Case Studies | SaaS B2B

A clean move to AWS with minimal downtime

Database Migration

About

A SaaS B2B business working with Cloud Combinator on AWS. The client is anonymised at their request.

Challenge

The challenge had three focus areas.

Changing database engine, not just location

Moving from MySQL to PostgreSQL means schemas and data types do not map one to one. The migration had to convert the schema correctly before any data could be moved, so nothing was lost or misinterpreted on the way across.

Moving cleanly between two clouds

With the source on Azure and the target on AWS, the migration had to bridge two providers securely, connecting the replication process to both databases through the right network and access controls.

Switching over with minimal downtime

The client's application needed to keep running. The cutover had to let the new database catch up with ongoing changes before the switch, so the move could happen with as little interruption as possible.

Solution

Cloud Combinator delivered the migration using AWS's native tooling, the Schema Conversion Tool and Database Migration Service, in a clear sequence of stages with connectivity and correctness checked at each step.

MySQL to

Heterogeneous engine migration

Azure to

Cross-cloud migration

Minimal

Downtime at cutover

By the numbers:

  • MySQL to - Heterogeneous engine migration
  • Azure to - Cross-cloud migration
  • Minimal - Downtime at cutover
Changes

The engagement delivered a controlled, engine-changing migration of the client's database onto AWS, with the application switched over cleanly to Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL.

  • Faithful schema conversion — The AWS Schema Conversion Tool translated the MySQL schema into PostgreSQL, handling the differences between engines before any data moved.
  • Secure cross-cloud replication — AWS Database Migration Service bridged the Azure source and the AWS target through properly scoped network and access controls.
  • Controlled cutover — Writes were stopped, DMS was allowed to catch up with in-flight changes, and the application was switched to PostgreSQL to keep interruption to a minimum.
  • Clean close-out — Once the migration was verified, the DMS replication instance and the legacy MySQL database were decommissioned, leaving a tidy AWS-hosted estate.

With their data now on managed AWS infrastructure, the client have a consolidated platform on AWS and a foundation to build and scale on.

AWS Stack

AWS Schema Conversion Tool

For converting the MySQL schema to PostgreSQL.

AWS Database Migration Service

For replicating data from the Azure source to the AWS target.

Amazon RDS

For PostgreSQL as the managed target database on AWS.

Amazon VPC

And security groups for secure network connectivity between source, target and the migration instance.

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