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Migrating a database from Managed Service for PostgreSQL to Object Storage

Written by
Updated at January 15, 2026

You can migrate a database from Yandex Managed Service for PostgreSQL to Yandex Object Storage using Yandex Data Transfer. Proceed as follows:

  1. Set up your transfer.
  2. Activate the transfer.
  3. Test copying after reactivation.

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

Getting started

Set up the infrastructure:

  1. Create a source Managed Service for PostgreSQL cluster using any suitable configuration with publicly accessible hosts. Specify 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 your current working directory.

    This file describes:

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

  6. In the postgresql-to-objstorage.tf file, specify the following:

  7. Validate your Terraform configuration files using this command:

    terraform validate

    Terraform will display any configuration errors detected in your files.

  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. In the db1 database, create a table named x_tab 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 an Object Storage-type target endpoint 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 set up the transfer.

  1. Create a PostgreSQL-type source endpoint and configure it using the following settings:

    • 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 Snapshot-type transfer configured to use the new endpoints.

  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. Validate your Terraform configuration files using this command:

    terraform validate

    Terraform will display any configuration errors detected in your files.

  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. Verify that the table public_x_tab.csv, containing data from x_tab, has appeared in the Object Storage bucket.

Verify that the copy operation works upon reactivation

  1. Connect to the Managed Service for PostgreSQL cluster and perform the following operations on the table x_tab: delete the row with ID = 41 and update the row with ID = 42:

    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. Verify that the changes have been propagated to the target public_x_tab.csv table.

Delete the resources you created

To reduce the consumption of resources you do not need, delete them:

  1. Make sure the transfer status is Completed.

  2. Delete the target endpoint.

  3. Delete other resources using the same method used for their creation:

    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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