Amazon Aurora Serverless v1 End of Life: Key Steps and Dates You Need to Know

To ensure a smooth transition, AWS has outlined a revised schedule:

• December 2023: AWS notified all Aurora Serverless v1 customers of the upcoming EOL, allowing 12 months for migration.
• September 1, 2024 (Revised): AWS no longer supports creating new Aurora Serverless v1 clusters or instances via the AWS Console or CLI.
• December 31, 2024 (Revised): Aurora Serverless v1 will reach the end of life. From this date, any remaining Aurora Serverless v1 clusters will be automatically upgraded to Aurora Serverless v2 during the next maintenance window.
• January 8, 2025: Customers will no longer be able to create new Aurora Serverless v1 clusters or instances with either the AWS Management Console or the CLI.
• March 31, 2025: Aurora Serverless v1 will officially reach the end of life. After this date, any remaining Aurora Serverless v1 clusters will be automatically upgraded to Aurora Serverless v2 during the next maintenance window.

It is important to understand that Aurora Serverless v1's EOL doesn’t apply to provisioned Aurora clusters. The Amazon Aurora MySQL-Compatible Edition version 2, compatible with MySQL 5.7, reached the end of standard support on October 31, 2024. This deadline only applied to provisioned clusters, so it did not impact Aurora Serverless clusters. However, please note that Aurora Serverless v1 is scheduled for end-of-life (EOL) on March 31, 2025, regardless of the MySQL compatibility version.

It is important to note that if you convert an Aurora Serverless v1 cluster to a provisioned Aurora MySQL cluster after the end-of-life date, any instances running on the older MySQL version (such as MySQL 5.7) may incur extended support charges. For this reason, AWS advises migrating to either Aurora Serverless v2 or an upgraded provisioned Aurora environment before the end-of-life deadline.

AWS’s decision to retire Aurora Serverless v1 aligns with its push toward more advanced and efficient serverless technology. While Serverless v1 brought significant flexibility to Aurora databases, Serverless v2 offers greater scalability, better performance, and more refined control.

Here are the primary reasons AWS is shifting focus to Aurora Serverless v2:

• Enhanced Scalability: Serverless v2 supports seamless scaling from hundreds to hundreds of thousands of transactions per second without the need to create new clusters.
• Reduced Latency and Higher Availability: Serverless v2 reduces the warm-up time for scaling events, providing faster responses during high-demand periods.
• Better Compatibility with Aurora Features: Serverless v2 supports features like Global Databases, RDS Proxy, and Multi-AZ with failover support, which were not available in Serverless v1.

If you don’t upgrade to Aurora Serverless v2 by the EOL, AWS will automatically migrate your clusters during the next maintenance window after March 31, 2025. If your current database version isn’t compatible with Serverless v2, AWS will update your engine to the nearest supported version. To avoid these potential interruptions, AWS encourages customers to upgrade well in advance.

AWS provides several resources to simplify the transition from Serverless v1 to v2. Here are a few key guides:

• Upgrade from Aurora Serverless v1 to v2 with Minimal Downtime: This guide offers a step-by-step process for upgrading your database clusters without significant service disruption.
• Aurora Serverless v2 Requirements: Highlights essential differences and considerations for compatibility between Aurora Serverless v1 and v2.
• Aurora Serverless v2 Upgrade Paths: Details recommended upgrade paths to ensure a smooth transition to Serverless v2.

The upgrade process from Aurora Serverless v1 to v2 is designed to be as seamless as possible, with tools and resources available to minimize downtime and ensure continuity. Here’s a high-level overview of the process:

1.Review Requirements for Aurora Serverless v2 Compatibility:

• Check your current database engine version and ensure it’s compatible with Serverless v2. If it’s not, plan for a minor version upgrade as part of the migration.

2. Plan for Migration:

• To reduce the potential impact on end-users, schedule the upgrade during off-peak hours or a maintenance window. AWS allows customers to initiate the upgrade anytime before December 31, 2024.

3. Test in a Staging Environment:

• If feasible, deploy a test environment to validate your application’s interaction with Aurora Serverless v2. AWS provides detailed guidelines on setting up a test cluster in their minimal downtime upgrade guide linked above.

4. Initiate the Upgrade:

• Use the AWS Console or CLI to initiate the upgrade process. The upgrade time will vary depending on the size and complexity of your database, so plan accordingly.

5. Monitor the Post-Migration Process:

• After the upgrade, review your database metrics and application logs to ensure everything is functioning as expected.

To minimize unexpected issues, it’s advisable to test any migration changes in a staging environment. This practice helps identify compatibility adjustments or configuration changes early, making it easier to address potential problems.