Migrate from AWS RDS to Xata
Learn how to migrate your AWS RDS PostgreSQL database to Xata using xata clone. Step-by-step instructions for configuring the migration.
Prerequisites
- AWS RDS PostgreSQL instance
- Access to AWS Console and RDS parameter groups
- Xata account and project setup
- Network access to your RDS instance
Create Snapshot User
Connect to your RDS instance and create a dedicated user for migration:
-- Create snapshot user
CREATE USER xata_snapshot WITH LOGIN PASSWORD 'your_secure_password';
-- Grant necessary privileges
GRANT SELECT ON ALL TABLES IN SCHEMA public TO xata_snapshot;
GRANT USAGE ON SCHEMA public TO xata_snapshot;
-- Grant privileges on future tables
ALTER DEFAULT PRIVILEGES IN SCHEMA public GRANT SELECT ON TABLES TO xata_snapshot;
Network Configuration
Option 1: Public Endpoint (Less Secure)
If your RDS instance has a public endpoint:
- Whitelist Your IP:
- Go to your RDS instance → Security Groups
- Add a rule allowing PostgreSQL (port 5432) from your IP address
- Or temporarily allow from anywhere (0.0.0.0/0) for migration
Option 2: VPC Access (Recommended)
For better security, run the migration from within AWS:
-
EC2 Instance in Same VPC:
- Launch an EC2 instance in the same VPC as your RDS
- Install Xata CLI on the EC2 instance
- Run the migration from there
-
GitHub Actions with AWS Credentials:
- Use GitHub Actions with AWS credentials
- Configure the action to run in your VPC
- Use the private endpoint for connection
Get Connection String
RDS Connection String Format
postgresql://xata_replication:your_password@your-rds-endpoint:5432/your_database
You can find the endpoint in the AWS RDS Console under your instance details.
Initialize Xata Project
Set up your Xata project configuration:
xata init
Configure the Migration
Set up your clone configuration with optional anonymization:
# Set your source URL
export XATA_CLI_SOURCE_POSTGRES_URL="postgresql://xata_replication:your_password@your-rds-endpoint:5432/your_database"
# Configure anonymization rules
xata clone config --source-url $XATA_CLI_SOURCE_POSTGRES_URL --mode prompt
Start the Migration
Begin the data transfer:
# Start the migration
xata clone start --source-url $XATA_CLI_SOURCE_POSTGRES_URL
Monitor Progress
Check the migration status:
xata clone status
Verification
After migration, verify your data:
-
Connect to Xata Branch:
xata branch url
-
Check Data Integrity:
-- Compare row counts SELECT COUNT(*) FROM your_table; -- Check sample data SELECT * FROM your_table LIMIT 10;
-
Test Relationships: Verify foreign key relationships work correctly
Troubleshooting
Common Issues
-
Connection Refused:
- Check security group rules
- Verify the endpoint is correct
- Ensure the instance is publicly accessible (if using public endpoint)
-
Permission Denied:
- Verify the snapshot user has correct privileges
- Check that the user has sufficient permissions
-
Parameter Group Issues:
- Ensure your RDS instance supports the required features
- Check if any parameter group restrictions apply
SSL Configuration
If you encounter SSL issues, add SSL parameters to your connection string:
postgresql://xata_replication:your_password@your-rds-endpoint:5432/your_database?sslmode=require
Next Steps
- Explore Xata branching for development workflows
- Learn about schema changes with zero downtime
- Set up continuous sync for ongoing replication