Migration guides

Migrating to RayDB from another PostgreSQL provider or self-hosted instance is straightforward with the right approach. This guide provides step-by-step instructions for different migration methods.

Choosing a Migration Method

RayDB supports multiple migration options depending on your current setup:

• Logical Backup & Restore – Best for moving databases with minimal downtime.
• Continuous Replication – Ideal for reducing downtime by syncing changes.
• Dump & Load – A simple approach for smaller databases.

1. Migrating Using Logical Backup & Restore

This method uses pg_dump and pg_restore to migrate data.

Steps:

1. Backup your database from the source PostgreSQL instance:

   pg_dump -Fc -h source_host -U source_user -d source_db -f backup.dump

2. Create a new cluster in RayDB.
3. Restore the backup to the new cluster:

   pg_restore -h raydb_host -U raydb_user -d target_db -1 backup.dump

4. Verify the migration by checking table contents and running test queries.

2. Migrating Using Continuous Replication

For larger databases requiring minimal downtime, use PostgreSQL’s logical replication.

Steps:

1. Enable logical replication on the source database:

   ALTER SYSTEM SET wal_level = logical;
   SELECT pg_reload_conf();

2. Create a publication on the source instance:

   CREATE PUBLICATION my_pub FOR ALL TABLES;

3. Create a subscription on RayDB:

   CREATE SUBSCRIPTION my_sub
   CONNECTION 'host=source_host user=source_user dbname=source_db'
   PUBLICATION my_pub;

4. Monitor synchronization and cut over once replication is complete.

3. Migrating Using Dump & Load (Small Databases)

This method is suitable for small datasets that do not require advanced replication.

Steps:

1. Export data to SQL format:

   pg_dump -h source_host -U source_user -d source_db -f backup.sql

2. Create a new cluster in RayDB.
3. Import data into RayDB:

   psql -h raydb_host -U raydb_user -d target_db -f backup.sql

Post-Migration Checklist

• Verify data integrity by comparing row counts.
• Update application connection strings to point to the new RayDB cluster.
• Monitor performance and optimize queries post-migration.

For more details on configuring PostgreSQL, see Managing PostgreSQL Versions.