Migrate Neon database: Relational records

Move PostgreSQL data from Neon database to Ample, one component at a time. Destination verified on Ample: a workspace-scoped table, an explicit state machine (draft to review to published) that rejects invalid transitions, and a cross-workspace read that returns nothing (transitions=true isolation=true).

Source procedure:

Take a logical backup with pg_dump -Fc from the primary branch.

Not migrated automatically:

• Neon branching
• Autoscaling
• 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.

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.
   • 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/relational-records).
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.

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.

Cost Estimate:

• Currency: USD
• Monthly Amount: 10.0
  • Basis: size prices from pricing.toml at build revision 1ac5595375130d45290090e82ed0f554ccd45405-dirty
  • Components:
    • App server:
    • Size: s-1vcpu-1gb
    • Quantity: 1.0
    • Monthly Amount: 5.0
    • Managed PostgreSQL database:
    • Size: s-1vcpu-1gb
    • Quantity: 1.0
    • Monthly Amount: 5.0
  • Note: Destination always-on monthly price of the tested sizes; apps auto-pause when idle. Source costs are unknown to Ample.

Success Checks:

• Destination app responds on its public URL.
• Relational-records check from the destination example.
• Data or object counts and checksums match the source.

Examples:

• Express pattern fixture (destination): Verified destination basis: relational records.

Evidence Summary:

• Kind: canary_run
• Summary: Destination side verified: the Express pattern fixture deployed on Ample and its checks passed.
• Observed At: 2026-09-21T02:34:39Z
• Implementation Revision: 1d28ae0-dirty (CLI 0.1.21)
• Expires At: 2027-03-20T02:34:39Z

Next Actions:

• Browse the catalog index
• Search published recipes by intent, stack, and constraints
• Prepare a side-effect-free deployment plan for an authorized project
• Read the existing agent authentication setup
• Browse Neon database
• Browse Relational records
• Browse Migrate Postgres

Note: Ensure a proper understanding of all steps before proceeding with the migration. # Migrate Neon database: Relational records