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rds-oss

Advises on RDS MySQL, MariaDB, and PostgreSQL creation, upgrades, pricing, proxy, and Blue/Green deployments.

2.5k|282|Updated Apr 23, 2026
Search Tags:#mysql#upgrade planning#postgreSQL#reserved instances#MariaDB#blue green deployment#amazon rds
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/aws/agent-toolkit-for-aws --skill rds-oss
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent▼
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: rds-oss
Source: https://github.com/aws/agent-toolkit-for-aws/tree/main/skills/specialized-skills/database-skills/rds-oss
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/aws/agent-toolkit-for-aws --skill rds-oss

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

💡 This Skill requires boto3, and includes scripts (resource) and references (resource) components.

What problem does it solve?

Managing Amazon RDS open-source engines requires navigating version upgrades, commitment pricing options, connection pooling tradeoffs, and low-downtime schema changes, and mistakes in any of these areas cause downtime or overspending.

Core Features & Use Cases

  • Production Instance Creation: Provisions RDS MySQL, MariaDB, or PostgreSQL instances with best-practice defaults including Multi-AZ, KMS encryption, Secrets Manager password management, and Performance Insights.
  • Upgrade Planning: Enumerates valid upgrade targets via describe-db-engine-versions, runs live prechecks through SSM or direct connection, and provides pre/post-upgrade checklists.
  • Commitment Pricing Analysis: Compares On-Demand, 1yr/3yr Reserved Instances, and Database Savings Plans with dollar and percentage savings using a bundled analyzer script.
  • RDS Proxy and Blue/Green Advisory: Evaluates proxy benefit against pinning risks and existing PgBouncer setups, and plans Blue/Green deployments with DDL replication compatibility analysis.
  • Use Case: Ask whether to buy Reserved Instances or a Database Savings Plan for two db.r7g.2xlarge RDS MySQL instances running 24/7, and receive a full five-option cost comparison table with a recommendation.

Quick Start

Ask the assistant to run the RDS upgrade advisor for your RDS MySQL instance and list the available upgrade target versions.

Frequently Asked Questions about rds-oss

High-intent search queries and answers about installing and using this skill.

FAQPage Schema
How do I plan an RDS MySQL upgrade to the latest version?▼

Identify the instance with describe-db-instances, detect the engine, then list valid targets with describe-db-engine-versions filtered by the current engine and major version. Run prechecks via SSM or a direct connection, review the pre/post-upgrade checklists, and test with a snapshot-restore dry run before upgrading.

Should I buy Reserved Instances or a Database Savings Plan for RDS?▼

Run the bundled pricing analyzer with your instance type, engine, and count to compare On-Demand, 1yr/3yr RI, and 1yr/3yr DSP costs. For steady 24/7 workloads on a fixed family, 3yr RI saves the most; DSP offers family flexibility but only covers latest-generation families like r7g and r8g.

Does RDS Proxy help if I already run PgBouncer in transaction mode?▼

PgBouncer in transaction mode already provides aggressive connection multiplexing, so the proxy's core benefit is marginal. RDS Proxy adds managed infrastructure, IAM authentication, automatic failover handling, and Secrets Manager credential rotation; switch only if those specific features are needed.

Can I change a column type on RDS MySQL with zero downtime using Blue/Green?▼

Yes, but a type change breaks binlog replication because the binary row representation differs between blue and green. Create the deployment with create-blue-green-deployment, let green catch up, apply the MODIFY COLUMN on green, then switch over immediately after explicit confirmation.

Does this skill support Amazon Aurora or RDS Oracle and SQL Server?▼

No, it is scoped to RDS MySQL, MariaDB, and PostgreSQL only. Aurora has different cluster-based semantics, LTS versions, and Serverless options handled by the amazon-aurora skill, while Oracle, SQL Server, and Db2 have their own engine-specific skills.

Will the skill execute upgrades, purchases, or switchovers automatically?▼

No, it is advisory-only for existing resources and never runs modify, purchase, or switchover APIs. The only write action allowed is create-db-instance for new production provisioning; all other changes are presented as CLI commands for the user to run after explicit confirmation.

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