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Prerequisites

  • DigitalOcean Managed Database for PostgreSQL
  • Access to DigitalOcean Console
  • Xata account and project setup
  • Network access to your DigitalOcean database

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Install and Configure the Xata CLI

Install the Xata CLI: 
curl -fsSL https://xata.io/install.sh | bash
Authenticate with your Xata account: 
xata auth login

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Network Configuration

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Option 1: Public Access (Default)

DigitalOcean Managed Databases are typically accessible from the internet:
  1. No additional configuration needed for public access
  2. SSL is required by default
  3. Connection limits may apply based on your plan

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Option 2: Private Network (Premium Plans)

If you’re on a Premium plan with private network:
  1. Enable Private Network:
    • Go to your database cluster → “Settings” → “Networking”
    • Enable “Private Network”
    • Configure VPC peering if needed
  2. Run Migration from DigitalOcean:
    • Use Droplets in the same private network
    • Use App Platform or Functions in the same VPC

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Get Connection String

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Find Your Connection Details

  1. Go to DigitalOcean Console → Databases
  2. Click on your PostgreSQL cluster
  3. Go to “Settings” → “Connection Details”
  4. Copy the connection string

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Connection String Format

DigitalOcean connection strings typically look like this: 
postgresql://your_username:your_password@your-db-host:5432/defaultdb?sslmode=require

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Initialize Xata Project

Set up your Xata project configuration: 
xata init

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Configure the Migration

Set up your clone configuration with optional anonymization: 
# Set your source URL
export XATA_CLI_SOURCE_POSTGRES_URL="postgresql://your_username:your_password@your-db-host:5432/defaultdb?sslmode=require"

# Configure anonymization rules
xata clone config --source-url $XATA_CLI_SOURCE_POSTGRES_URL --mode prompt

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Start the Migration

Begin the data transfer: 
# Start the migration
xata clone start --source-url $XATA_CLI_SOURCE_POSTGRES_URL

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Monitor Progress

Check the migration status: 
xata clone status

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Verification

After migration, verify your data:
  1. Connect to Xata Branch: 
    psql `xata branch url`
  2. Check Data Integrity: 
    -- Compare row counts
SELECT COUNT(*) FROM your_table;

-- Check sample data
SELECT * FROM your_table LIMIT 10;
  3. Test Relationships: Verify foreign key relationships work correctly

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Next Steps