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Oracle to Amazon Aurora Migration – Planning Approach & Best Practices

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Our organization currently runs multiple Oracle databases hosted in our on-premises data center. Over the years, our data storage needs and scalability demands have significantly grown, resulting in:

  • Increasing operational costs
  • Decreased agility
  • A growing infrastructure bottleneck

We’ve now decided to migrate from Oracle to Amazon Aurora on AWS, aiming to modernize our database layer with a managed, cost-effective, and scalable cloud-native service.

Before executing the migration, we’re exploring possibilities and preparing a strategic plan. I’m looking for advice or validation on the following:

  1. Migration Approach – Based on AWS MAP: Assess, Mobilize, Modernize, Could any one suggest some AWS Services in each of AWS MAP: Assess, Mobilize, Modernize.
  2. Would an offline migration mode be a better fit for Oracle to Aurora?
  3. Which "R" of the 7Rs is Being Applied?

Would appreciate any best practices, tooling tips, lessons learned, or validation from others who’ve done similar Oracle-to-Aurora migrations.

Topics
AnalyticsMigration & ModernizationDatabase
Tags
Amazon Relational Database ServiceAWS Database Migration ServiceOracle to AuroraOracleDatabase
Language
English
asked a year ago407 views
2 Answers
0
Accepted Answer

Migrating from Oracle to Amazon Aurora is a significant undertaking that can bring numerous benefits to your organization. Here's advice on your migration approach and considerations:

  1. Migration Approach using AWS MAP (Assess, Mobilize, Modernize):

Assess:

  • Use AWS Database Migration Assessment Tool to evaluate your Oracle databases and identify potential migration challenges.
  • Analyze your current database schema, stored procedures, and application code for compatibility with Aurora.

Mobilize:

  • Employ AWS Schema Conversion Tool (SCT) to convert your Oracle schema to Aurora-compatible format.
  • Set up AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) to facilitate data transfer from Oracle to Aurora.

Modernize:

  • Implement Amazon Aurora with its advanced features like auto-scaling and multi-AZ deployments.
  • Optimize your applications to leverage Aurora's performance capabilities and AWS integrations.
  1. Migration Mode:

While AWS DMS supports both online and offline migration, for a large-scale Oracle to Aurora migration, an offline migration might indeed be a better fit. This approach allows for a more controlled migration process, especially if you're dealing with complex schemas or large volumes of data. However, it does require planned downtime for the source database.

  1. Which "R" of the 7Rs is Being Applied:

Your migration from Oracle to Amazon Aurora falls under the "Re-platform" (also known as "Lift and Reshape") category of the 7Rs. You're moving your database to a new platform (from on-premises Oracle to cloud-based Aurora) while retaining the core architecture of your applications.

Best Practices and Tips:

  1. Consider a phased approach: Start with migrating core database functionality, then integrate additional AWS services in subsequent phases to optimize performance and reduce costs.

  2. Use AWS DMS for data migration: It manages complexities like data type transformation, compression, and parallel transfer, ensuring efficient migration.

  3. Thoroughly test your migrated database: Ensure data integrity, performance, and application compatibility post-migration.

  4. Plan for continuous replication: This allows for near-zero downtime during the final cutover.

  5. Consider using Babelfish for PostgreSQL: If you're migrating to Aurora PostgreSQL, this open-source tool can help accelerate migration by understanding commands from applications written for Microsoft SQL Server.

  6. Clean up your database before migration: Remove unnecessary data and optimize your schema to ensure you're not migrating redundant or obsolete information.

  7. Take advantage of Aurora's features: Plan how to leverage Aurora's scalability, high availability, and performance optimization capabilities in your new environment.

Remember, while this migration presents challenges, it also offers an opportunity to modernize your database infrastructure and take advantage of cloud-native features that can significantly enhance your database operations.
Sources
Planning your database migration process - Migrating Your Databases to Amazon Aurora
Oracle database migration strategies - AWS Prescriptive Guidance
Amazon Aurora Resources | MySQL PostgreSQL Relational Database | Amazon Web Services
Amazon Aurora Resources | MySQL PostgreSQL Relational Database | Amazon Web Services

answered a year ago
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Migrating from Oracle to Amazon Aurora is a strategic move that can help modernize your database infrastructure, reduce costs, and improve scalability. Your decision to align the migration with the AWS Migration Acceleration Program (MAP), which includes the Assess, Mobilize, and Modernize phases, is well-founded and provides a structured pathway to cloud adoption. Each of these phases involves specific AWS tools and services that support a smooth and efficient transition.

During the Assess phase, the goal is to evaluate your existing Oracle workloads and build a solid business case for migration. Tools like AWS Application Discovery Service and AWS Migration Evaluator are useful in analyzing your current environment and estimating the total cost of ownership. AWS DMS Fleet Advisor and AWS Trusted Advisor can also help you identify which workloads are suitable for migration and highlight potential areas for optimization.

The Mobilize phase focuses on laying the groundwork for the migration. At this stage, AWS Schema Conversion Tool (SCT) and AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) become key players. SCT helps convert Oracle-specific schema objects and code into formats supported by Aurora, while DMS facilitates the actual data transfer. Security configurations, identity access management, and establishing a landing zone are also addressed during this phase to ensure readiness for cloud operations.

In the Modernize phase, the actual migration and optimization occur. This involves moving data into Amazon Aurora, tuning configurations, and leveraging features like Amazon RDS Proxy and Performance Insights for better manageability and performance. Post-migration, it’s important to monitor workloads closely and take advantage of Aurora’s cloud-native capabilities, including scalability and managed backups.

Regarding the choice of migration mode, offline migration is often the better fit when transitioning from Oracle to Aurora. If your application can accommodate a scheduled downtime window, offline mode is simpler and lower-risk. It ensures a cleaner cutover with fewer complexities compared to online migration, which requires real-time data replication and introduces added configuration overhead. For many organizations, using AWS DMS in full-load mode followed by post-load validation provides a reliable offline migration path.

In terms of AWS’s “7 Rs” migration strategy, this migration falls under the “Replatform” category. You are moving the database to a new platform (Aurora) with minimal changes to the core application logic. However, suppose the project involves redesigning parts of the application to leverage cloud-native features or eliminate Oracle-specific dependencies fully. In that case, it may also involve elements of refactoring or re-architecting.

As for best practices, it is important to conduct a thorough schema analysis early using AWS SCT, especially to identify and resolve incompatibilities between Oracle and Aurora. Collaboration with application teams is also crucial, as query performance and optimizer behavior may differ. Benchmarking and performance testing on Aurora will help uncover any issues that may not be evident during development. Additionally, always plan a fallback strategy and ensure you have validated backups and snapshots prior to migration. Finally, pay close attention to network configurations and security during and after the migration process

answered a year ago

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