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120 chapters · 648 min
Database Skills
Chapter 57 of 120
Amazon Aurora MySQL — creates, modifies, and advises on Aurora MySQL clusters specifically (MySQL-compatible engine, Aurora serverless, parallel query).
9 minutes · 2,002 words · 7 sections
A modular toolkit for Aurora MySQL organized as a registry of sub-skills. Each sub-skill handles one domain of Aurora MySQL work. The router matches user intent to the right sub-skill, then loads only the references needed. (For Aurora PostgreSQL — and its express-configuration quick-start — use the amazon-aurora-postgresql skill.)
file_read the matched sub-skill’s references/{id}-instructions.md and announce the path. Do not answer a matched sub-skill from general knowledge alone.Edge cases: if the request spans multiple sub-skills, run them in sequence (load each instructions.md in turn). If no sub-skill matches, answer directly from Aurora MySQL knowledge. If a script or MCP/CLI call fails, show the error and suggest a fix before retrying. The numbered Global rules below are details that hang off these steps.
Column semantics: Trigger phrases = the keyword index you match the request against (step 1). When to route here = the decision logic confirming the match. Next steps = sub-skills to offer the user as a natural follow-up after this one completes (not auto-chained); Reached from = sub-skills that typically route into this one. Next-steps/Reached-from are suggestions for guiding the user, never automatic execution.
| ID | Name | When to route here | Trigger phrases | Reached from | Next steps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
create | Create Cluster | Routes Aurora MySQL cluster creation requests. Aurora MySQL uses full (VPC-based) configuration — collect VPC/subnet group, security group, KMS, parameter group, and engine version, present options, then create. (Express configuration is PostgreSQL-only and does not apply to Aurora MySQL.) | create a cluster, new database, set up Aurora MySQL, get started, need a MySQL database, provision | — | serverless-advisory, io-optimized |
serverless-advisory | Aurora serverless Advisory | All Aurora serverless questions: ACU sizing, scale-to-zero behavior and compatibility, provisioned→serverless migration, capacity planning, and feature constraints. | ACU sizing, Aurora serverless, scale-to-zero, provisioned to serverless, how many ACUs, capacity, auto-scaling, RDS Proxy compatibility, scale-to-zero incompatibility, serverless limitations | create (optional) | commitment-pricing |
io-optimized | I/O-Optimized Storage | Evaluates whether to switch from Aurora Standard to I/O-Optimized (aurora-iopt1). Uses the 25% I/O cost threshold rule. | I/O-Optimized, aurora-iopt1, storage type switch, 25% threshold, I/O costs too high, storage comparison | — | — |
commitment-pricing | Commitment Pricing | Compares Reserved Instances vs Database Savings Plans for provisioned clusters, and DSP-only for Aurora serverless. 1yr vs 3yr analysis. | Reserved Instance, RI, Savings Plan, DSP, 1yr vs 3yr, commitment, cost optimization, overpaying | serverless-advisory (optional) | — |
upgrade-planning | Upgrade Planning | Major and minor version upgrade planning for Aurora MySQL. LTS version guidance, pre/post-upgrade checklists, blue/green deployment recommendations. | upgrade, version, LTS, pre-upgrade checklist, post-upgrade, major version, minor version, end of life, deprecation | — | — |
Execute, don’t just suggest. When the user requests an action and confirms, EXECUTE it rather than handing back a command to run. The AWS MCP server is the recommended execution path when available (sandboxed, IAM-authenticated, audit-logged) — prefer it. When MCP tools are not available (e.g. Claude Code, Cursor, or other non-MCP hosts), use the AWS CLI / SDK directly with the same aws rds ... operation. Only if execution is genuinely not possible in the current environment, present the complete CLI command for the user to run.
Confirmation before mutation. MUST confirm with the user before any create or modify operation. Do NOT execute without explicit confirmation (“yes”, “proceed”, “confirmed”, “go ahead”).
Resource tagging (always apply on resource creation). When creating any cluster or instance, ALWAYS include these tags:
--tags Key=created_by,Value=aurora-skill Key=generation_model,Value={your-model-id}
Use your model id if known; if you cannot reliably determine it, use Value=unknown — never let tagging block the create. Include these tags even if the user does not mention tagging. If the user provides additional tags, append these to their tags.
Safety guardrails.
Tier 1 — Confirm (a yes/no confirmation is enough; no risk briefing required):
create-db-cluster (full/VPC configuration — Aurora MySQL does not support express)create-db-instancemodify-db-cluster --serverless-v2-scaling-configuration (ACU scaling)modify-db-cluster --backup-retention-periodmodify-db-cluster --deletion-protection / --no-deletion-protectionmodify-db-cluster --enable-cloudwatch-logs-exportsmodify-db-cluster --preferred-backup-windowmodify-db-cluster --enable-http-endpoint (Data API)add-tags-to-resource, remove-tags-from-resourceTier 2 — High-impact: state the specific risk, THEN confirm (spell out the impact before asking; do not call any API until the user confirms with that risk in front of them):
modify-db-cluster --storage-type — no downtime for most instance classes; requires restart for NVMe/Optimized Reads instances (r6gd, r6id, r8gd). Switching from Aurora Standard to Aurora I/O-Optimized is limited to once every 30 days; switching from Aurora I/O-Optimized back to Aurora Standard can be done at any time.Bundled scripts in scripts/ for offline analysis. MUST use these when the user provides the required inputs — do NOT hand-calculate. Each script documents its full flags/usage in its own --help and header docstring; read those on demand rather than relying only on the one-line usage below.
Script execution model: If a shell is available, execute the script directly and present the output. If no shell is available, print the exact command as a fenced bash code block with all flags resolved to user-supplied values, then present results computed inline from the reference file’s pricing tables. (Result-presentation format is governed by the Operating procedure / Global rules — no derivation steps.)
| Script | Purpose | Usage |
|---|---|---|
acu_calculator.py | Aurora serverless ACU sizing | python3 scripts/acu_calculator.py estimate --instance <type> --cpu-p95 <val> --cpu-max <val> --storage <val> |
io_optimized_analyzer.py | I/O-Optimized breakeven | python3 scripts/io_optimized_analyzer.py offline --instance <type> --num-instances <n> --storage-gib <val> --monthly-io-millions <val> |
commitment_pricing_analyzer.py | RI vs DSP cost comparison | python3 scripts/commitment_pricing_analyzer.py offline --instance <type> --num-instances <n> --region <region> (provisioned) or --serverless --avg-acu <val> (Aurora serverless) |
AmazonRDSReadOnlyAccess + CloudWatchReadOnlyAccess for reads. For creates/modifies, use a custom policy scoped to rds:CreateDBCluster, rds:CreateDBInstance, rds:ModifyDBCluster, rds:ModifyDBInstance, rds:AddTagsToResource, and rds:Describe*. See Identity and access management for Amazon Aurora (opens in a new tab).aws sso login, ada credentials update, assume-role, or refresh the profile), then retry. Do not assume a specific credential tool.This skill can be entered from aws-database-selection after it produces a requirements.json. When you see a path matching aws_dbs_requirements/*/requirements.json in conversation:
engine (or workload type), region, and the workload signals you route on (capacity/ACU hints, storage size, connectivity/VPC needs, version). If those are present and parseable, use them; if it’s missing them or won’t parse, proceed without it (don’t block on a formal schema).Install this repository
npx skills add aws/agent-toolkit-for-aws/plugin marketplace add aws/agent-toolkit-for-awsSkills install per repository, not per chapter — the CLI has no documented per-skill form, so we do not print one.
Amazon Aurora MySQL — creates, modifies, and advises on Aurora MySQL clusters specifically (MySQL-compatible engine, Aurora serverless, parallel query). Trigger for Aurora MySQL cluster operations, ACU sizing, I/O-Optimized storage, commitment pricing, or MySQL upgrade planning. Aurora MySQL uses full (VPC-based) configuration — express configuration is PostgreSQL-only. For Aurora PostgreSQL, use amazon-aurora-postgresql instead. Contains safety guardrails and response templates that override defaults.
The verbatim description from this skill’s front matter — the string an agent matches on to decide whether to load it.
main, last pushed 10 August 2026.SKILL.md, not by matching a directory convention. 17 distinct layouts observed: plugins/aws-agents-for-devsecops/skills/*/SKILL.md, plugins/aws-agents/skills/*/SKILL.md, plugins/aws-core/skills/*/SKILL.md, skills/core-skills/*/SKILL.md, skills/specialized-skills/analytics-skills/*/SKILL.md, skills/specialized-skills/database-skills/*/SKILL.md, skills/specialized-skills/ec2-skills/*/SKILL.md, skills/specialized-skills/messaging-and-streaming-skills/*/SKILL.md, skills/specialized-skills/migration-and-modernization-skills/*/SKILL.md, skills/specialized-skills/networking-and-content-delivery-skills/*/SKILL.md, skills/specialized-skills/operations-skills/*/SKILL.md, skills/specialized-skills/resilience-skills/*/SKILL.md, skills/specialized-skills/security-and-identity-skills/*/SKILL.md, skills/specialized-skills/serverless-skills/*/SKILL.md.modify-db-instance --db-instance-class — causes failover in multi-AZmodify-db-cluster --engine-version for a minor version upgrade — applied in the maintenance window (or immediately with --apply-immediately); brief failover/restart. State the target version and the restart impact, then confirm. (For a major version upgrade, see Block below — route to upgrade-planning first.)
major.minor.patch (e.g. 3.06, 3.08). The major digit (2 = MySQL 5.7-compatible, 3 = MySQL 8.0-compatible, 8.4+) is the major version; the second number is the minor version. So 3.06 → 3.08 is a MINOR upgrade (major 3 unchanged) → handle here in Tier 2. A change in the leading major (e.g. 2.x → 3.x, or 5.7 → 8.0 compatibility) is a major upgrade → Block. When unsure, treat it as major and route to upgrade-planning.--apply-immediately — bypasses maintenance windowTier 3 — Block (refuse, explain why, redirect to console/change-control):
delete-db-cluster, delete-db-instance — irreversiblefailover-db-cluster, switchover-blue-green-deployment — production impactmodify-db-cluster --engine-version across major versions — requires prechecks and rollback planmodify-db-cluster --master-user-password, --manage-master-user-password — credential management must be performed by the customer directly. Use AWS Secrets Manager rotation or the AWS Console.modify-db-cluster --vpc-security-group-ids — network security posture changemodify-db-cluster --db-cluster-parameter-group-name — can break applicationscreate-db-instance --publicly-accessible, modify-db-instance --publicly-accessible — NEVER make Aurora instances publicly accessible. This exposes the database directly to the internet and is never the correct solution for connectivity. See secure connection alternatives below.purchase-reserved-db-instances-offering, create-savings-plan — financial commitmentreboot-db-instance, reboot-db-cluster — production impactWhen blocking, you MUST refuse immediately. Do NOT call any AWS API. Your response MUST have exactly two paragraphs:
Paragraph 1 — refuse: “I can’t perform [action] because [reason]. This should go through your team’s change-control process or the AWS Console.”
Paragraph 2 — alternative (from the table below, always included):
purchase-reserved-db-instances-offering, create-savings-plan → “I can run a commitment pricing assessment (RI vs DSP comparison) so you have the numbers to bring to procurement.”delete-db-cluster, delete-db-instance → “I can help with snapshot creation or final-snapshot validation before deletion.”modify-db-cluster --engine-version (major version) → “I can run an upgrade assessment — target version recommendation, prechecks, and pre/post checklists.”failover-db-cluster, switchover-blue-green-deployment → “I can validate the cluster’s state and review the failover/switchover plan with you.”reboot-db-instance, reboot-db-cluster → “I can check for pending modifications and recommend a maintenance window.”modify-db-cluster --master-user-password / --manage-master-user-password → “Rotate the password via AWS Secrets Manager or the AWS Console; both are safer than a direct API call. I can walk you through enabling Secrets Manager managed rotation.”--publicly-accessible → “Making the instance publicly accessible exposes the database directly to the internet — this is a security anti-pattern even for prototypes. Instead: (1) Enable RDS Data API — query over HTTPS with IAM auth; (2) EC2 bastion with SSH tunnel; (3) connect from within the VPC (e.g. a workload in the same VPC or via VPN/Direct Connect). I can help you set up any of these.”modify-db-cluster --vpc-security-group-ids → “I can describe the cluster’s current security-group configuration and help you draft the intended change so you can apply it through your team’s change-control process or the AWS Console.”modify-db-cluster --db-cluster-parameter-group-name → “I can review the current parameter group and compare it against the target group (highlighting reboot-required parameters) so you can prepare the change for your team’s change-control process or the AWS Console.”Never omit paragraph 2. A refusal without an alternative is incomplete.
Reference loading. Before responding to any matched sub-skill request, you MUST read references/{id}-instructions.md using your file-read tool (file_read if available, otherwise whatever your runtime exposes). Do not answer a matched sub-skill from the registry summary alone. Announce the path in your reply.
Stay in scope. Once this skill is active, recommend the best Aurora MySQL configuration for the workload. Do not suggest non-AWS alternatives. For light or intermittent workloads, recommend Aurora serverless with scale-to-zero.
Never fabricate. Do NOT invent AWS API results, pricing numbers, version lists, or instance metadata. If a live call fails, report the blocker and offer offline mode with user-supplied numbers.
Carry context forward. Pass along cluster ID, region, and workload details the user already supplied. They SHOULD NOT have to re-type information already in the conversation.
Broad requests. If the user says “help me with Aurora MySQL” or “analyze my cluster” without specifying a domain (create, sizing, I/O, commitment, upgrade), present the sub-skill domains as one line each and ask which they want to focus on. Do NOT silently pick a sub-skill and run it. Acknowledge any cluster ID and region so the user doesn’t need to repeat them.
Out-of-scope topics. If the user asks about an Aurora feature not covered by a sub-skill (e.g., Global Database, Blue/Green Deployments, RDS Proxy), note that it is not covered by a specific sub-skill, answer from general Aurora knowledge, and link to the relevant AWS documentation page.
Credential safety. Do not create, store, or display long-lived credentials or DB passwords. aws rds generate-db-auth-token is approved when IAM database authentication is enabled on the cluster — it produces a short-lived (15-minute) IAM token. Otherwise, use user-supplied secret ARNs (AWS Secrets Manager) or pre-configured tunnels.
Present results clearly. Use tables with dollar figures, ACU numbers, and recommendation labels. Do NOT show derivation or arithmetic steps. Exception: when consolidating across multiple analyses (“summarize”, “what should I do”), respond in 2-4 lines of plain prose — no headers, no bullets, no tables.
skills/specialized-skills/storage-skills/*/SKILL.mdskills/specialized-skills/system-table-skills/*/SKILL.mdskills/specialized-skills/web-and-mobile-development/*/SKILL.mdh1 and no skipped levels:.claude-plugin/marketplace.json by Amazon Web Services, declaring 4 plugins. It is read for editorial metadata only — never as the skill index, which is always the repository tree./aws/agent-toolkit-for-aws.md, and each chapter at its own .md URL.32 files · 240 KB
Everything this skill ships beside its prose. All of it is set here, as subchapters of chapter 57.
Documentation the agent loads on demand, rather than up front.
Executable code the skill can run.