Data migrations are a critical part of the database lifecycle, and are sometimes necessary for version upgrades, sharding, or moving to a new platform. In many cases, migrations are painful and error-prone. In this article, we walk through how migrations are performed at PlanetScale, and offer advice on how to improve the migration experience.

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PlanetScale

Data migrations are essential for database maintenance, often for version upgrades, sharding, or platform changes. PlanetScale's unique process allows for zero downtime migrations, even for databases in the terabyte and petabyte range. Key steps include taking non-locking snapshots, continuous replication of changes, and ensuring the ability to revert migrations if necessary. Their approach minimizes risks such as extended downtime or data loss, making extensive testing possible without affecting database availability.

Zero downtime migrations at petabyte scale

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