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Migrate MySQL to AWS RDS MySQL Without Downtime

Cross-cloud migration is often difficult when avoiding downtime and keeping databases private. NineData helps move MySQL data between an on-premises data center, other clouds, and AWS RDS MySQL with secure replication and rollback support.

Why cross-cloud migration is hard​

  • Business continuity: The migration must finish without interrupting production traffic.
  • Schema changes: Large tables and ongoing DDL changes make migration harder to control.
  • Data quality: You need a reliable way to verify that the source and target stay consistent.
  • Failure recovery: If cutover fails, you still need a quick way to roll back.

Why use NineData?​

  • Private network access: NineData connects to cloud databases without requiring public exposure.
  • Zero-downtime migration: NineData supports schema migration, full data migration, and incremental replication based on redo logs.
  • High replication performance: NineData is designed for fast full and incremental replication.
  • Rollback support: Build reverse replication before cutover to keep a recovery path open.

Before you begin​

  • Add the source database and the AWS RDS MySQL target to NineData.
  • Confirm network access between NineData and both databases.
  • Make sure you have permission to create replication, comparison, and alert tasks.

Migration steps​

Step 1: Register source and target data sources​

  1. Sign in to the NineData console, go to Datasource > Datasource, and then click Create Datasource.

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  2. Follow the prompts to add the source and target databases through the private network method.

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Step 2: Configure the replication task​

  1. Sign in to the NineData console, go to Replication > Data Replication, and then click Create Replication.

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  2. Follow the prompts to configure the replication task. To migrate the structure and all data, select Schema, Full, and Incremental in Type.

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  3. After the configuration is finished, start the task. NineData first migrates existing data and then replicates incremental changes in real time. When the incremental delay reaches 0 s, the target is up to date.

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Step 3: Verify data integrity on the target​

  1. Sign in to the NineData console, go to Replication > Data Replication, and then click the replication task ID created in Step 2.

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  2. Open the Comparison tab to view the comparison results. If you did not enable comparison in Step 2, click Enable Comparison here.

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  3. After some time, click Re-compare to verify the latest incremental data.

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Step 4: Configure task alerts​

Because this is a long-running migration task, you may want real-time alerts for failures or delays.

  1. Sign in to the NineData console, go to Replication > Data Replication, and then click the replication task ID created in Step 2.

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  2. Click Configure Alert in the page header.

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  3. Configure the alert policy and click Save. Use the built-in rules to send SMS reminders when the task fails or the replication delay reaches 10 minutes. Create custom rules if required.

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Result​

With these steps, migrate MySQL data to AWS RDS MySQL with minimal downtime. When the incremental delay reaches zero, switch business traffic to AWS with confidence.

Next steps​

  • Keep comparison enabled until cutover finishes.
  • Keep alert rules active during validation and the switch window.
  • If you need a rollback path, keep the reverse replication plan ready before cutover.