CLOUD SERVICE · AWS

AWS Schema Conversion Tool (AWS SCT)

The AWS Schema Conversion Tool (AWS SCT) is a software application that facilitates the migration of database schemas and certain business logic from one database engine to another, by automatically converting the source database schema and a majority of the custom code to a format compatible with the target database.

Cloud Services Hub →

What is AWS Schema Conversion Tool (AWS SCT)

Read the extensive description

The AWS Schema Conversion Tool (AWS SCT) is an innovative service designed by Amazon Web Services to facilitate the seamless migration of database schemas from one database engine to another. This tool plays a critical role in the database migration projects by making it easier for organizations to transfer their existing database schemas to AWS-based databases, such as Amazon Aurora, MySQL, PostgreSQL, and others, thereby enabling them to take advantage of the scalability, reliability, and other benefits offered by the AWS cloud.

The traditional process of migrating databases from one platform to another often involves a significant amount of manual work. Developers and database administrators need to review the existing schema, identify and rewrite incompatible SQL statements, and test the migrated schema thoroughly, which can be time-consuming and error-prone. AWS SCT streamlines this process by automatically converting source database schemas, including the database objects and the code that accesses those objects, into formats compatible with the target AWS database engines. AWS SCT supports conversions from a variety of database sources such as Oracle, Microsoft SQL Server, MySQL, MariaDB, PostgreSQL, IBM DB2, and others. It does not merely convert the database schema; instead, it addresses a wide range of objects including tables, views, stored procedures, and triggers.

For complex conversions or when encountering proprietary database constructs that cannot be automatically converted, AWS SCT provides detailed guidance and scripts, helping users to resolve these challenges. What sets AWS SCT apart is its benefit of reducing both the time and the costs associated with database migrations. By automating the majority of the schema conversion process, organizations can focus more on optimizing their applications for the cloud rather than getting bogged down in the minutiae of database conversion.

Moreover, AWS SCT includes a feature to estimate the cost and effort required for the database migration, allowing organizations to plan their migrations more effectively. In addition to converting database schemas, AWS SCT can also help in migrating data warehouses to Amazon Redshift. This includes not only the schema conversion but also the conversion of the ETL (Extract, Transform, and Load) jobs, making it a comprehensive tool for larger-scale data migrations to the cloud.

To ensure a smooth migration, AWS SCT provides a detailed assessment report that highlights potential issues and offers recommendations for manual adjustments before the actual migration takes place. This pre-migration assessment helps in identifying compatibility issues early in the migration process, reducing the risk of encountering unexpected problems during the actual database migration.

In conclusion, the AWS Schema Conversion Tool is an essential service for any organization looking to migrate its databases to AWS. By automating the conversion process and providing detailed guidance for manual adjustments, AWS SCT significantly simplifies the migration process, enabling businesses to leverage the power of AWS cloud services with minimal disruption to their operations.

Key AWS Schema Conversion Tool (AWS SCT) Features

AWS Schema Conversion Tool (AWS SCT) offers automatic schema conversion, detailed assessment reports, support for multiple databases, conversion rule customization, integration with AWS DMS, and continuous replication for minimal downtime, streamlining and simplifying database migrations to AWS.

Automatic Schema Conversion

AWS SCT automatically converts the source database schema and a majority of the database code objects, including views, stored procedures, and functions, to a format compatible with the target database. It significantly reduces the time and effort required for migrations.

Detailed Assessment Report

Before performing actual conversion, AWS SCT provides a detailed assessment report that highlights potential conversion challenges and the level of manual effort needed to convert objects that cannot be automatically converted.

Support for Multiple Source and Target Databases

AWS SCT supports a wide range of source and target databases, including Oracle, Microsoft SQL Server, MySQL, PostgreSQL, and AWS's own Aurora and Redshift, facilitating seamless migrations across different database platforms.

Code Conversion Customization

AWS SCT allows for customization of the conversion rules. Users can tweak these rules to accommodate specific needs or preferences, enhancing the flexibility and success rate of database migrations.

Integrated with AWS DMS

AWS SCT seamlessly integrates with AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) to manage the migration of the data itself after the schema and code are converted. This provides a comprehensive migration solution within the AWS ecosystem.

Continuous Replication for Minimized Downtime

For databases that require minimal downtime during migration, AWS SCT in combination with AWS DMS supports continuous data replication, ensuring that the source database remains operational and in sync with the target until the final cut-over.

AWS Schema Conversion Tool (AWS SCT) Use Cases

AWS Schema Conversion Tool (AWS SCT) is primarily used for database migration, application code conversion, data warehouse transition, ongoing synchronization of changes during migrations, and post-migration optimization and analysis.

Database Migration

AWS SCT is extensively used to automate the process of migrating databases from one type to another, such as from Oracle or Microsoft SQL Server to Amazon Aurora, PostgreSQL, MySQL, or MariaDB, simplifying the conversion of database schema, including indexes and views.

Application Code Conversion

Beyond database schema conversion, AWS SCT aids in converting application code written to access databases (like SQL queries or database access APIs) from the source database's dialect into the target database's dialect, easing application migrations to new database platforms.

Data Warehouse Migration

AWS SCT supports migrations from traditional data warehouses, like Teradata and Oracle Data Warehouse, to Amazon Redshift, facilitating the transition to a more scalable, cost-effective cloud data warehouse solution by converting the data warehouse schema and SQL.

Continuous Synchronization for Incremental Changes

For migrations that cannot afford downtime, AWS SCT can facilitate ongoing replication by continuously capturing and synchronizing incremental changes from the source database to the target, ensuring data consistency throughout the migration process.

Optimization and Analysis

Post migration, AWS SCT can assist in optimizing the database schema for the target database system. It provides analysis and recommendations for performance improvements, making it valuable for not only the migration but also the ongoing efficiency of the deployed database system.

AWS Schema Conversion Tool (AWS SCT) pricing models

AWS Schema Conversion Tool is free to use, but costs arise from the AWS services utilized during migration, such as Amazon RDS or Amazon Redshift, based on their respective pricing models.

AWS Schema Conversion Tool (AWS SCT) Pricing Models

The AWS Schema Conversion Tool (AWS SCT) itself is available at no additional charge. However, while the tool can be used for free, the costs associated with running the tool come from the resources it utilizes in AWS services such as Amazon RDS, Amazon Redshift, or other database services. These costs are based on the pricing models for the specific AWS services used during the migration process. For instance, if AWS SCT is used to migrate a database to Amazon RDS, the costs incurred will be according to the pricing model of Amazon RDS which includes instance costs, storage costs, and data transfer fees among others. Similarly, when migrating to Amazon Redshift, costs will follow the Amazon Redshift pricing model.

Services AWS Schema Conversion Tool (AWS SCT) integrates with

Amazon Aurora

AWS SCT works with Amazon Aurora to enable migrations from commercial database engines like Oracle and SQL Server to Amazon Aurora's MySQL and PostgreSQL-compatible editions.

Amazon RDS

AWS SCT integrates with Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS) to facilitate the conversion and migration of database schemas from various database engines into Amazon RDS-compatible formats.