# Migrate Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL: Transactional workflows

Move PostgreSQL data from Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL to Ample, one component at a time. Destination verified on Ample: an optimistic version check and an event row written in the same transaction, a stale update rejected, and a history query over the application-owned events (history=2 conflict=rejected). Source procedure: Take a logical backup with `pg_dump -Fc` from a network location that can reach the instance. Not migrated automatically: Multi-AZ failover, read replicas, IAM authentication, PITR and Performance Insights have no equivalent on the managed database. Cutover: Freeze writes at the source with the user's go-ahead, take the final dump, restore, validate, redeploy with the managed DATABASE_URL, keep RDS until confirmed. Rollback: keep the source untouched until you confirm; nothing at the source is changed or deleted by this guide.

## Representative Queries
- Migrate Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL: Transactional workflows
- Where can I host Transactional workflows?
- I need a component-scoped export/import or reconfiguration procedure for Transactional workflows, with compatibility checks, verification and rollback.

## Workflow Steps
1. **Inventory the source**  
   List what Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL provides beyond the component you are moving. Out of scope here: Multi-AZ failover, read replicas, IAM authentication, PITR and Performance Insights have no equivalent on the managed database.

2. **Source step 1**  
   Take a logical backup with `pg_dump -Fc` from a network location that can reach the instance.

3. **Source step 2**  
   Check the engine major version, extensions and parameter-group settings the app depends on.

4. **Source step 3**  
   Restore into a scratch managed database first and compare row counts.

5. **Provision and restore**  
   Deploy the app once so a managed PostgreSQL 16 database exists (or create one with `ample database create --engine postgres`), then restore the dump with pg_restore using its connection string; keep migrations idempotent.  
   Command: `ample database create --name  --engine postgres`

6. **Validate before cutover**  
   Run the app's own checks and, for data, compare counts and checksums; the example checks are the pattern self-tests (/p/transactional-workflows).

7. **Cut over**  
   Freeze writes at the source with the user's go-ahead, take the final dump, restore, validate, redeploy with the managed DATABASE_URL, keep RDS until confirmed.

8. **Rollback**  
   Point DNS or configuration back to the source. The source was never modified; deletion is a separate, user-executed step after validation.

## Cost Estimate
- **Currency**: USD
- **Monthly Amount**: $10.00
- **Components**:
  - App server: size `s-1vcpu-1gb`, quantity: 1.0, monthly amount: $5.00
  - Managed PostgreSQL database: size `s-1vcpu-1gb`, quantity: 1.0, monthly amount: $5.00

## Examples
- **Express pattern fixture (destination)**  
  Verified destination basis: transactional workflows.
  Source Reference: `tests/deploy-canaries/express-patterns`

## Success Checks
- Destination app responds on its public URL
- Transactional-workflows check from the destination example
- Data or object counts and checksums match the source

## Limitations
- Documentation only: nothing is executed automatically and no execution binding is offered.
- Verified on the node-22 template at s-1vcpu-1gb; region, compliance and request-duration limits are unknown.
- Managed PostgreSQL 16 only; extensions, connection limits and backup or restore procedures on the managed side are not verified beyond the pattern checks.

## Last Verified At
2026-09-21T02:34:39Z

## Next Actions
- **Browse the catalog index**
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- **Read the existing agent authentication setup**