# 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**

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