Data Transmission Service (DTS) synchronizes data from a self-managed SQL Server database to a PolarDB for MySQL cluster.
Prerequisites
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Your self-managed SQL Server database must be a supported version. For more information, see Synchronization solution overview.
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You have created a target PolarDB for MySQL cluster. For details, see Custom purchase and Purchase a subscription cluster.
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The PolarDB for MySQL cluster must have more storage space than the self-managed SQL Server database requires.
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We recommend splitting a synchronization task into multiple tasks if the source instance meets any of the following conditions:
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The source instance has more than 10 databases.
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Log backups are performed more than once per hour for a single database.
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More than 100 Data Definition Language (DDL) operations are performed per hour on a single database.
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The log generation rate for a single database exceeds 20 MB/s.
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You must enable change data capture (CDC) on more than 1,000 tables.
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Limitations
During schema synchronization, DTS synchronizes foreign keys from the source database to the destination database.
During full data synchronization and incremental data synchronization, DTS temporarily disables constraint checks and foreign key cascade operations at the session level. Data inconsistency may occur if cascade update or delete operations are performed on the source database while the task is running.
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Type |
Description |
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Source database limits |
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Other limits |
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Special cases |
If the source instance is an RDS for SQL Server instance, DTS creates a |
Billing
Synchronization type | Pricing |
Schema synchronization and full data synchronization | Free of charge. |
Incremental data synchronization | Charged. For more information, see Billing overview. |
Supported synchronization topologies
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One-way one-to-one synchronization
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One-way one-to-many synchronization
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One-way many-to-one synchronization
For more information and usage notes, see Synchronization topologies.
Supported SQL operations
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Operation type |
SQL statement |
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DML |
INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE |
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DDL |
Note
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Prerequisites
Before configuring a data synchronization task, you must configure the log settings and create a clustered index on your self-managed SQL Server database.
To synchronize multiple databases, repeat Steps 1 to 3 for each database to prevent data inconsistencies.
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Run the following command on your self-managed SQL Server database to change the database recovery model to full. You can also use SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) to change the recovery model. For more information, see View or Change the Recovery Model of a Database (SQL Server).
use master; GO ALTER DATABASE <database_name> SET RECOVERY FULL WITH ROLLBACK IMMEDIATE; GOParameters:
<database_name>: The name of the database to synchronize.Example:
use master; GO ALTER DATABASE mytestdata SET RECOVERY FULL WITH ROLLBACK IMMEDIATE; GO -
Run the following command to create a logical backup of the source database. If you already have a logical backup, skip this step.
BACKUP DATABASE <database_name> TO DISK='<physical_backup_device_name>'; GOParameters:
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<database_name>: The name of the source database. -
<physical_backup_device_name>: The path and filename for the backup file.
Example:
BACKUP DATABASE mytestdata TO DISK='D:\backup\dbdata.bak'; GO -
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Run the following command to create a log backup for the source database.
BACKUP LOG <database_name> to DISK='<physical_backup_device_name>' WITH init; GOParameters:
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<database_name>: The name of the source database. -
<physical_backup_device_name>: The path and filename for the backup file.
Example:
BACKUP LOG mytestdata TO DISK='D:\backup\dblog.bak' WITH init; GO -
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.
Section
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 SQL Server.
Connection Type
Select Express Connect, VPN Gateway, or Smart Access Gateway.
Instance Region
Select the region of the self-managed SQL Server database.
NoteIf your source database is a self-managed database, you must perform the required preparations. For more information, see Preparation overview.
Replicate Data Across Alibaba Cloud Accounts
In this example, data is synchronized within the same Alibaba Cloud account. Select No.
The VPC that has been connected to the source database
Select the ID of the Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) that contains the self-managed SQL Server database.
IP address
Enter the server IP address of the self-managed SQL Server database.
Port
Enter the service port of the self-managed SQL Server database. The default value is 1433.
Database Account
Enter the account for the self-managed SQL Server database. The account must have the sysadmin role. For information about how to grant permissions, see CREATE USER and User Permission Management.
Database Password
Enter the password for the specified database account.
Encryption
Select Non-encrypted or SSL-encrypted.
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If SSL encryption is not enabled for the source database, select Non-encrypted.
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If SSL encryption is enabled for the source database, select SSL-encrypted. DTS trusts the server certificate by default.
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 PolarDB for MySQL.
Connection Type
Select Alibaba Cloud Instance.
Instance Region
Select the region of the destination PolarDB for MySQL cluster.
PolarDB Cluster ID
Select the cluster ID of the destination PolarDB for MySQL cluster.
Database Account
Enter the account for the destination PolarDB for MySQL cluster. The account requires read and write permissions.
Database Password
Enter the password for the specified database account.
Encryption
Select an option based on your business requirements. For more information about SSL encryption, see Configure SSL encryption.
After the configuration is complete, click Test Connectivity and Proceed at the bottom of the page. In the CIDR Blocks of DTS Servers dialog box, click Test Connectivity.
NoteEnsure that the IP address blocks of the DTS service are added to the security settings of the source and destination databases, either automatically or manually, to allow access from DTS servers. For more information, see Add the IP address whitelist of DTS servers.
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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 Types
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.
Schema Mapping Mode of Source and Destination Databases
Select a schema mapping mode as needed to map the schemas between the source and destination databases.
WarningTables in different schemas of the source database cannot have the same name. Otherwise, data inconsistency or task failure may occur.
SQL Server Incremental Synchronization Mode
Log-based Parsing for Non-heap Tables and CDC-based Incremental Synchronization for Heap Tables (Hybrid Log-based Parsing):
Advantages:
Supports scenarios with source database heap tables, tables without primary keys, compressed tables, and tables with computed columns.
High link stability. This mode can obtain complete DDL statements and supports a wide range of DDL scenarios.
Disadvantages:
DTS creates the trigger `dts_cdc_sync_ddl`, the heartbeat table `dts_sync_progress`, and the DDL storage table `dts_cdc_ddl_history` in the source database. It also enables database-level Change Data Capture (CDC) and partial table CDC.
You cannot execute
SELECT INTO,TRUNCATE, andRENAME COLUMNstatements on tables for which CDC is enabled in the source database. Triggers created by DTS in the source database cannot be manually deleted.
Incremental Synchronization Based on Logs of Source Database (Heap tables are not supported):
Advantages:
This mode is non-intrusive to the source database.
Disadvantages:
Does not support scenarios with source database heap tables, tables without primary keys, compressed tables, or tables with computed columns.
Polling and querying CDC instances for incremental synchronization:
Advantages:
Supports full and incremental synchronization when the source database is Amazon RDS for SQL Server, Azure SQL Database, Azure SQL Managed Instance, Azure SQL Server on Virtual Machine, or Google Cloud SQL for SQL Server.
Uses the native SQL Server CDC component to obtain incremental data, which makes incremental synchronization more stable and uses less network bandwidth.
Disadvantages:
The source database account used by the DTS instance must have the permission to enable CDC. Incremental data synchronization has a latency of about 10 seconds.
In scenarios involving synchronization of multiple databases and tables, there may be risks of stability and performance issues.
The maximum number of tables for which CDC is enabled that DTS supports.
This setting limits the number of tables on which CDC can be enabled within the current synchronization instance. The default value is 1,000.
NoteThis parameter is not available if you set SQL Server Incremental Synchronization Mode to Incremental Synchronization Based on Logs of Source Database (Heap tables are not supported).
Processing Mode of Conflicting 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.
Capitalization of Object Names in Destination Instance
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.NoteThis scenario involves synchronization between heterogeneous databases. Therefore, you can select objects only at the table level. Other objects, such as views, triggers, and stored procedures, are not synchronized to the destination database.
Selected Objects
To rename a single object in the destination instance, right-click the object in the Selected Objects box. For more information, see Map a single object name.
To rename multiple objects in bulk, click Batch Edit in the upper-right corner of the Selected Objects box. For more information, see Map multiple object names in bulk.
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To select SQL operations to synchronize at the database or table level, right-click an object in the Selected Objects section and select the desired SQL operations in the dialog box.
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To set WHERE conditions to filter data, right-click the table to be synchronized in the Selected Objects section and set the filter conditions in the dialog box. For more information, see Set filter conditions.
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If you use the object name mapping feature, synchronization of dependent objects may fail.
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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?.
Select the engine type of the destination database
Select the engine type for the destination database based on your business requirements.
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InnoDB: The default storage engine.
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X-Engine: An online transaction processing (OLTP) database storage engine.
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 Synchronization
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).
Environment Tag
You can select an environment tag to identify the instance. No selection is required in 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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Click Data Verification to configure a data verification task.
To use the data verification feature, see Configure data verification.
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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.
On the Purchase page, select the billing method and link specifications for the data synchronization instance. For more information, see the following table.
Category
Parameter
Description
New Instance Class
Billing Method
Subscription: You pay upfront for a specific duration. This is cost-effective for long-term, continuous tasks.
Pay-as-you-go: You are billed hourly for actual usage. This is ideal for short-term or test tasks, as you can release the instance at any time to save costs.
Resource Group Settings
The resource group to which the instance belongs. The default is default resource group. For more information, see What is Resource Management?.
Instance Class
DTS offers synchronization specifications at different performance levels that affect the synchronization rate. Select a specification based on your business requirements. For more information, see Data synchronization link specifications.
Subscription Duration
In subscription mode, select the duration and quantity of the instance. Monthly options range from 1 to 9 months. Yearly options include 1, 2, 3, or 5 years.
NoteThis option appears only when the billing method is Subscription.
Read and select the checkbox for Data Transmission Service (Pay-as-you-go) Service Terms.
Click Buy and Start, and then click OK in the OK dialog box.
You can monitor the task progress on the data synchronization page.