Can I rename an RDS instance?

I have inherited a collection of RDS MySQL instances with random (useless) DB Instance names.

I often have to dig into the tags section to find out which project they belong to.

One of the settings I can modify in an RDS is the DB Instance Identifier.

If I change this, what will happen besides for the name change? Will it affect anybody's code? Or is it a harmless change?

These are live systems that I cannot afford to bring down.

Yes, you can rename an RDS instance... at your own peril.


When you rename a DB instance, the [DNS] endpoint [hostname] for the DB instance changes, because the URL includes the name you assigned to the DB instance.


http://docs.aws.amazon.com/AmazonRDS/latest/UserGuide/USER_RenameInstance.html

Your application code requires configuration changes to be coordinated, for this reason.

See the link above for the other implications. This is a supported and generally safe operation, but only in your maintenance window, because there will necessarily be a brief disruption as the DNS is changed and your app code is cycled in with the new database hostname.

StackExchange DevOps Q#1148, answer score: 10