Help Center/ Relational Database Service/ User Guide (Ally Region)/ Working with RDS for PostgreSQL/ Database Migration/ Migration Solution Overview
Updated on 2026-04-24 GMT+08:00
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Migration Solution Overview

You can migrate data from self-managed PostgreSQL databases, or PostgreSQL databases built on other clouds to RDS for PostgreSQL, or from one RDS for PostgreSQL instance to another RDS for PostgreSQL instance.

DRS provides real-time synchronization. Real-time synchronization refers to the real-time flow of workload data from sources to destinations through a synchronization instance while consistency of data is ensured. It is different from migration. Migration means moving entire data of a database to another. Synchronization refers to the continuous flow of data between different applications.

Migration Solutions

Table 1 RDS for PostgreSQL migration solutions

Source Database

Data Size

One-Time or Continuous Migration

Application Downtime

Solution

Document

RDS for PostgreSQL

Small

One-time

A period of time

Use pg_dump to migrate data from the source to the destination RDS for PostgreSQL instance.

Migrating Data to RDS for PostgreSQL Using psql

RDS for PostgreSQL

Any

One-time or continuous

Minimal downtime

Use DRS to synchronize data from the source to the destination RDS for PostgreSQL instance.

For details, see "Real-Time Synchronization" > "To the Cloud > "From PostgreSQL to PostgreSQL" in Data Replication Service (DRS) User Guide.
  • On-premises PostgreSQL databases
  • PostgreSQL databases on ECSs

Any

One-time or continuous

Minimal downtime

Use DRS to synchronize data from self-managed PostgreSQL databases to RDS for PostgreSQL.

For details, see "Real-Time Synchronization" > "To the Cloud > "From PostgreSQL to PostgreSQL" in Data Replication Service (DRS) User Guide.

PostgreSQL databases on other clouds

Any

One-time or continuous

Minimal downtime

Use DRS to synchronize data from PostgreSQL databases on other clouds to RDS for PostgreSQL.

For details, see "Real-Time Synchronization" > "To the Cloud > "From PostgreSQL to PostgreSQL" in Data Replication Service (DRS) User Guide.
Parent topic: Database Migration