page:migrate:neon database:json document metadata

Migrate Neon database: JSON document metadata

Summary

Move PostgreSQL data from Neon database to Ample, one component at a time. Destination verified on Ample: a jsonb column with a GIN index queried by path and containment, with an aggregate over matching documents (json=ok).

• Source procedure: Take a logical backup with pg_dump -Fc from the primary branch. Not migrated automatically: Neon branching, autoscaling and scale-to-zero semantics have no equivalent; the managed database is one instance per app.
• Cutover: Freeze writes at the source with the user's go-ahead, take the final dump, restore, validate, redeploy the app with the managed DATABASE_URL, keep the Neon project until confirmed.
• Rollback: keep the source untouched until you confirm; nothing at the source is changed or deleted by this guide.

Workload

JSON document metadata

Migration Source

Neon database

Execution Status

unbound

Prerequisites

• Authorized access to the Neon database source and its export tooling
• An inventory of every component in scope and out of scope
• A validated backup or copy before any cutover
• An Ample account token with servers:write, databases:read

Workflow Steps

1. Inventory the source
   List what Neon database provides beyond the component you are moving. Out of scope here: Neon branching, autoscaling and scale-to-zero semantics have no equivalent; the managed database is one instance per app.
2. Source step 1
   Take a logical backup with pg_dump -Fc from the primary branch.
3. Source step 2
   Check the Postgres major version and extensions in use against the managed engine (PostgreSQL 16).
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 <your-db-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/json-document-metadata).
7. Cut over
   Freeze writes at the source with the user's go-ahead, take the final dump, restore, validate, redeploy the app with the managed DATABASE_URL, keep the Neon project 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.

Success Checks

• Destination app responds on its public URL
  • kind: http_get
  • path: /
  • expect: ample canary express patterns
• json-document-metadata check from the destination example
  • kind: http_get
  • path: /p/json-document-metadata
  • expect: see the pattern fixture checks
• Data or object counts and checksums match the source
  • kind: manual
  • expect: operator comparison before cutover.

Limitations

• Documentation only: nothing is executed automatically and no execution binding is offered.
• The source-side procedure is documented from Neon database'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: Neon branching, autoscaling and scale-to-zero semantics have no equivalent; the managed database is one instance per app.
• 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.