Use Data Transmission Service (DTS) to stream incremental data from PolarDB-X to Message Queue for Apache Kafka in real time.
Prerequisites
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A source PolarDB-X 2.0 instance.
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A destination Message Queue for Apache Kafka instance with more storage space than is used by the source PolarDB-X 2.0 instance.
NoteSee Overview of data synchronization scenarios for the supported versions of source and destination databases.
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A topic in the destination Message Queue for Apache Kafka instance to receive synchronized data. For more information, see Step 1: Create a topic.
Limits
DTS does not synchronize foreign keys from the source database to the target database. Consequently, cascading deletes and updates on the source database do not affect the target database.
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Type |
Description |
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Source database limits |
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Other limits |
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Other notes |
DTS periodically updates the `dts_health_check`.`ha_health_check` table in the source database to advance the binary log offset. |
Billing
Synchronization type | Pricing |
Schema synchronization and full data synchronization | Free of charge. |
Incremental data synchronization | Charged. For more information, see Billing overview. |
Single-record size limit
The maximum size for a single record written to Kafka is 10 MB. If a row from the source exceeds this limit, DTS cannot write the record, and the synchronization task will be interrupted. To resolve this, exclude the table from the synchronization. If you must synchronize the table, configure the DTS task to include only a subset of its columns by filtering out columns with large fields. If a task is already running, first modify the synchronization objects to remove the table. Then, modify the synchronization objects again to add the table back, this time configuring it to filter out the columns with large fields.
Supported SQL operations
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Type |
SQL statement |
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DML |
INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE |
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DDL |
Note
If the source database is an Enterprise Edition PolarDB-X 2.0 instance, the CREATE FUNCTION and CREATE INDEX operations cannot be synchronized. |
Procedure
Go to the data synchronization task list page in the destination region. You can do this in one of two ways.
DTS console
Log on to the DTS console.
In the navigation pane on the left, click Data Synchronization.
In the upper-left corner of the page, select the region where the synchronization instance is located.
DMS console
NoteThe actual steps may vary depending 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.
Log on to the DMS console.
In the top menu bar, choose .
To the right of Data Synchronization Tasks, select the region of the synchronization instance.
Click Create Task to open the task configuration page.
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Configure the source and destination databases.
WarningAfter you select the source and destination instances, review the Limits 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
Select the registered database instance with DTS from the drop-down list. The database information below is automatically configured.
NoteIn the DMS console, this configuration item is Select a DMS database instance.
If you have not registered the database instance or do not need to use a registered instance, manually configure the database information below.
Database Type
Select PolarDB-X 2.0.
Connection Type
Select Alibaba Cloud Instance.
Instance Region
Select the region where the source PolarDB-X 2.0 instance is located.
Replicate Data Across Alibaba Cloud Accounts
For this example, data is synchronized within the same Alibaba Cloud account. Select No.
Instance ID
Select the ID of the source PolarDB-X 2.0 instance.
Database Account
Enter the database account for the source PolarDB-X 2.0 instance. The account must have the REPLICATION SLAVE, REPLICATION CLIENT, and SELECT permissions on the objects to be synchronized.
NoteFor more information about how to grant permissions, see Account permission issues during data synchronization.
Database Password
Enter the password for the specified database account.
Destination Database
Select Existing Connection
Select the registered database instance with DTS from the drop-down list. The database information below is automatically configured.
NoteIn the DMS console, this configuration item is Select a DMS database instance.
If you have not registered the database instance or do not need to use a registered instance, manually configure the database information below.
Database Type
Select Kafka.
Connection Type
Select Express Connect, VPN Gateway, or Smart Access Gateway.
NoteIn this scenario, the synchronization task treats your Message Queue for Apache Kafka instance as a self-managed Kafka cluster.
Instance Region
Select the region where the destination Kafka instance is located.
Connected VPC
Select the ID of the Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) where the destination Kafka instance is located. You can find the VPC ID on the Basic Information page of the Kafka instance.
Domain Name or IP
Enter any IP address from the Default Endpoint of the Kafka instance.
NoteYou can obtain the IP address from the Default Endpoint on the Basic Information page of the Kafka instance.
Port
The service port for the Kafka instance. Default: 9092.
Database Account
Enter the database account for the destination Kafka instance.
NoteIf the Kafka instance is a VPC Instance, you do not need to configure Database Account and Database Password.
Database Password
Enter the password for the specified database account.
Kafka Version
Select the version that corresponds to your Kafka instance.
Connection method
Select Non-encrypted or SCRAM-SHA-256 based on your business and security requirements.
Topic
From the drop-down list, select the topic to receive the data.
Use Kafka Schema Registry
Kafka Schema Registry is a serving layer for your metadata. It provides a RESTful interface for storing and retrieving Avro schemas.
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No: Do not use Kafka Schema Registry.
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Yes: Use Kafka Schema Registry. You must enter the URL or IP address for the Kafka Schema Registry.
After completing the configuration, click Test Connectivity and Proceed at the bottom of the page.
NoteEnsure that you add the CIDR blocks of the DTS servers (either automatically or manually) to the security settings of both the source and destination databases to allow access. For more information, see Add the IP address whitelist of DTS servers.
If the source or destination is a self-managed database (i.e., the Access Method is not Alibaba Cloud Instance), you must also click Test Connectivity in the CIDR Blocks of DTS Servers dialog box.
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Configure the task objects.
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On the Configure Objects page, specify the objects to synchronize.
Parameter
Description
Synchronization Type
DTS always selects Incremental Data Synchronization. By default, you must also select Schema Synchronization and Full Data Synchronization. After the precheck, DTS initializes the destination cluster with the full data of the selected source objects, which serves as the baseline for subsequent incremental synchronization.
Processing Mode for Existing Destination Tables
Precheck and Report Errors: Checks for tables with the same names in the destination database. If any tables with the same names are found, an error is reported during the precheck and the data synchronization task does not start. Otherwise, the precheck is successful.
NoteIf you cannot delete or rename the table with the same name in the destination database, you can map it to a different name in the destination. For more information, see Database Table Column Name Mapping.
Ignore Errors and Proceed: Skips the check for tables with the same name in the destination database.
WarningSelecting Ignore Errors and Proceed may cause data inconsistency and put your business at risk. For example:
If the table schemas are consistent and a record in the destination database has the same primary key or unique key value as a record in the source database:
During full data synchronization, DTS retains the destination record and skips the source record.
During incremental synchronization, DTS overwrites the destination record with the source record.
If the table schemas are inconsistent, data initialization may fail. This can result in only partial data synchronization or a complete synchronization failure. Use with caution.
Data Format in Kafka
Select the storage format for the data synchronized to the Kafka instance based on your requirements.
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If you select DTS Avro, you must parse the data according to the DTS Avro schema definition. For details, see DTS Avro schema definition and DTS Avro deserialization example.
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If you select Canal JSON, see Canal JSON format for parameter descriptions and examples.
Kafka Data Compression Format
Select the compression format for Kafka messages based on your requirements.
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LZ4 (Default): Lower compression ratio and higher compression speed.
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GZIP: Higher compression ratio and lower compression speed.
NoteThis option is CPU-intensive.
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Snappy: Medium compression ratio and medium compression speed.
Policy for Shipping Data to Kafka Partitions
Select a strategy based on your business requirements. For more information, see Kafka partition routing strategy.
ImportantThis feature is not supported if the source database is a PolarDB-X 1.0 instance.
Message acknowledgement mechanism
Select a message acknowledgment mechanism based on your business requirements.
Topic That Stores DDL Information
From the drop-down list, select the topic to store DDL statements.
NoteIf you do not select a topic, DDL statements are stored in the topic selected for receiving data by default.
Case Policy for Destination Object Names
Configure the case-sensitivity policy for database, table, and column names in the destination instance. By default, the DTS default policy is selected. You can also choose to use the default policy of the source or destination database. For more information, see Case policy for destination object names.
Source Objects
In the Source Objects box, click the objects, and then click
to move them to the Selected Objects box.NoteYou can select objects at the database, table, or column level. If you select only tables or columns, DTS does not synchronize other object types (such as views, triggers, and stored procedures).
Selected Objects
No additional configuration is required for this example. You can use the mapping feature to set the topic name, number of topic partitions, and partition key for the source table in the destination Kafka instance. For more information, see Mapping information.
Note-
If you use the object name mapping feature, other objects that depend on the mapped object may fail to synchronize.
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To select the SQL operations for incremental synchronization, right-click the desired object in the Selected Objects pane and select the SQL operations in the dialog box that appears.
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Click Next: Advanced Settings.
Parameter
Description
Dedicated Cluster for Task Scheduling
By default, DTS uses a shared cluster for tasks, so you do not need to make a selection. For greater task stability, you can purchase a dedicated cluster to run the DTS synchronization task. For more information, see What is a DTS dedicated cluster?.
Retry Time for Failed Connections
If the connection to the source or destination database fails after the synchronization task starts, 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 1,440 minutes. We recommend a duration of 30 minutes or more. If the connection is restored within this period, the task resumes automatically. Otherwise, the task fails.
NoteIf multiple DTS instances (e.g., Instance A and B) share a source or destination, DTS uses the shortest configured retry duration (e.g., 30 minutes for A, 60 for B, so 30 minutes is used) for all instances.
DTS charges for task runtime during connection retries. Set a custom duration based on your business needs, or release the DTS instance promptly after you release the source/destination instances.
Retry Time for Other Issues
If a non-connection issue (e.g., a DDL or DML execution error) occurs, DTS reports an error and immediately retries the operation. The default retry duration is 10 minutes. You can also customize the retry time to a value from 1 to 1,440 minutes. We recommend a duration of 10 minutes or more. If the related operations succeed within the set retry time, the synchronization task automatically resumes. Otherwise, the task fails.
ImportantThe value of Retry Time for Other Issues must be less than that of Retry Time for Failed Connections.
Enable Throttling for Full Data Migration
During full data synchronization, DTS consumes read and write resources from the source and destination databases, which can increase their load. To mitigate pressure on the destination database, you can limit the migration rate by setting Queries per second (QPS) to the source database, RPS of Full Data Migration, and Data migration speed for full migration (MB/s).
NoteThis parameter is available only if Synchronization Types is set to Full Data Synchronization.
You can also adjust the rate of full data synchronization when the synchronization instance is running.
Enable Throttling for Incremental Data Synchronization
You can also limit the incremental synchronization rate to reduce pressure on the destination database by setting RPS of Incremental Data Synchronization and Data synchronization speed for incremental synchronization (MB/s).
Whether to delete SQL operations on heartbeat tables of forward and reverse tasks
Choose whether DTS writes heartbeat SQL information to the source database while the instance is running.
Yes: Does not write heartbeat SQL information to the source database. The DTS instance may display latency.
No: Writes heartbeat SQL information to the source database. This may interfere with source database operations like physical backups and cloning.
Environment Tag
You can select an environment tag to identify the instance based on your needs. No selection is required for this example.
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
Choose whether to set up alerts. If the synchronization fails or the latency exceeds the specified threshold, DTS sends a notification to the alert contacts.
No: No alerts are configured.
Yes: Configures alerts. You must also set the alert threshold and alert contact. For more information, see Configure monitoring and alerting during task configuration.
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Save the task and perform a precheck.
To view the parameters for configuring this instance via an API operation, hover over the Next: Save Task Settings and Precheck button and click Preview OpenAPI parameters in the tooltip.
If you have finished viewing the API parameters, click Next: Save Task Settings and Precheck at the bottom of the page.
NoteBefore a synchronization task starts, DTS performs a precheck. You can start the task only if the precheck passes.
If the precheck fails, click View Details next to the failed item, fix the issue as prompted, and then rerun the precheck.
If the precheck generates warnings:
For non-ignorable warning, click View Details next to the item, fix the issue as prompted, and run the precheck again.
For ignorable warnings, you can bypass them by clicking Confirm Alert Details, then Ignore, and then OK. Finally, click Precheck Again to skip the warning and run the precheck again. Ignoring precheck warnings may lead to data inconsistencies and other business risks. Proceed with caution.
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Purchase the instance.
When the Success Rate reaches 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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Mapping information
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In the Selected Objects area, hover over the destination topic name.
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Click Edit next to the destination topic name.
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In the Edit Table dialog box, configure the mapping information.
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The dialog box is named Edit Schema at the database level and Edit Table at the table level. The Edit Schema dialog box supports fewer parameters.
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If you are not synchronizing an entire database, you cannot modify the Name of target Topic and Number of Partitions parameters in the Edit Schema dialog box.
Parameter
Description
Name of target Topic
The name of the destination topic that receives data from the source table. By default, this is the Topic selected in the Destination Database section of the Configurations for Source and Destination Databases step.
Important-
If the destination database is a Message Queue for Apache Kafka instance, the topic name you enter must already exist in the destination Kafka instance. Otherwise, the data synchronization will fail. If the destination database is a self-managed Kafka database and the synchronization task includes database and table structure, Data Transmission Service (DTS) attempts to create the specified topic in the destination database.
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If you modify the Name of target Topic, the system writes data to the newly specified topic.
Filter Conditions
For details, see Set filter conditions.
Number of Partitions
The number of partitions for the destination topic.
Partition Key
You can configure this parameter when Policy for Shipping Data to Kafka Partitions is set to Ship Data to Separate Partitions Based on Hash Values of Primary Keys. You can specify one or more columns as the partition key. Data Transmission Service (DTS) calculates a hash value based on the specified key and uses this value to distribute rows across the partitions of the destination topic.
NoteYou can configure the Partition Key only in the Edit Table dialog box.
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Click OK.
FAQ
Can I change the Kafka Data Compression Format or Message acknowledgement mechanism after the task is created?
Yes. Modify these settings through the object modification feature. See Modify the objects to be synchronized.