manual snapshots and automated backup storage within your specified retention window, but not for database instance hours.

While a database cluster is stopped, you can do a point-in-time restore to any point within your specified automated backup retention window. Starting a database cluster restores it to the same configuration as it had when stopped, including its endpoint, replica instances, parameter groups, VPC security groups, and option group settings.

You can stop a database cluster for up to 7 days at a time. After 7 days, it will be automatically started. For more details on stopping and starting a database cluster, please refer to Stopping and Starting a DB Cluster in the Amazon RDS User Guide.

Amazon Aurora combines the performance and availability of high-end commercial databases with the simplicity and cost-effectiveness of open source databases. It provides up to three times better performance than the typical PostgreSQL database, and five times better than the typical MySQL database, together with increased scalability, durability, and security. See the AWS Region Table for complete regional availability.

