Schema Conversion Tool (SCT)
💡 Definition
AWS Schema Conversion Tool (SCT) is a desktop application that helps you convert your database schema from one database engine to another. It is primarily used in conjunction with the DMS for heterogeneous database migrations.
🔑 Key Concepts
- Heterogeneous Migrations: Used when migrating between different database engines (e.g., from Oracle to PostgreSQL, or SQL Server to Aurora).
- Schema Conversion: Converts source database objects, such as tables, views, stored procedures, and functions, into a format compatible with the target database.
- Assessment Report: Provides a report detailing the conversion complexity, identifying objects that can be converted automatically and those that require manual intervention.
⚙️ How it Works
- Install SCT: Install the application on your local machine.
- Connect: Connect SCT to both your source and target database endpoints.
- Analyze & Convert: SCT analyzes the source schema and automatically converts the majority of it to be compatible with the target engine. It highlights any parts that need manual changes.
- Apply Schema: You apply the converted schema to the target database.
- Migrate Data: After the schema is in place, you use DMS to migrate the actual data.
🎯 Use Cases
- Database Modernization: Migrating from proprietary, commercial databases (like Oracle or SQL Server) to open-source or cloud-native engines on AWS (like PostgreSQL or Aurora).
💰 Pricing Model
- Free: The AWS Schema Conversion Tool is a free-to-use desktop application.
📝 Exam Tips (CLF-C02)
- Keywords: "Schema conversion", "Heterogeneous migration", "Database modernization".
- SCT handles the schema, while DMS handles the data.
- It's a necessary step when moving between different types of database engines.