This topic describes how to migrate data from an Amazon RDS for Oracle instance, as a self-managed Oracle source, to a PolarDB for PostgreSQL (Compatible with Oracle) cluster using Data Transmission Service (DTS).
Prerequisites
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Enable public access for the Amazon RDS for Oracle instance so DTS can connect to it over the internet.
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The source Amazon RDS for Oracle instance must be version 9i, 10g, 11g, or 12c or later, and use a non-multitenant architecture.
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The destination PolarDB for PostgreSQL (Compatible with Oracle) instance must have more storage space than is used by the source Amazon RDS for Oracle instance.
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To ensure a smooth data migration, review the capabilities and limitations of DTS for Oracle sources and perform a database evaluation with Advanced Database & Application Migration (ADAM). For more information, see Limitations and preparations for Oracle databases and Database Evaluation Overview.
Limitations
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During schema migration, DTS migrates foreign keys from the source database to the destination database.
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During full migration and incremental migration, DTS temporarily disables constraint checks and foreign key cascading operations at the session level. If cascading update or delete operations occur in the source database while the task is running, data inconsistency may occur.
Type | Description |
Source database limitations |
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Other limitations |
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Billing
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Migration type |
Configuration fee |
Data transfer fee |
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Schema migration and full data migration |
Free of charge. |
Free of charge. |
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Incremental data migration |
Charged. For details, see Billing overview. |
Migration types
Migration type | Description |
Schema migration | DTS migrates the schema definitions of migration objects to the destination PolarDB for PostgreSQL (Compatible with Oracle) cluster. Supported object types include tables, views, synonyms, triggers, stored procedures, stored functions, packages, and user-defined types. Note Triggers are not supported in this scenario. To prevent potential data inconsistency, delete triggers from the source database. For more information, see Configure a data synchronization or migration task for a source database that contains a trigger. |
Full data migration | DTS migrates all existing data for the migration objects from the self-managed Oracle database to the PolarDB for PostgreSQL (Compatible with Oracle) cluster. Note Do not perform DDL operations on the migration objects before the schema migration and full data migration are complete. Otherwise, the migration may fail. |
Incremental data migration | After the full data migration, DTS captures ongoing changes from the redo logs of the self-managed Oracle database and replicates these changes to the destination PolarDB for PostgreSQL (Compatible with Oracle) cluster. Incremental data migration enables a seamless migration from an Oracle database to a PolarDB for PostgreSQL (Compatible with Oracle) cluster with minimal application downtime. |
Data type mapping
For details, see Data Type Mapping Across Heterogeneous Databases.
SQL operations for incremental migration
Operation type | SQL statement |
DML | INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE |
DDL |
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Database account permissions
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Database |
Schema migration |
Full data migration |
Incremental data migration |
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Amazon RDS for Oracle |
Schema owner permissions |
Schema owner permissions |
Master user permissions |
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PolarDB for PostgreSQL (Compatible with Oracle) cluster |
Schema owner permissions |
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To create database accounts and grant permissions:
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For Amazon RDS for Oracle, see Database account preparations, CREATE USER, and GRANT.
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For PolarDB for PostgreSQL (Compatible with Oracle) clusters, see Create a database account.
Before you begin
Log on to the Amazon RDS Management Console.
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Go to the Basic Information page of the Amazon RDS for Oracle instance.
In the Security group rules section, click the name of the security group to which the existing inbound rule belongs.

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Add the CIDR blocks of the DTS servers for the corresponding region (port: 1521) to the inbound rule. For details about the IP address ranges, see Add DTS Server IP Addresses to a Whitelist.
NoteYou need to add only the CIDR blocks of DTS servers that reside in the same region as the destination database. For example, the source database resides in the Singapore region and the destination database resides in the China (Hangzhou) region. You need to add only the CIDR blocks of DTS servers that reside in the China (Hangzhou) region.
You can add all of the required CIDR blocks to the inbound rule at a time.
If you have other questions, see the official documentation of Amazon or contact technical support.
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Configure the log settings for the Amazon RDS for Oracle instance. You can skip this step if incremental data migration is not required.
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If your Amazon RDS for Oracle instance runs Oracle 12c or later (in a non-multitenant architecture), configure the log settings as follows:
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Connect to the Amazon RDS for Oracle database with a master user account, using a tool such as SQL*Plus.
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Enable archived logs and supplemental logging.
Log type
Procedure
Archived log
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Run the following command to check whether archive log mode is enabled:
SELECT LOG_MODE FROM v$database; -
View and set the retention period for archived logs.
NoteWe recommend that you set the retention period for archived logs to at least 72 hours. The following example sets the retention period to 72 hours.
exec rdsadmin.rdsadmin_util.show_configuration; exec rdsadmin.rdsadmin_util.set_configuration('archivelog retention hours', 72);
Supplemental logging
Enable supplemental logging at the database level or table level.
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Enable database-level supplemental logging.
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Run the following command to check whether database-level supplemental logging is enabled.
SELECT supplemental_log_data_min, supplemental_log_data_pk, supplemental_log_data_ui FROM v$database; -
Enable database-level supplemental logging for primary and unique keys.
exec rdsadmin.rdsadmin_util.alter_supplemental_logging('ADD', 'PRIMARY KEY'); exec rdsadmin.rdsadmin_util.alter_supplemental_logging('ADD', 'UNIQUE');
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Enable table-level supplemental logging. Choose one of the following methods:
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Enable table-level supplemental logging for all columns.
exec rdsadmin.rdsadmin_util.alter_supplemental_logging('ADD', 'ALL'); -
Enable table-level supplemental logging for primary keys.
exec rdsadmin.rdsadmin_util.alter_supplemental_logging('ADD', 'PRIMARY KEY');
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Grant fine-grained permissions to the Amazon RDS for Oracle database account.
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If your Amazon RDS for Oracle instance runs Oracle 9i, 10g, or 11g, configure the log settings as follows:
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Connect to the Amazon RDS for Oracle database with a master user account, using a tool such as SQL*Plus.
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Run the
archive log list;command to confirm that the Amazon RDS for Oracle instance is in ARCHIVELOG mode.NoteIf the instance is in NOARCHIVELOG mode, switch to ARCHIVELOG mode. For more information, see Managing Archived Redo Logs.
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Enable force logging mode.
exec rdsadmin.rdsadmin_util.force_logging(p_enable => true); -
Enable supplemental logging for primary keys.
begin rdsadmin.rdsadmin_util.alter_supplemental_logging(p_action => 'ADD',p_type => 'PRIMARY KEY');end;/ -
Enable supplemental logging for unique keys.
begin rdsadmin.rdsadmin_util.alter_supplemental_logging(p_action => 'ADD',p_type => 'UNIQUE');end;/ -
Set the retention period for archived logs.
begin rdsadmin.rdsadmin_util.set_configuration(name => 'archivelog retention hours', value => '24');end;/ -
Note
We recommend that you set the retention period for archived logs to at least 24 hours.
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Commit the changes.
commit;
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Procedure
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Navigate to the migration task list page for the destination region using one of the following methods.
From the DTS console
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Log on to the Data Transmission Service (DTS) console.
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In the navigation pane on the left, click Data Migration.
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In the upper-left corner of the page, select the region where the migration instance is located.
From the DMS console
NoteThe actual operations may vary based on the mode and layout of the DMS console. For more information, see Simple mode console and Customize the layout and style of the DMS console.
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Log on to the Data Management (DMS) console.
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In the top menu bar, choose .
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To the right of Data Migration Tasks, select the region where the migration instance is located.
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Click Create Task to navigate to the task configuration page.
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Optional: In the upper-right corner of the page, click New Configuration Page.
Note-
If you are already on the new configuration page (the button in the upper-right corner is Back to Previous Version), you can skip this step.
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The parameters on the new and old configuration pages are different. We recommend that you use the new configuration page.
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Configure the source and destination databases.
WarningAfter you select the source and destination instances, we recommend that you carefully read the limits displayed at the top of the page. Otherwise, the task may fail or data inconsistency may occur.
Category
Parameter
Description
N/A
Task Name
DTS automatically generates a task name. We recommend that you specify a descriptive name for easy identification. The name does not need to be unique.
Source Database
Select Existing Connection
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To use a database instance that has been added to the system (created or saved), select the desired database instance from the drop-down list. The database information below will be automatically configured.
NoteIn the DMS console, this parameter is named Select a DMS database instance..
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If you have not registered the database instance with the system, or do not need to use a registered instance, manually configure the database information below.
Database Type
Select Oracle.
Access Method
Select Public IP Address.
Instance Region
Select the region where the Amazon RDS for Oracle instance resides.
NoteIf your instance's region is not available as an option, select the geographically closest region.
Domain Name or IP
Enter the endpoint of the Amazon RDS for Oracle instance.
Port Number
Enter the service port of the Amazon RDS for Oracle instance. The default value is 1521.
Oracle Type
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Non-RAC Instance: If you select this option, you must also specify the SID.
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RAC or PDB Instance: If you select this option, you must also specify the Service Name.
In this example, Non-RAC Instance is selected.
Database Account
Enter the database account of the Amazon RDS for Oracle instance. For information about the required permissions, see Permissions required for database accounts.
Database Password
Enter the password for the database account.
Destination Database
Select Existing Connection
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To use a database instance that has been added to the system (created or saved), select the desired database instance from the drop-down list. The database information below will be automatically configured.
NoteIn the DMS console, this parameter is named Select a DMS database instance..
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If you have not registered the database instance with the system, or do not need to use a registered instance, manually configure the database information below.
Database Type
Select PolarDB (Compatible with Oracle).
Access Method
Select Alibaba Cloud Instance.
Instance Region
Select the region where the destination PolarDB for PostgreSQL (Compatible with Oracle) cluster resides.
Instance ID
Select the ID of the destination PolarDB for PostgreSQL (Compatible with Oracle) cluster.
Database Name
Enter the name of the database in the destination PolarDB for PostgreSQL (Compatible with Oracle) cluster that will contain the migrated objects.
Database Account
Enter the database account of the destination PolarDB for PostgreSQL (Compatible with Oracle) cluster. For information about the required permissions, see Permissions required for database accounts.
Database Password
Enter the password for the database account.
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After you complete the configuration, click Test Connectivity and Proceed at the bottom of the page. In the CIDR Blocks of DTS Servers dialog box that appears, click Test Connectivity.
NoteEnsure that the IP address segments of the DTS service are automatically or manually added to the security settings of the source and destination databases to allow access from DTS servers. For more information, see Add DTS server IP addresses to a whitelist.
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Configure the task objects.
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On the Configure Objects page, configure the objects that you want to migrate.
Parameter
Description
Migration Types
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If you only need to perform a full migration, select both Schema Migration and Full Data Migration.
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To perform a migration with no downtime, select Schema Migration, Full Data Migration, and Incremental Data Migration.
Note-
If you do not select Schema Migration, you must ensure that a database and tables to receive the data exist in the destination database. You can also use the object name mapping feature in the Selected Objects box as needed.
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If you do not select Incremental Data Migration, do not write new data to the source instance during data migration to ensure data consistency.
Add a hidden primary key for a table without a primary key/a table without a unique key
If a table to be migrated has neither a primary key nor a unique key, you must select Yes. DTS uses the ROWID from the Oracle database as a hidden primary key (a non-null unique key) in the destination table to prevent data duplication.
NoteThis parameter can be configured only when Migration Types is selected for Schema Migration, along with at least one of Full Data Migration or Incremental Data Migration.
Processing Mode of Conflicting Tables
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Precheck and Report Errors: Checks whether tables with the same names exist in the destination database. If no tables with the same names exist, the precheck is passed. If tables with the same names exist, an error is reported during the precheck, and the data migration task does not start.
NoteIf a table in the destination database has the same name but cannot be easily deleted or renamed, you can change the name of the table in the destination database. For more information, see Object name mapping.
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Ignore Errors and Proceed: Skips the check for tables with the same names.
WarningSelecting Ignore Errors and Proceed may cause data inconsistency and business risks. For example:
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If the table schemas are consistent and a record in the destination database has the same primary key value as a record in the source database:
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During full migration, DTS keeps the record in the destination database. The record from the source database is not migrated.
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During incremental migration, DTS does not keep the record in the destination database. The record from the source database overwrites the record in the destination database.
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If the table schemas are inconsistent, only some columns of data may be migrated, or the migration may fail. Proceed with caution.
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Source Objects
In the Source Objects box, click the objects to migrate, and then click
to move them to the Selected Objects box.NoteYou can select migration objects at the database, table, and column levels.
Selected Objects
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To change the name of a single migration object in the target instance, right-click the object in the Selected Objects box. For more information, see Map individual schema, table, and column names.
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To change the names of multiple migration objects in the target instance, click Selected Objects in the upper-right corner of the Batch Edit box. For more information, see Map multiple schema, table, and column names.
Note-
If you use the object name mapping feature, dependent objects might not be migrated.
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To specify a WHERE clause to filter data, right-click a table to be migrated in the Selected Objects box and specify the filter condition in the dialog box that appears. For more information, see Set filter conditions.
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To select the SQL operations for incremental data migration at the database or table level, right-click a migration object in the Selected Objects box and select the desired SQL operations in the dialog box that appears. For information about supported operations, see SQL operations supported for incremental migration.
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Click Next: Advanced Settings to configure advanced parameters.
Parameter
Description
Dedicated Cluster for Task Scheduling
By default, DTS schedules the task to a shared cluster. You can purchase a DTS dedicated cluster to run DTS migration tasks. For more information, see What is a DTS dedicated cluster?.
Retry Time for Failed Connections
After the migration task starts, if the connection to the source or destination database fails, DTS reports an error and immediately begins to retry the connection. The default retry duration is 720 minutes. You can customize the retry time to a value from 10 to 1440 minutes. We recommend that you set the duration to more than 30 minutes. If DTS reconnects to the source and destination databases within the specified duration, the migration task automatically resumes. Otherwise, the task fails.
Note-
For multiple DTS instances that share the same source or destination, the network retry time is determined by the setting of the last created task.
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Because you are charged for the task during the connection retry period, we recommend that you customize the retry time based on your business needs, or release the DTS instance as soon as possible after the source and destination database instances are released.
Retry Time for Other Issues
After the migration task starts, if a non-connectivity issue, such as a DDL or DML execution exception, occurs in the source or destination database, DTS reports an error and immediately begins to retry the operation. The default retry duration is 10 minutes. You can customize the retry time to a value from 1 to 1440 minutes. We recommend that you set the duration to more than 10 minutes. If the related operations succeed within the specified retry duration, the migration task automatically resumes. Otherwise, the task fails.
ImportantThe value of Retry Time for Other Issues must be less than the value of Retry Time for Failed Connections.
Enable Throttling for Full Data Migration
During full migration, DTS consumes read and write resources on the source and destination databases, which may increase the database load. If required, you can enable throttling for the full migration task. You can set Queries per second (QPS) to the source database, RPS of Full Data Migration, and Data migration speed for full migration (MB/s) to reduce the load on the destination database.
Note-
This configuration item is available only if you select Full Data Migration for Migration Types.
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You can also adjust the full migration speed after the migration instance is running.
Enable Throttling for Incremental Data Migration
If required, you can also choose to set speed limits for the incremental migration task. You can set RPS of Incremental Data Migration and Data migration speed for incremental migration (MB/s) to reduce the load on the destination database.
Note-
This configuration item is available only if you select Incremental Data Migration for Migration Types.
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You can also adjust the incremental migration speed after the migration instance is running.
Environment Tag
You can select an environment tag to identify the instance based on your business requirements. This is not required for this example.
Actual Write Code
You can select the encoding type for writing data to the destination based on your business requirements.
Configure ETL
Choose whether to enable the extract, transform, and load (ETL) feature. For more information, see What is ETL? Valid values:
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Yes: Enables the ETL feature. Enter data processing statements in the code editor. For more information, see Configure ETL in a data migration or data synchronization task.
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No: Disables the ETL feature.
Monitoring and Alerting
Select whether to set alerts and receive alert notifications based on your business needs.
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No: Does not set an alert.
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Yes: Configure alerts by setting an alert threshold and an alert contact. If a migration fails or the latency exceeds the threshold, the system sends an alert notification.
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Click Next: Data Validation to configure a data validation task.
For more information about the data validation feature, see Configure data validation.
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After you complete the configurations, click Next: Save Task Settings and Precheck at the bottom of the page.
You can move the pointer over the Next: Save Task Settings and Precheck button and click Preview OpenAPI parameters in the bubble that appears to view the parameters for configuring this instance when you call the API operation.
Note-
Before the migration task starts, DTS performs a precheck. The task starts only after it passes the precheck.
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If the precheck fails, click View Details next to the failed check item, fix the issue based on the prompt, and then run the precheck again.
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If a warning is reported during the precheck:
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For check items that cannot be ignored, click View Details next to the failed item, fix the issue based on the prompt, and then run the precheck again.
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For check items that can be ignored, you can click Confirm Alert Details, Ignore, OK, and Precheck Again to skip the alert item and run the precheck again. If you choose to ignore a warning, it may cause issues such as data inconsistency and pose risks to your business.
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Purchase the instance.
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When the Success Rate is 100%, click Next: Purchase Instance.
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On the Purchase page, select the link specification for the data migration instance. For more information, see the following table.
Category
Parameter
Description
New Instance Class
Resource Group Settings
Select the resource group to which the instance belongs. The default value is default resource group. For more information, see What is Resource Management?
Instance Class
DTS provides migration specifications with different performance levels. The link specification affects the migration speed. You can select a specification based on your business scenario. For more information, see Data migration link specifications.
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After the configuration is complete, read and select Data Transmission Service (Pay-as-you-go) Service Terms.
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Click Buy and Start. In the OK dialog box that appears, click OK.
You can view the progress of the migration task on the Data Migration Tasks list page.
Note-
If the migration task does not include incremental migration, it stops automatically after the full migration is complete. After the task stops, its Status changes to Completed.
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If the migration task includes incremental migration, it does not stop automatically. The incremental migration task continues to run. While the incremental migration task is running, the Status of the task is Running.
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Next steps
If you set the Add a hidden primary key for a table without a primary key/a table without a unique key option to Yes, you must manually delete the hidden primary key that DTS adds. After switching your workloads to the destination database and before stopping or releasing the DTS instance, go to the Basic Information tab of the Full Data Migration or Incremental Write module and click Delete Invisible Primary Key in the Actions column.
After you delete the hidden primary key, you are responsible for data consistency.