## Migrate Self-managed PostgreSQL: Durable job state

Move PostgreSQL data from Self-managed 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` as a role that can read all application objects. Not migrated automatically: Custom extensions, tablespaces, replication topology, superuser-only settings and OS-level backups 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 source server until confirmed.

### Rollback
Keep the source untouched until you confirm; nothing at the source is changed or deleted by this guide.

### Representative Queries
- Migrate Self-managed PostgreSQL: Durable job state
- Where can I host Durable job state?
- I need a component-scoped export/import or reconfiguration procedure for Durable job state, 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.

### Workload
Durable job state

### Migration Source
Self-managed PostgreSQL

### Release Status
Published

### Support Status
Verified

### Execution Status
Unbound

### Prerequisites
- Authorized access to the Self-managed 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

### Tested Configuration
- **Template:** node-22
- **Runtime:** node
- **Size:** s-1vcpu-1gb
- **Install:** `npm install`
- **Build:** `npm run build --if-present`
- **Start:** `npm run start`

### Workflow Steps
1. **Inventory the source**: List what Self-managed PostgreSQL provides beyond the component you are moving. Out of scope here: Custom extensions, tablespaces, replication topology, superuser-only settings and OS-level backups have no equivalent on the managed database.
2. **Source step 1**: Take a logical backup with `pg_dump -Fc` as a role that can read all application objects.
3. **Source step 2**: Check the major version, installed extensions, tablespaces and custom roles against the managed engine (PostgreSQL 16, no custom extensions verified).
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, 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 source server 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: durable job state.

### Success Checks
- **Destination app responds on its public URL**: `/`  Expect: `ample canary express patterns`
- **Durable-job-state check from the destination example**: `/p/durable-job-state` Expect: `see the pattern fixture checks`
- **Data or object counts and checksums match the source**: 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: Custom extensions, tablespaces, replication topology, superuser-only settings and OS-level backups have no equivalent on the managed database.
- 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 
**Note**: Destination always-on monthly price of the tested sizes; apps auto-pause when idle. Source costs are unknown to Ample.

### Evidence Summary
**Canary Run**: Destination side verified: the Express pattern fixture deployed on Ample and its checks passed. The source-side export from Self-managed PostgreSQL is documented from the vendor's standard tooling and was not executed.

### Last Verified At
2026-09-21T02:34:39Z

### Unknowns
- Region availability is unknown until a verified region fact is recorded.
- Compliance attestations are unknown; none are claimed.

### Next Actions
- **[Browse the catalog index](https://api.ample.computer/v1/catalog)**
- **[Search published recipes by intent, stack and constraints](https://api.ample.computer/v1/catalog/search)**
- **[Prepare a side-effect-free deployment plan for an authorized project](https://api.ample.computer/v1/catalog/plan)** 
- **[Read the existing agent authentication setup](https://api.ample.computer/mcp/setup)** 
- **[Browse Self-managed PostgreSQL](https://api.ample.computer/v1/catalog/nodes/migration%3Aself-managed-postgresql)** 
- **[Browse Durable job state](https://api.ample.computer/v1/catalog/nodes/pattern%3Adurable-job-state)** 
- **[Browse Migrate Postgres](https://api.ample.computer/v1/catalog/nodes/intent%3Amigrate-postgres)**

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