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Use an Amazon RDS event notification subscription backed by Amazon SNS when you need resource- and category-based alerts for people or simple subscribers. Use Amazon EventBridge when you need event-pattern matching and routing to automation such as Lambda. Both are operational signal streams, not complete ordered audit logs: RDS notifications can take up to five minutes, events are not guaranteed to arrive in order, and EventBridge service-event delivery is best effort.
How do I get notifications from Amazon RDS?
Amazon RDS groups events by resource type and category. You can send matching events to an Amazon SNS topic, then deliver them to supported subscribers such as email, SMS, or HTTP(S) endpoints. Alternatively, Amazon EventBridge can receive RDS service events, match their details with rules, and route them to targets such as SNS or Lambda.
| Requirement | Better fit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Alert people about selected RDS resources or categories | RDS event notification subscription plus SNS | Filtering is based on source type, source IDs, and event categories. |
| Match specific event details or event IDs | EventBridge | Rules use event patterns and can route matching events to automation. |
| Send to email, SMS, or HTTP(S) | SNS path | SNS supports these subscriber endpoint types, subject to endpoint confirmation where required. |
| Invoke Lambda or fan out to several AWS targets | EventBridge | Rules provide target-based routing in addition to SNS delivery. |
How do I subscribe to RDS event notifications?
1. Create or choose an SNS topic
Use an SNS topic ARN as the destination for the RDS subscription. Add the required SNS subscriptions, such as an email or HTTP(S) endpoint, and complete any confirmation step before expecting delivery.
2. Choose the source scope
A subscription can select individual resources, all resources of one source type, or all RDS sources in the account. The API fields that control this are SourceType and SourceIds:
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- Set
SourceTypeand specificSourceIdsto monitor named resources. - Set
SourceTypewithout source IDs to cover every resource of that type. - Omit both scope parameters to cover all RDS sources in the account.
The documented example uses db-instance, but do not assume that every category applies to every source type.
3. Select event categories
Categories are broad classes such as availability or backup. Availability depends on the resource type. In the console, inspect the categories offered for the selected source. From the CLI, query the current list with:
aws rds describe-event-categoriesThe API equivalent is DescribeEventCategories. Use the returned categories rather than copying a list from an older guide.
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4. Create the subscription
In the Amazon RDS console, open Event subscriptions, choose Create event subscription, select the SNS topic, source type, resources, and categories, then enable the subscription. The API operation is CreateEventSubscription; its relevant parameters are SourceType, SourceIds, EventCategories, and SnsTopicArn.
Which RDS resources can generate events?
The RDS overview identifies these resource types for event notifications:
- DB instances
- DB snapshots
- DB parameter groups
- DB security groups
- RDS Proxies
- Custom engine versions
Aurora documentation also covers DB clusters and cluster snapshots. If you operate Aurora, check the resource-specific documentation and console options for cluster event coverage instead of treating instance categories as universal.
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Should I use SNS or EventBridge for RDS events?
RDS subscription plus SNS
This path is the straightforward choice for category- and source-scoped notifications. RDS applies the source and category filters, publishes to the SNS topic, and SNS distributes the message to its confirmed subscribers. SNS fees apply to RDS event notifications; check current AWS pricing for the services and delivery endpoints you use.
EventBridge rules
EventBridge is preferable when the decision depends on event details rather than only an RDS category. Create a rule for RDS service events, define an event pattern that matches the required details (including event IDs where appropriate), and attach targets such as SNS or Lambda. EventBridge supports additional AWS targets, so it is useful for routing and automation workflows.
Filtering is not the same in both systems
RDS subscriptions select categories and resources. EventBridge rules match fields in the event payload. Categories and message IDs are therefore not interchangeable: a category is a broad subscription filter, while an event ID can be a detail used in an EventBridge pattern.
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What is inside an RDS notification?
RDS event data includes attributes such as EventID and Resource. EventID identifies the event message (for example, RDS-EVENT-0006), while Resource identifies the ARN of the emitting resource.
For SNS and EventBridge integrations, event tags can appear in the message body. Tags reflect the resource’s tag data when RDS sends the notification, so they can differ from tags that existed when the underlying event occurred. Email and SMS notifications do not include event tags.
Use the RDS event category and message reference to find the categories, IDs, and text associated with a resource type. Do not substitute an event ID for a category when configuring an RDS subscription.
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- To get set up, connect the portable hard drive to a computer for automatic recognition software required
- This USB drive provides plug and play simplicity with the included 18 inch USB 3.0 cable
- The available storage capacity may vary.
How reliable are RDS and EventBridge notifications?
RDS notifications
AWS states that event notifications might take up to five minutes to be delivered. This is an upper-bound product statement, not a latency guarantee. Amazon RDS also does not guarantee the order of events in an event stream.
EventBridge service events
AWS describes RDS service events on EventBridge as best effort. Events can be missing or arrive out of sequence. Do not design a workflow that assumes exactly-once delivery, complete history, or a reliable chronological stream.
Design implication
Use notifications to trigger operational attention and automation. If you need a complete state history or audit trail, evaluate a separate durable logging and audit design rather than treating either notification path as the system of record.
Quick Recap
Why might an RDS notification be missing?
- Check the subscription state. Confirm the RDS event subscription is enabled.
- Check scope. Verify the emitting resource matches the configured source type and source IDs, or that the subscription intentionally covers all resources of that type.
- Check categories. Confirm the event’s category is available for that resource type and selected in the subscription.
- Check the SNS topic ARN. Ensure the subscription points to the intended topic and that its access configuration has not been changed.
- Confirm SNS endpoints. Email and other endpoints may require confirmation before delivery begins.
- Check the event reference. Verify that the resource supports the event and that the event ID or category is current.
- Allow for timing and ordering. RDS may take up to five minutes, and a later event can appear before an earlier one.
- For EventBridge, inspect the rule and target. Confirm the event pattern matches the actual payload and that the target is configured and permitted to receive the event.
Operational checklist
- Choose SNS for source/category subscriptions and human-facing endpoints.
- Choose EventBridge for detail-based matching, Lambda invocation, or multi-target routing.
- Discover categories with the console or
describe-event-categoriesbefore selecting filters. - Keep event IDs and categories conceptually separate.
- Include the resource ARN and event ID in downstream logs when available.
- Make consumers tolerant of delayed, duplicated-looking, missing, or out-of-order signals.
- Review current AWS service pricing and documentation before changing a production design.
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