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What is the AWS Schema Conversion Tool, and how does it work alongside DMS for heterogeneous migrations?

Beginner

Answer

The AWS Schema Conversion Tool, or SCT, analyzes your source database schema and automatically converts it into an equivalent schema compatible with your target database engine, handling differences in data types, stored procedures, and functions between different database systems, and it is typically used before running DMS, which then handles the actual movement of the data itself once the schema has been properly converted on the target side.

// SCT converts Oracle PL/SQL stored procedures
// into equivalent PostgreSQL PL/pgSQL functions automatically

Real-world example A company migrating from Microsoft SQL Server to Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL uses the Schema Conversion Tool to automatically translate the majority of its stored procedures into PostgreSQL compatible syntax, significantly reducing the amount of manual rewriting needed.

Common follow-ups: What percentage of a typical schema can SCT convert automatically without manual intervention?;What happens to database objects that SCT cannot automatically convert?

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