page:migrate:neon database:transactional workflows

Migrate Neon database: Transactional workflows

Move PostgreSQL data from Neon database 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 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.

Representative Queries

• Migrate Neon database: 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.

Resource Requirements

• Primitive: Postgres

Infrastructure Requirements

• Postgres: Managed PostgreSQL 16 runs in its own microVM and is auto-provisioned when an app needs a database and no DATABASE_URL is supplied.

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 <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 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.

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

  • Kind: http_get
  • Path: /
  • Expect: ample canary express patterns

• Transactional-workflows check from the destination example

  • Kind: http_get
  • Path: /p/transactional-workflows
  • 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.
• 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.

Cost Estimate

• Currency: USD
• Monthly Amount: 10.0
• 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

Evidence Summary

• Destination side verified:
  The Express pattern fixture deployed on Ample and its checks passed.

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 Transactional workflows
• Browse Migrate Postgres