AWS-CLI : Create RDS Aurora DB instance into existing cluster created from snapshot

Question

Based on my research, I've found that the only way to create using CLI an Aurora cluster with instances inside it from an existing snapshot is to follow these steps:

1) Create snapshot from existing cluster

2) Launch cluster from snapshot

3) Add instance into cluster

Thus, the commands I ran using the most-up-to-date AWS CLI version are these (along with the outputs):

aws rds create-db-cluster-snapshot \
  --db-cluster-snapshot-identifier analytics-replica-db \
  --db-cluster-identifier prodcluster

which outputs

{
    "DBClusterSnapshot": {
        "Engine": "aurora",
        "SnapshotCreateTime": "2017-07-24T15:08:12.836Z",
        "VpcId": "vpc-ID",
        "DBClusterIdentifier": "cluster_name",
        "DBClusterSnapshotArn": "arn:aws:rds:eu-west-1:aws_account:cluster-snapshot:analytics-replica-db",
        "MasterUsername": "db_username",
        "LicenseModel": "aurora",
        "Status": "creating",
        "PercentProgress": 0,
        "DBClusterSnapshotIdentifier": "analytics-replica-db",
        "IAMDatabaseAuthenticationEnabled": false,
        "ClusterCreateTime": "2016-04-14T11:10:02.413Z",
        "StorageEncrypted": false,
        "AllocatedStorage": 1,
        "EngineVersion": "5.6.10a",
        "SnapshotType": "manual",
        "AvailabilityZones": [
            "eu-west-1a",
            "eu-west-1b",
            "eu-west-1c"
        ],
        "Port": 0
    }
}

After that, I create the cluster using this:

aws rds restore-db-cluster-from-snapshot \
  --db-cluster-identifier analytics-replica-cluster \
  --snapshot-identifier analytics-replica-db \
  --engine aurora \
  --port 3306 \
  --db-subnet-group-name this_is_a_subnet_group \
  --database-name this_is_the_database_name_equal_to_original_cluster_db \
  --vpc-security-group-ids this_is_a_random_security_group \
  --no-enable-iam-database-authentication

which outputs

{
    "DBCluster": {
        "MasterUsername": "this_is_the_same_username_as_the_one_on_original_db",
        "ReaderEndpoint": "this_is_the_new_RDS_endpoint_of_cluster",
        "ReadReplicaIdentifiers": [],
        "VpcSecurityGroups": [
            {
                "Status": "active",
                "VpcSecurityGroupId": "this_is_that_security_group"
            }
        ],
        "HostedZoneId": "Z29XKXDKYMONMX",
        "Status": "creating",
        "MultiAZ": false,
        "PreferredBackupWindow": "23:50-00:20",
        "DBSubnetGroup": "this_is_a_subnet_group",
        "AllocatedStorage": 1,
        "BackupRetentionPeriod": 10,
        "PreferredMaintenanceWindow": "fri:03:34-fri:04:04",
        "Engine": "aurora",
        "Endpoint": "this_is_the_new_RDS_endpoint_of_reader",
        "AssociatedRoles": [],
        "IAMDatabaseAuthenticationEnabled": false,
        "ClusterCreateTime": "2017-07-24T15:11:07.003Z",
        "EngineVersion": "5.6.10a",
        "DBClusterIdentifier": "analytics-replica-cluster",
        "DbClusterResourceId": "cluster-resource_id",
        "DBClusterMembers": [],
        "DBClusterArn": "arn:aws:rds:eu-west-1:aws_account:cluster:analytics-replica-cluster",
        "StorageEncrypted": false,
        "DatabaseName": "this_is_the_database_name_equal_to_original_cluster_db",
        "DBClusterParameterGroup": "default.aurora5.6",
        "AvailabilityZones": [
            "eu-west-1a",
            "eu-west-1b",
            "eu-west-1c"
        ],
        "Port": 3306
    }
}

And now, all I want to do is just run this

aws rds create-db-instance \
  --db-name this_is_the_database_name_equal_to_original_cluster_db \
  --db-instance-identifier analytics-replica-instance \
  --db-instance-class "db.r3.large" \
  --publicly-accessible \
  --no-enable-iam-database-authentication \
  --db-cluster-identifier analytics-replica-cluster \
  --engine aurora

which outputs

An error occurred (InvalidParameterCombination) when calling the CreateDBInstance operation: The requested DB Instance will be a member of a DB Cluster. Set database name for the DB Cluster.

Can someone PLEASE tell me why does it hate me?

Answer 1

For anyone that is facing the same problem, some options are not available when you add a new instance to aurora cluster.

The error is tricky at the beginning, but it easy to understand. The last part, Set database name for the DB Cluster. indicates the real problem, and most of the time, you need to delete the property.

Another example An error occurred (InvalidParameterCombination) when calling the CreateDBInstance operation: The requested DB Instance will be a member of a DB Cluster. Set backup retention period for the DB Cluster. you need to remove --backup-retention-period