AuraDB Fundamentals ›Getting Started
Manage an instance

AuraDB Fundamentals

Introduction to Neo4j Aura

Getting Started

Tools

Operations

Manage an instance

Managing instances

In the previous lesson, you learned how to create Aura instances and to understand the key factors that influence instance configuration.

In this lesson, you will learn how to:

  • Resize instances up or down based on workload needs

  • Upgrade to a different tier

  • Pause instances to stop costs (and why idle instances still incur costs)

  • Clone and delete instances

Understanding instance management

Your Aura instance comes with a comprehensive set of management options accessible through the three-dot menu in your console.

The diagram shows the complete instance lifecycle from creation to deletion, including pause/resume and resize operations.

Instance lifecycle diagram showing all states and transitions

Instance management options

The menu provides access to the following options:

  • Inspect - View connection details and instance statistics

  • Snapshots - Take and export database snapshots

  • Backup & Restore - Restore database from a backup file

  • Clone to - Clone the data in the graph to a new or existing instance

  • Reset to blank - Clear the database and start fresh

  • Delete - Permanently delete the instance and all data

Inspecting your instance

The inspect option allows you to view the details of your instance.

inspect

Tips for inspecting an instance

Here you will find connection information for the database, the current version and tier related information.

Rename your instance using the pencil icon to the top right of the name.

This panel also allows you to view and take snapshots and restore the database from a backup.

Upgrading an AuraDB Free instance

As your application grows, you may need to adjust your instance size or move to a different tier.

To upgrade, click the Upgrade button on the instance card.

On your instances page, Upgrade is a button on the instance card and allows you to change the instance to a higher tier.

update

This will open up the Upgrade instance modal window, allowing you to select the tier you want to upgrade to.

Upgrade instance to another tier

Upgrading to AuraDB Professional

Upgrading to AuraDB Professional

You can upgrade to a trial AuraDB Professional, but upgrading to Business Critical tier requires adding payment information.

Configuring instance sizes

For AuraDB Professional and AuraDB Business Critical tiers, configure the instance size using the Configure button.

configure

Configuring an instance

The Configure option allows you to resize your instance in both directions - scaling up when you need more resources, or scaling down to reduce costs.

Scaling up

Scale up your instance when:

  • Query performance degrades due to insufficient memory

  • Your dataset grows beyond current storage capacity

  • You need more CPU for complex graph algorithms

On the configuration screen, select higher memory settings. Storage and CPU scale proportionally.

Scaling down

Scale down your instance when:

  • Your workload decreases (e.g., after a busy season)

  • You over-provisioned during initial setup

  • You want to reduce costs for development or testing environments

Select lower memory settings to reduce resource allocation and costs.

Configuration options

The configuration screen provides options to:

  • Adjust memory size (RAM) for vertical scaling (improves write performance)

  • Add or remove secondaries for horizontal scaling (improves read performance)

  • Change the memory-to-storage ratio

  • Rename your instance

Vertical and horizontal scaling

Vertical scaling (scaling up/down):

  • Increases memory and CPU on the primary instance

  • Improves write performance and complex query execution

  • Select higher memory settings in the configuration screen

Horizontal scaling (adding secondaries):

  • Adds read replicas to distribute query load

  • Improves read performance for high-traffic applications

  • Available on Business Critical and Virtual Dedicated Cloud tiers

Additional configuration

Advanced options include enabling the Graph Analytics library and Vector optimized configuration. For more information, see the Neo4j Aura documentation on resizing instances.

After selecting your configuration and reviewing the pricing, check I accept and click Configure.

Configuration takes a few minutes to complete. Read and write access is maintained during this time.

Cloning your instance

Cloning makes a copy of an existing instance into:

  1. Another existing instance, overwriting the existing data

  2. A new instance

Development and Testing

Cloning is useful for creating development environments, testing changes, or setting up staging environments that mirror production.

Cloning an instance

Clone to a higher tier when you need different infrastructure. Unlike upgrade, cloning creates a new instance with a different URI.

Pausing an instance

For paid tiers (Professional, Business Critical, Virtual Dedicated Cloud), pause instances to stop incurring costs when not in use.

Access the pause option through the three-dot menu on your instance card.

Idle instances still incur costs

A running instance continues to bill even when idle. Even if you do not execute any queries, this does not pause your instance or reduce costs. You need to manually pause the instance to stop billing.

Deleting an instance

Deleting an instance terminates the instance and deletes all associated data.

Deletion is permanent. Unlike pausing, there’s no coming back from deletion unless you have exported snapshots.

Before deleting, ensure you have exported any data you want to keep.

Check your understanding

Instance Information

What information is available when you inspect an Aura instance? Select all that apply.

  • ✓ Connection details including the database URI

  • ✓ The current Neo4j version running on the instance

  • ✓ The tier of the instance

  • ❏ Real-time CPU and memory usage metrics

Hint

Instance inspection provides essential connection and configuration information. Real-time performance metrics require separate monitoring tools.

Solution

The correct answers are:

  • Connection details including the database URI - You can find the connection string needed to connect your applications to the database.

  • The current Neo4j version running on the instance - The Neo4j version is displayed so you know which features and syntax are available.

  • The tier of the instance - You can verify which tier your instance is running on, whether Free, Professional, or Business Critical.

Real-time CPU and memory usage metrics are not displayed in the basic instance information. Monitoring capabilities vary by tier and may require additional configuration.

Summary

In this lesson, you learned the essential management operations for Aura instances:

  • Inspecting instances - Access connection details, instance statistics, and configuration information through the three-dot menu

  • Upgrading instances - Move from AuraDB Free to AuraDB Professional and AuraDB Business Critical tiers

  • Configuring instance sizes - Adjust memory, CPU, and storage for Professional and Business Critical tiers

  • Pausing instances - Stop costs by manually pausing (idle instances still incur costs)

  • Cloning instances - Create copies for development, testing, or staging environments

  • Deleting instances - Permanently remove instances and data

In the next lesson, you will learn about backup and restore operations to protect your data.

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