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Migrating a database from Managed Service for PostgreSQL to Object Storage

Written by
Updated at May 7, 2025

You can migrate a database from Yandex Managed Service for PostgreSQL to Yandex Object Storage using Yandex Data Transfer. To do this:

  1. Set up your transfer.
  2. Activate the transfer.
  3. Test the copy function upon re-activation.

If you no longer need the resources you created, delete them.

The support cost includes:

Getting started

Set up your infrastructure:

  1. Create a source Managed Service for PostgreSQL cluster in any applicable configuration with publicly available hosts and the following settings:

    • DB name: db1
    • Username: pg-user
    • Password: <source_password>.

  2. If using security groups in your cluster, make sure they are configured correctly and allow connecting to the cluster.

  3. Create an Yandex Object Storage bucket.

  4. Create a service account named storage-sa with the storage.uploader role. The transfer will use it to access the bucket.

  1. If you do not have Terraform yet, install it.

  2. Get the authentication credentials. You can add them to environment variables or specify them later in the provider configuration file.

  3. Configure and initialize a provider. There is no need to create a provider configuration file manually, you can download it.

  4. Place the configuration file in a separate working directory and specify the parameter values. If you did not add the authentication credentials to environment variables, specify them in the configuration file.

  5. Download the postgresql-to-objstorage.tf configuration file to the same working directory.

    This file describes:

    • Network.
    • Subnet.
    • Security group required to connect to a cluster.
    • Source Managed Service for PostgreSQL cluster.
    • Service account for creating and accessing the bucket.
    • Target Object Storage bucket.
    • Source endpoint.
    • Transfer.

  6. Specify the following in the postgresql-to-objstorage.tf file:

  7. Make sure the Terraform configuration files are correct using this command:

    terraform validate

    If there are any errors in the configuration files, Terraform will point them out.

  8. Create the required infrastructure:

    1. Run this command to view the planned changes:

      terraform plan

      If you described the configuration correctly, the terminal will display a list of the resources to update and their parameters. This is a verification step that does not apply changes to your resources.

    2. If everything looks correct, apply the changes:

      1. Run this command:

        terraform apply

      2. Confirm updating the resources.

      3. Wait for the operation to complete.

    All the required resources will be created in the specified folder. You can check resource availability and their settings in the management console.

Set up your transfer

  1. Connect to the Managed Service for PostgreSQL cluster, create a table named x_tab in the db1 database, and populate it with data:

    CREATE TABLE x_tab
(
    id NUMERIC PRIMARY KEY,
    name CHAR(5)
);
INSERT INTO x_tab (id, name) VALUES
  (40, 'User1'),
  (41, 'User2'),
  (42, 'User3'),
  (43, 'User4'),
  (44, 'User5');

  2. Create a target endpoint of the Object Storage type with the following settings:

    • Bucket: <name_of_previously_created_bucket>
    • Service account: storage-sa
    • Serialization format: CSV
    • Encoding format: UNCOMPRESSED
    • Folder name: from_PostgreSQL

  3. Create a source endpoint and transfer.

  1. Create a source endpoint of the PostgreSQL type and specify these cluster connection settings in it:

    • Installation type: Managed Service for PostgreSQL cluster
    • Managed Service for PostgreSQL cluster: <source_PostgreSQL_cluster_name> from the drop-down list
    • Database: db1
    • User: pg-user
    • Password: <user_password>.

  2. Create a transfer of the Snapshot type that will use the endpoints you created.

  1. In the postgresql-to-objstorage.tf file, specify these variables:

    • objstorage_endpoint_id: Target endpoint ID.
    • transfer_enabled: 1 to create a transfer.

  2. Make sure the Terraform configuration files are correct using this command:

    terraform validate

    If there are any errors in the configuration files, Terraform will point them out.

  3. Create the required infrastructure:

    1. Run this command to view the planned changes:

      terraform plan

      If you described the configuration correctly, the terminal will display a list of the resources to update and their parameters. This is a verification step that does not apply changes to your resources.

    2. If everything looks correct, apply the changes:

      1. Run this command:

        terraform apply

      2. Confirm updating the resources.

      3. Wait for the operation to complete.

Activate the transfer

  1. Activate the transfer and wait for its status to change to Completed.

  2. Make sure the Object Storage bucket now contains the public_x_tab.csv table with the x_tab table data.

Test the copy function upon re-activation

  1. Connect to the Managed Service for PostgreSQL cluster and, in the x_tab table, delete the row with the 41 ID and edit the row with the 42 ID:

    DELETE FROM x_tab WHERE id = 41;
UPDATE x_tab SET name = 'Key3' WHERE id = 42;

  2. Reactivate the transfer and wait for its status to change to Completed.

  3. Make sure you can see the changes in the target public_x_tab.csv table.

Delete the resources you created

Some resources are not free of charge. To avoid paying for them, delete the resources you no longer need:

  • Make sure the transfer status is Completed.

  • Delete the target endpoint.

  • Delete the transfer, source endpoint, cluster, and bucket:

    1. In the terminal window, go to the directory containing the infrastructure plan.

      Warning

      Make sure the directory has no Terraform manifests with the resources you want to keep. Terraform deletes all resources that were created using the manifests in the current directory.

    2. Delete resources:

      1. Run this command:

        terraform destroy

      2. Confirm deleting the resources and wait for the operation to complete.

      All the resources described in the Terraform manifests will be deleted.

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