Amazon RDS MySQL now supports point-and-click upgrade from MySQL 5.6 to 5.7

Starting today, customers can upgrade their existing Amazon RDS for MySQL database instances from any supported minor version of MySQL 5.6 to 5.7.11 using either the console or API.

MySQL 5.7 offers several feature and performance benefits over MySQL 5.6. Some of the new features include:

• Native support for the JSON data type and built-in JSON functions
• Optimizer improvements for better EXPLAINing, parsing, and query performance
• GIS Spatial Extensions
• Improved parallel replication using logical clock mode
• Improved InnoDB scalability and temporary table performance
• Improved tablespace discovery during crash recovery
• Dynamic buffer pool resizing

We encourage you to read the RDS for MySQL upgrade documentation and test your application for compatibility before you upgrade your databases to MySQL 5.7.11. Amazon RDS makes this easy: you can create a snapshot of your running instance, create a new instance from the snapshot, upgrade it to MySQL 5.7.11, and do your testing.

Once you have verified your application against MySQL 5.7.11, you can initiate an upgrade by using the "Modify" option on the AWS Management Console corresponding to the DB instance you want to upgrade, choose MySQL 5.7.11, and proceed with the wizard. The upgrade may be applied immediately (if you select the "Apply Immediately" option), or during your next maintenance window (by default).

Please note that in either case, your database instance will have an availability impact for a few minutes as the upgrade completes.