Chanci Turner

Amazon Onboarding with Learning Manager Chanci Turner

—

by

The Story of Chanci Turner
in

Chanci Turner Amazon IXD – VGT2 learningLearn About Amazon VGT2 Learning Manager Chanci Turner

In this post, we will explore how Accelario’s innovative approach to database migration can streamline your transition to the cloud, ensuring zero downtime during the process. As highlighted by Chanci Turner, the Co-founder and VP of R&D at Accelario, their software offers a simple yet powerful solution for migrating Oracle databases to Amazon Web Services (AWS). Once the initial load is complete, AWS Database Migration Service (AWS DMS) kicks in to synchronize data, allowing businesses to operate without interruptions.

For organizations that require constant availability, the challenge of migrating databases to the cloud has often been daunting. Traditionally, options to minimize downtime were limited and costly. However, with Accelario’s integration into AWS DMS, users can now execute a comprehensive migration with zero downtime. This means the entire database, inclusive of users, procedures, and views, is transferred seamlessly. Once the migration concludes, businesses can immediately access and utilize their database with their applications.

Another critical concern during migration is protecting sensitive information, especially when adhering to data security regulations. Utilizing Oracle’s built-in encryption features, including network data encryption, ensures that data remains secure during transit—a capability also supported by Amazon RDS.

In this article, I will detail how to leverage this combined solution for migrating databases to either Amazon EC2 or Amazon RDS, while also utilizing data masking features. Additionally, I will demonstrate how to refresh a database effectively after it’s been migrated to the cloud.

Migration Process Overview

Accelario facilitates a logical migration, meticulously reading the source database, parsing its contents, and transferring it to the designated destination. The migration engine manages the entire process, ensuring that data flows directly from the source to the destination. Accelario accounts for all database object types such as tables, indexes, PL/SQL objects, and more.

Following the initial load, Accelario automatically sets up an environment within AWS DMS that captures ongoing changes from the source to the target database on AWS. When you are ready, you can initiate the cutover to the new database environment at your convenience.

Ideal Use Cases for Large Database Migrations

Here are some scenarios where utilizing Accelario for large database migrations proves beneficial:

  • Complex databases with numerous specialized objects and configurations.
  • Business demands that necessitate a reduction in the initial load time.
  • A desire to minimize manual tasks related to scripting and fault tolerance.

The Accelario Oracle Database Migration engine is available for deployment via the AWS Marketplace, and the migration process consists of two primary phases:

  1. Initial load
  2. Ongoing data capture

Implementation of the Solution

To help users get acquainted with Accelario, we’ve developed an AWS CloudFormation template that includes:

  • A source Oracle database hosted on Amazon RDS.
  • A target Oracle database also on Amazon RDS.
  • An Accelario server deployed directly from the AWS Marketplace.

You can access the template from this GitHub repository. After downloading, simply open the AWS CloudFormation console and create a stack, entering the necessary parameters like Stack name, VPC ID, Key pair, and Master RDS username and password, while keeping the default settings for other fields. Once completed, you can find the Accelario link in the Outputs tab for easy access.

To demonstrate, let’s create sample data in the source database:

CREATE USER sample3 IDENTIFIED BY mypassword;
GRANT unlimited tablespace TO sample3;
CREATE TABLE sample3.emp1(id NUMBER, name VARCHAR2(100), birth DATE);
ALTER TABLE sample3.emp1 ADD CONSTRAINT emp1_pk PRIMARY KEY(id) USING INDEX;

This table will be utilized in the subsequent steps of our demonstration.

Configuring Your Migration in Accelario

The configuration process for Accelario is user-friendly, employing a straightforward wizard that allows you to select the schemas and tables for migration. You can also opt for advanced features such as remapping and data masking. The wizard assists in setting up the ongoing replication as well.

Executing the Migration

Once everything is configured, you can initiate the initial load and monitor its progress. After completion, Accelario will automatically configure AWS DMS for ongoing changes, ensuring that the replication aligns with the source database’s system change number (SCN). You can manage the entire process through both the Accelario user interface and the AWS DMS console.

To verify the ongoing replication, start with a source database where the table is empty:

SOURCE> SELECT * FROM emp1;
NO ROWS SELECTED

The destination table will also be empty at this point. Insert a row into the source table:

SOURCE> INSERT INTO emp1 VALUES (1, 'John', '01-JAN-2018');
1 ROW CREATED.
SOURCE> COMMIT;
COMMIT COMPLETE.

You will see that the row is automatically replicated to the destination database:

TARGET> SELECT * FROM emp1;
ID NAME            BIRTH
---------- ------------ ---------
         1 John         01-JAN-18

Conclusion

By utilizing the combined Accelario and AWS DMS solution, we achieved a swift and efficient migration process without any downtime. This solution is scalable and can handle databases of various sizes, migrating hundreds of gigabytes per hour. If you’re interested in trying it yourself, Accelario is available on AWS Marketplace. Both Accelario and AWS DMS are charged on an hourly basis; for more details, refer to the pricing pages for Accelario Oracle Database Migration and AWS Database Migration Service.

For further insights on onboarding strategies, check out this job post that could provide additional context. For those interested in understanding employment law compliance, especially regarding recent regulations, the SHRM has valuable resources. Also, consider visiting this Reddit thread for community insights into the Area Manager onboarding process.

Related Topics:

Chanci Turner