PostgreSQL on Amazon RDS to Firebolt Data Migration: 2 Easy Methods

Migrating data between two platforms is a critical process for organizations to leverage the power of advanced analytics. The migration from PostgreSQL on Amazon RDS to Firebolt is one such example of how businesses can unlock the full potential of their data. While PostgreSQL on Amazon RDS provides a reliable data storage platform, Firebolt provides blazing-fast query performance, even on massive datasets.

Integrating these two platforms will help you harness deeper insights, accelerate decision-making, and drive growth. Some additional benefits include understanding your customers better and tailoring your marketing efforts to specific demographics.

Let’s look into the different methods to connect PostgreSQL on Amazon RDS to Firebolt.

Methods to Migrate Data from PostgreSQL on Amazon RDS to Firebolt

• Method 1: Load Data from PostgreSQL on Amazon RDS to Firebolt as CSV Files
• Method 2: Use a No-Code Tool to Automate the PostgreSQL on Amazon RDS to Firebolt Integration Process

Method 1: Load Data from PostgreSQL on Amazon RDS to Firebolt as CSV Files

Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you move data from PostgreSQL on Amazon RDS to Firebolt:

Step 1: Export Data from PostgreSQL on Amazon RDS to a CSV File

To extract data from PostgreSQL on Amazon RDS into a CSV file, you can use the pg_dump command or PostgreSQL COPY command. Use PGsql and type the following command:

• Using pg_dump

pg_dump is a command-line utility that allows you to create a backup of your PostgreSQL database, including data and schema.

pg_dump -h <RDS_HOSTNAME> -p <RDS_PORT> -U <RDS_USERNAME> -d <RDS_DATABASE_NAME> -t <TABLE> --data-only --column-inserts -f <FILENAME>.dump

• -h <RDS_HOSTNAME>: Specifies the hostname or IP address of the Amazon RDS instance you want to connect to.
• -p <RDS_PORT>: Specifies the port number on which the Amazon RDS instance is listening.
• -U <RDS_USERNAME>: Specifies the PostgreSQL username to use when connecting to the Amazon RDS instance.
• -d <RDS_DATABASE_NAME>: Specifies the name of the database in the Amazon RDS instance that you want to export.
• -t <TABLE>: Specifies the name of the table to export.
• –data-only: Specifies that only data should be included in the backup, not the schema.
• –column-inserts: Specifies that the backup should include data in the form of INSERT statements. Each row is inserted using a separate INSERT statement.
• -f <FILENAME>.dump: Specifies the name of the output file.

The generated dump file will be in SQL file format, which you can convert to CSV format.

• Using PostgreSQL COPY Command

The COPY command in PostgreSQL allows you to export data from a table to a CSV file directly. Here’s how you can use this command:

COPY table_name TO '/path/to/your_file.csv' WITH CSV HEADER;

• table_name: The name of the table from which you want to export data.
• /path/to/your_file.csv: The name of the CSV file and the file path where your file will be saved after downloading.
• WITH CSV HEADER: The first row in the CSV file contains a header row with the column names.

Step 2: Upload CSV File to Amazon S3

The next step is to upload the data to an S3 bucket. You can use the AWS CLI to do this. Here are the steps to follow:

• Open AWS CLI.
• Run the following command:

aws s3 cp <FILENAME> s3://<BUCKETNAME>/<FOLDERNAME>/

• cp: This is short for copy and is used to upload files to S3.
• <FILENAME>: The name of the file you want to upload.
• s3://<BUCKETNAME>/<FOLDERNAME>: The S3 bucket and folder to upload your CSV file.

Upon executing this command, your data will be uploaded to your S3 bucket.

Step 3: Upload the Data from S3 to Firebolt

To move your data from an S3 bucket to a Firebolt database, follow these steps:

• Create an External Table: An external table is a special virtual table that serves as a connector from Firebolt to your external data source. Use the CREATE EXTERNAL TABLE SQL command to create one.

• Create a Fact Table: You’ll need a fact table to store the data for querying in Firebolt. 

Run the CREATE FACT TABLE command to create one. Here’s a sample command:

CREATE FACT TABLE transactions
(
    transaction_id    BIGINT,
    sale_date         TIMESTAMP,
    store_id          INTEGER,
    product_id        INTEGER,
    units_sold        INTEGER
)
PRIMARY INDEX store_id, product_id;

This will create a fact table named transactions with the columns listed out.

Firebolt uses the PRIMARY INDEX to physically sort data as it is ingested into the Firebolt File Format (F3). It will cluster and sort data based on the indexed field.

• Run the INSERT INTO Command: Use a general-purpose engine to run the INSERT INTO command. This loads data from the external table to the fact table. Here’s the syntax for the command:

INSERT INTO
    my_dim_table_with_metadata
SELECT
    *,
    source_file_name,
    source_file_timestamp
FROM
    my_external_table;

This command will ingest the data from my_external_table into the target table my_dim_table_with_metadata. The SELECT clause explicitly specifies the columns from the source table that should be selected for insertion. The source_file_name and source_file_timestamp are two additional columns appended to the columns selected from my_external_table. They will be populated with the name of the source file and its timestamp, respectively.

Here are some benefits of using CSV files to migrate data from PostgreSQL on Amazon RDS to Firebolt:

• Migrating Small Datasets: CSV files are an efficient way to move smaller datasets between two platforms. When dealing with a limited amount of data, you can easily manage the data migration manually. 

• Infrequent Data Transfers: This is a useful method to perform one-time or infrequent data migrations. The time-consuming nature of the process is less likely to pose significant challenges for such infrequent transfers.

Limitations of Manual Migration from PostgreSQL on Amazon RDS to Firebolt

• Time-consuming: Exporting data manually from Amazon RDS PostgreSQL as CSV files and then loading these files to Firebolt is a time-consuming process. Manual export and import of data must be repeated each time you need to transfer data. This can lead to human errors, especially while working with larger datasets. As a result, it is challenging to synchronize both databases with the CSV files export and import method.

• Limited Automation: The CSV export and import method lacks automation capabilities. Any data updates, inserts, or deletes in the source database won’t be automatically reflected in the destination. This can lead to incomplete or outdated data for analysis.

Method 2: Use a No-Code Tool to Automate the PostgreSQL on Amazon RDS to Firebolt Integration Process

Consider using no-code tools to overcome the limitations of the previous method. No-code tools offer multiple benefits, such as:

• Built-in Connectors and Integrations: No-code tools often provide pre-built connectors to integrate various platforms, databases, and cloud services. As these connectors eliminate the need for writing code, it simplifies the process of integrating any storage systems within a few minutes.

• Progress Monitoring: No-code tools typically provide monitoring and logging features. These features help you track the data migration progress to identify and troubleshoot issues in real time.

• Scalability: No-code tools are designed to be scalable and can be used for small-scale and large-scale data migrations. As the data volumes increase, the data pipelines scale horizontally to ensure zero data loss.

• Real-Time Data Migration: No-code tools are designed for real-time or near-real-time data integration. This ensures data remains up-to-date across systems, and you can also perform real-time analytics for impactful decision-making.

Hevo Data is one such no-code tool that you can use to simplify the process of setting up a PostgreSQL on Amazon RDS to Firebolt ETL. It is a cost-effective, fully automated data replication platform that allows you to replicate data from 150+ sources and 15+ destinations. You can use Hevo to integrate data from multiple sources or prepare your data using transformations.

To connect PostgreSQL on Amazon RDS to Firebolt using Hevo, here are the steps you need to follow:

Step 1: Configure PostgreSQL on Amazon RDS as the Data Source

Use Hevo’s Amazon RDS PostgreSQL connector to set up PostgreSQL on Amazon RDS as the source end of the data pipeline.

Step 2: Configure Firebolt as the Destination

Use Hevo’s Firebolt connector to set up Firebolt as the destination of the data pipeline.

In just two simple steps, you can seamlessly load data from PostgreSQL on Amazon RDS to Firebolt.

Here are some other essential features that make Hevo Data an efficient no-code integration tool:

• Auto Schema Mapping: Hevo takes away the tedious task of schema management by automatically mapping the schema of the incoming data to the destination schema.

• Transformations: Hevo simplifies data transformations by offering a drag-and-drop interface with preloaded transformations and a Python interface. It also includes post-load transformation capabilities for data loaded into the warehouse.

What Can You Achieve with PostgreSQL on Amazon RDS to Firebolt Migration?

A PostgreSQL on Amazon RDS to Firebolt migration provides data analysts with answers to the following questions:

• What products or services do customers frequently purchase?

• How much time do customers spend on different sections of the website?

• Are there preferred payment methods among customers?

• What is the customer journey from initial interaction to conversion?
  • How to optimize the conversion process to reduce the bounce rate?

• Can the customers be categorized into distinct segments?
  • How do the segments differ in purchasing behavior and preferences?
  • How to tailor marketing efforts to each segment?

Conclusion

Migrating data from PostgreSQL on Amazon RDS to Firebolt benefits businesses that strive to extract actionable insights from their vast database. This integration unlocks the potential for real-time analytics through accelerated query performance.

The two methods to load data from PostgreSQL on Amazon RDS to Firebolt are by using CSV files export/import or no-code tools. Manually exporting CSV files from PostgreSQL on Amazon RDS and importing them to Firebolt is associated with certain limitations. It is time-consuming, effort-intensive, and lacks automation and real-time capabilities. No-code tools can help overcome these limitations.

Hevo is a hassle-free no-code platform that helps you directly transfer data between the two platforms effortlessly. As a fully managed platform, Hevo automates the process with readily available connectors to extract data from the source and load it into the destination.

In case you want to integrate data into your desired Database/destination, then Hevo Data is the right choice for you! It will help simplify the ETL and management process of both the data sources and the data destinations. 

Visit our Website to Explore Hevo

Offering 150+ plug-and-play integrations and saving countless hours of manual data cleaning & standardizing, Hevo Data also offers in-built pre-load data transformations that get it done in minutes via a simple drag-and-drop interface or your custom Python scripts. 

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