App Platform PostgreSQL Backup Retention Modification Requires Database Recreation

Database Backup Retention Configuration Constraint

DigitalOcean App Platform's managed PostgreSQL databases expose backup retention periods as a configurable parameter during initial provisioning, with documented support for values between 1 and 30 days. However, the constraint that this setting becomes immutable after database creation introduces operational complexity for environments requiring retention policy adjustments.

The Terraform provider's backup_retention_period attribute and API endpoint /v2/databases/{database_id}/backups both surface this configuration, but neither mechanism provides a path to modify the value without triggering database recreation. This behavior aligns with DigitalOcean's documented database management model, where certain structural properties cannot be altered post-provisioning.

For production workloads, this immutability creates a planning dependency: retention policies must be finalized before database creation, as any subsequent change necessitates downtime through the recreation process. This is particularly relevant for compliance scenarios where retention requirements may evolve.

What is the recommended approach for handling backup retention policy changes in existing App Platform PostgreSQL databases without incurring significant downtime? Does DigitalOcean provide any migration tooling or alternative configuration method for modifying this setting post-creation?