Migrate Render PostgreSQL: Durable job state

Summary

Move PostgreSQL data from Render PostgreSQL to Ample, one component at a time. Destination verified on Ample: a jobs table with a state and attempts counter, processing inside a row-locked transaction, and a second run that is a no-op (job=done attempts=1 idempotent=true). Source procedure: Take a logical backup with pg_dump -Fc using the external connection string. Not migrated automatically: Render's automatic backups and read replicas 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 Render database until confirmed. Rollback: keep the source untouched until you confirm; nothing at the source is changed or deleted by this guide.

Workload

Durable job state

Migration Source

Render PostgreSQL

Prerequisites

• Authorized access to the Render PostgreSQL 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 Render PostgreSQL provides beyond the component you are moving. Out of scope here: Render's automatic backups and read replicas have no equivalent on the managed database.
2. Source step 1
   Take a logical backup with pg_dump -Fc using the external connection string.
3. Source step 2
   Check the Postgres major version and extensions 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.
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/durable-job-state).
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 Render database 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
• Durable-job-state 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.
• The source-side procedure is documented from Render PostgreSQL's standard tooling and was not executed in this catalog's evidence;
• No full source-product parity is claimed: Render's automatic backups and read replicas 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.

Cost Estimate

• Currency: USD
• Monthly Amount: 10.0
  • Components:
    • App server: s-1vcpu-1gb, quantity: 1.0, monthly amount: 5.0
    • Managed PostgreSQL database: 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.

Evidence Summary

• Destination side verified: the Express pattern fixture deployed on Ample and its checks passed (a jobs table with a state and attempts counter, processing inside a row-locked transaction).

Last Verified At

2026-09-21T02:34:39Z

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 Render PostgreSQL
• Browse Durable job state
• Browse Migrate Postgres

View Markdown Version