---
title: FAQ
url: https://docs.vultr.com/products/storage/databases/mysql/faq
description: Answers to common questions about Vultr Managed Databases for MySQL features, capabilities, and limitations.
publish_date: 2024-09-23T20:21:30.139303Z
last_updated: 2026-05-26T19:44:04.064583Z
---

# Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Vultr Managed Databases for MySQL

These are the frequently asked questions for Vultr Managed Databases for MySQL.

???+ note "What MySQL storage engines are available?"

    Vultr Managed Databases for MySQL only supports the InnoDB storage engine.

??? note "What are Replica Nodes?"

    Replica nodes are copies of the primary node in a Vultr Managed Databases for MySQL cluster. You can create replica nodes during provisioning, or click **Add Read Only Replica Node** in the **Actions** section within the **Overview** tab in your cluster's management page.

??? note "What type of Replica Nodes are attached to a Vultr Managed Databases for MySQL cluster?"

    The attached replica nodes are failover nodes used to ensure high availability and recovery of your database cluster in case the primary node fails. Failover replica nodes are read-only while the primary node performs the write operations in your cluster to ensure data consistency across all replicas.

??? note "Can I create Replica Nodes in a Vultr location that's different from my cluster location?"

    Yes, you can create read-only replica nodes in other Vultr locations, different from your Vultr Managed Databases for MySQL cluster location. Click **Add Read-Only Replica Node** to create a new replica node and specify the target Vultr location.

??? note "How many Replica Nodes can I attach to a Vultr Managed Databases for MySQL cluster?"

    You can attach up-to `3` replica nodes to a Vultr Managed Databases for MySQL cluster.

??? note "How do I scale my database cluster?"

    Navigate to the **Settings** tab and click **Change Plan** on the left navigation menu in your cluster's management page to scale your cluster up. You cannot scale your cluster down, but you can migrate or fork it to a new, smaller cluster.

??? note "How do I create an admin (superuser) or root-level account?"

    You cannot create superuser accounts for managed databases. You can only create standard user accounts in your cluster. Navigate to the **Users & Databases** tab to create a new user.

??? note "Can I use multiple primary (write) nodes?"

    A cluster can only have one primary node, but you can assign multiple replica (read-only) nodes.

??? note "Do I need to use primary keys for my tables?"

    Yes, you must use primary keys for all database tables, which is enforced through the database configuration.

??? note "Is the database backed up?"

    Yes, Vultr Managed Databases for MySQL are automatically backed up. In addition, all server plans other than `Hobbyist` offer user-initiated recovery, forking, and point-in-time backups to restore a cluster incase of any failures. Navigate to the **Actions** section within the **Overview** tab in your Vultr Managed Databases for MySQL management page to fork a database cluster, and restore data from backups.

    Vultr Managed Databases for MySQL offer point-in-time recovery history, and the duration available depends on your node plan.

    * Premium: `30 days`
    * Business: `14 days`
    * Startup: `2 days`
    * Hobbyist: `None`

??? note "How do I find my node plan?"

    * You can deploy managed databases in several node plans, which are a shorthand way of identifying the available size and number of nodes. We offer Hobbyist, Startup, Business, and Premium node plans.
    * After you deploy a managed database, look in the **General Information** section of your cluster's information page. The Node Plan appears below the **Monthly Price**. The plan name format is `Vultr-Dbaas-[plan type]-[other internal information]`.
    * The node plan determines what backup and recovery options are available.

??? note "Can I deploy managed databases with the Vultr API or Vultr CLI?"

    Yes, you can use the Vultr API or Vultr CLI to provision a managed database for MySQL.

??? note "What versions of MySQL are available?"

    Vultr's managed database clusters use the latest MySQL version.

??? note "Can I set the SQL mode for MySQL?"

    Yes. MySQL can operate in different SQL modes. You can apply these modes in the database server's **Settings** tab through the Vultr Console. See the [MySQL documentation](https://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/8.0/en/sql-mode.html) to learn more about SQL modes.

    Notes about MySQL Modes:

    * The ANSI (Combination Mode) SQL mode includes the following SQL modes: REAL_AS_FLOAT, PIPES_AS_CONCAT, ANSI_QUOTES, IGNORE_SPACE, and ONLY_FULL_GROUP_BY.
    * You can toggle some modes individually, but if ANSI (Combination Mode) is enabled, that setting will take precedence.
    For example, if you want to disable ONLY_FULL_GROUP_BY, you will also need to disable ANSI (Combination Mode) because it is a part of that mode bundle.
    * According to the MySQL documentation, TRADITIONAL (Combination Mode) includes the following SQL modes: STRICT_TRANS_TABLES, STRICT_ALL_TABLES, NO_ZERO_IN_DATE, NO_ZERO_DATE, ERROR_FOR_DIVISION_BY_ZERO, and NO_ENGINE_SUBSTITUTION.
    * We do not support the NO_BACKSLASH_ESCAPES or PAD_CHAR_TO_FULL_LENGTH SQL modes at this time.

    Some features that you cannot set globally can be enabled per session. For example, you cannot set `binlog_row_value_options = partial_json` globally, but you can set it per session using the following command:

    ```sql
    SET SESSION binlog_row_value_options = partial_json;
    ```

??? note "What MySQL database properties can I configure?"

    You cannot change MySQL database properties or use the root user for cluster stability. However, you can view the database properties with the `SHOW VARIABLES;` SQL query.