page:migrate:azure database for postgresql:transactional workflows

Migrate Azure Database for PostgreSQL: Transactional workflows

Move PostgreSQL data from Azure Database 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 an allowed network or private endpoint. Not migrated automatically: Microsoft Entra authentication, zone-redundant HA and PITR have no equivalent on the managed database.

Cutover:

Freeze writes with the user's go-ahead, take the final dump, restore, validate, redeploy with the managed DATABASE_URL, keep the Azure server until confirmed.

Rollback:

Keep the source untouched until you confirm; nothing at the source is changed or deleted by this guide.

Workflow Steps

1. Inventory the source
   List what Azure Database for PostgreSQL provides beyond the component you are moving. Out of scope here: Microsoft Entra authentication, zone-redundant HA and PITR have no equivalent on the managed database.

2. Source step 1
   Take a logical backup with pg_dump -Fc from an allowed network or private endpoint.

3. Source step 2
   Check the engine major version, extensions and server parameters 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.

   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 with the user's go-ahead, take the final dump, restore, validate, redeploy with the managed DATABASE_URL, keep the Azure server 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.

Limitations

• Documentation only: nothing is executed automatically and no execution binding is offered.
• The source-side procedure is documented from Azure Database for PostgreSQL's standard tooling and was not executed in this catalog's evidence; the destination side was verified with the pattern fixture.
• No full source-product parity is claimed: Microsoft Entra authentication, zone-redundant HA and PITR have no equivalent on the managed database.
• 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.