Migrate Render PostgreSQL: Relational records

Move PostgreSQL data from Render PostgreSQL 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 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

Relational records

Migration Source

Render PostgreSQL

Release Status

Published

Support Status

Verified

Execution Status

Unbound

Documentation Only

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/relational-records).

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.

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; the destination side was verified with the pattern fixture.
• 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.
• 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 (loaded by the API) at build revision 1ac5595375130d45290090e82ed0f554ccd45405-dirty
• 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. Source costs are unknown to Ample.

Examples

• Express pattern fixture (destination):
  Description: Verified destination basis: relational records. Source Ref: tests/deploy-canaries/express-patterns

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 Relational records
• Browse Migrate Postgres

Evidence Summary

• Destination side verified: The Express pattern fixture deployed on Ample (npm install, npm run build --if-present, npm run start on the node-22 template) and its checks passed. The source-side export from Render PostgreSQL is documented from the vendor's standard tooling and was not executed by this catalog's evidence.