Minimal-downtime migration to Azure Database for PostgreSQL

APPLIES TO: Azure Database for PostgreSQL - Single Server Azure Database for PostgreSQL - Flexible Server

You can perform PostgreSQL migrations to Azure Database for PostgreSQL with minimal downtime by using the newly introduced continuous sync capability for the Azure Database Migration Service (DMS). This functionality limits the amount of downtime that is incurred by the application.

Overview

Azure DMS performs an initial load of your on-premises to Azure Database for PostgreSQL, and then continuously syncs any new transactions to Azure while the application remains running. After the data catches up on the target Azure side, you stop the application for a brief moment (minimum downtime), wait for the last batch of data (from the time you stop the application until the application is effectively unavailable to take any new traffic) to catch up in the target, and then update your connection string to point to Azure. When you are finished, your application will be live on Azure!

Next steps

• View the video App Modernization with Microsoft Azure, which contains a demo showing how to migrate PostgreSQL apps to Azure Database for PostgreSQL.
• See the tutorial Migrate PostgreSQL to Azure Database for PostgreSQL online using DMS.