Overview - SQL Server to Aurora PostgreSQL Migration Playbook
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Overview

The first section of this document provides an overview of Amazon Schema Conversion Tool (Amazon SCT) and the Amazon Database Migration Service (Amazon DMS) tools for automating the migration of schema, objects and data. The remainder of the document contains individual sections for the source database features and their Aurora counterparts. Each section provides a short overview of the feature, examples, and potential workaround solutions for incompatibilities.

You can use this playbook either as a reference to investigate the individual action codes generated by Amazon SCT, or to explore a variety of topics where you expect to have some incompatibility issues. When using Amazon SCT, you may see a report that lists Action codes , which indicates some manual conversion is required, or that a manual verification is recommended. For your convenience, this Playbook includes an Amazon SCT Action Code Index section providing direct links to the relevant topics that discuss the manual conversion tasks needed to address these action codes. Alternatively, you can explore the Tables of Feature Compatibility section that provides high-level graphical indicators and descriptions of the feature compatibility between the source database and Aurora. It also includes a graphical compatibility indicator and links to the actual sections in the playbook.

The Migration Quick Tips section provides a list of tips for administrators or developers who have little experience with Aurora (PostgreSQL or MySQL). It briefly highlights key differences between the source database and Aurora that they are likely to encounter.

Note that not all of the source database features are fully compatible with Aurora or have simple workarounds. From a migration perspective, this document doesn’t yet cover all source database features and capabilities.

This database migration playbook covers the following topics:

Disclaimer

The various code snippets, commands, guides, best practices, and scripts included in this document should be used for reference only and are provided as-is without warranty. Test all of the code, commands, best practices, and scripts outlined in this document in a non-production environment first. Amazon and its affiliates are not responsible for any direct or indirect damage that may occur from the information contained in this document.

Tables of Feature Compatibility

Feature Compatibility Legend

Automation level icon Description


                                 Five star feature compatibility

Very high compatibility. None or minimal low-risk and low-effort rewrites needed.


                                 Four star feature compatibility

High compatibility. Some low-risk rewrites needed, easy workarounds exist for incompatible features.


                                 Three star feature compatibility

Medium compatibility. More involved low-medium risk rewrites needed, some redesign may be needed for incompatible features.


                                 Two star feature compatibility

Low compatibility. Medium to high risk rewrites needed, some incompatible features require redesign and reasonable-effort workarounds exist.


                                 One star feature compatibility

Very low compatibility. High risk and/or high-effort rewrites needed, some features require redesign and workarounds are challenging.


                                 No compatibility

Not compatible. No practical workarounds yet, may require an application level architectural solution to work around incompatibilities.

Amazon SCT and Amazon DMS Automation Level Legend

Automation level icon Description


                                 Five star automation level

Full automation. Amazon SCT performs fully automatic conversion, no manual conversion needed.


                                 Four star automation level

High automation. Minor, simple manual conversions may be needed.


                                 Three star automation level

Medium automation. Low-medium complexity manual conversions may be needed.


                                 Two star automation level

Low automation. Medium-high complexity manual conversions may be needed.


                                 One star automation level

Very low automation. High risk or complex manual conversions may be needed.


                                 No automation

No automation. Not currently supported by Amazon SCT, manual conversion is required for this feature.