MariaDB to Redshift: 2 Easy Methods

Does your MariaDB server get slow while dealing with analytical queries? Or are you facing lag while joining data from another Database while running queries? Whatever the case you are dealing with, if it is your need of the hour to move the data MariaDB to Amazon Redshift, you have landed in the right place.

This post elaborates on all the steps you need to go through while migrating the data from MariaDB to Redshift. First, the article will introduce you to the features of MariaDB and Redshift. Afterwards, it will discuss the two methods using which you can set yo your MariaDB to Redshift integration. Read along to decide which method is best for you.

Prerequisites

• A MariaDB account.
• Required permissions to create and access Amazon S3.
• A successfully set up Amazon Redshift Data Warehouse.

Introduction to MariaDB

MariaDB, one of the most popular Databases today, is a Relational Database that provides a SQL interface for accessing data. With its Fast, Scalable, and Robust infrastructure, it has emerged as a leading choice for an OLTP system. This Cloud-based solution uses a combination of parallel processing and distributed data to provide your company with higher data usage performance and flexibility.

With high Scalability, Speed, and Security. MariaDB is one of the most popular Database systems. It is an ideal tool for small organizations.

To learn more about MariaDB, visit here.

Introduction to Amazon Redshift

Amazon Redshift (based on PostgreSQL 8) is a columnar Database with the supportability of scalable architecture. Due to its ability to store petabyte-scale data and enable fast analysis, it has become the foremost choice of engineers for an OLAP system. Built on flexible Massive Parallel Processing (MPP) architecture, it can perform advanced analytics on Big Data through SQL tools. Redshift commands the largest Cloud-based Data Warehouse deployments share thanks to its easy integration with various AWS services, fast performance, and cost-effectiveness.

To learn more about Amazon Redshift, visit here.

Methods to Set up MariaDB to Redshift Integration

Following are the 2 popular methods to perform MariaDB to Redshift data migration:

• Method 1: Manual ETL Process to Set up MariaDB to Redshift Integration
• Method 2: Using Hevo Data to Set up MariaDB to Redshift Integration

Method 1: Manual ETL Process to Set up MariaDB to Redshift Integration

Here are the steps you need to follow to move data from MariaDB to Amazon Redshift:

• Step 1: Extract Data from MariaDB
• Step 2: Convert MySQL Data to CSV
• Step3: Load Data into Amazon Redshift

Step 1: Extract Data from MariaDB

The most efficient way to migrate the data is by using the copy command that loads CSV/JSON files to the Amazon Redshift.

Using the mysqldump command:

This method is suitable for only heavy-loaded servers because it uses a single thread. Here is the syntax to use the mysqldump command. 

shell> mysqldump [options] db_name [table_name...]

In case you need to get data from multiple Databases, you could use the following command instead: 

shell> mysqldump  --databases db_name1[db_name2…] > mydatabases.sql

You could use the following command to get a dump of all your Databases:

shell> mysqldump --all-databases > alldatabases.sql

The above command will allow you to export data by providing the Database and table name as input. The command will generate an SQL file in return.

Since Redshift will not allow you to load an SQL file, you will need to convert this data into CSV format. 

Step 2: Convert MySQL Data to CSV

Use the following command to convert the SQL file generated in the previous step into CSV format. 

SELECT * INTO OUTFILE ‘table.csv’

FIELDS TERMINATED BY ‘,’ OPTIONALLY ENCLOSED BY  ‘ “ ’LINES TERMINATED BY ‘n’

FROM TABLE

Step 3: Load Data into Amazon Redshift

Once you identify that you have all the columns you need to insert, you can use the Amazon Redshift Create Table statement.

Creating a table in Amazon Redshift:

Create table test (testcol int);

This query will create a table named test in your Redshift Data Warehouse. 

There are two ways to load the CSV data generated in the previous step to Redshift. 

• Load data directly to Redshift using the INSERT INTO command
• Move data to Amazon S3 and then load data from S3 to Redshift using COPY. 

Note that, Redshift is not optimized for row by row insert. Option A would work fine only if you have small amounts of data. However, option B is a more stable path to take if you have larger volumes of data. 

Let us opt to move data using Option B here. 

Upload the data files to the new Amazon S3 bucket

• In your S3 bucket, click on the name of the folder where you want to load data.
• In the upload section – select Files Wizard, click on Add Files.
• A file selection dialog box opens.
• Select all the files you downloaded in the previous step and then click Open.
• Click Start Upload

Once the data is uploaded in your S3 bucket, you can use the COPY command to move this data into Redshift instantly. 

COPY table-name 

[ column-list ]

FROM data_source

Authorization

[ [ FORMAT ] [ AS ] data_format ] 

[ parameter [ argument ] [, ... ] ]

The above command will copy the tables and will import data into Amazon Redshift.

Challenges of Building a Custom Setup

While the above approach can get the job done of moving data from MariaDB to Redshift, the process itself is quite brittle. There are many challenges around the Correctness, Consistency, and Completeness of data that you would start facing with time. 

• Real-time Data Migration: When you have to move data in batches your script methods are helpful and they work fine. In case you want to move data in real-time, the above approach will not work. You will need to set up cron jobs that can continuously do this for you. 
• Change Data Capture: If you wish to achieve change data capture (data update and loading of new data) the above process will not work and will become very effort-intensive. 
• Pipeline Maintenance: When there is any update in the Database schema your code script for data extraction may face data redundancy or data loss. Since this is critical data from your OLTP Database, you will need to invest additional resources to monitor the infrastructure. 
• Ability to Transform Data: In case you want to clean and transform the data before moving to the Data Warehouse, you will need to put in extra effort to build code around it. 
• Project Timelines: Clearly, this approach is quite effort-intensive. A bunch of engineers would need to spend expensive man-hours in stitching each part of the pipeline together to move data. If you are a fast-paced organization, looking to move data instantly, this approach would not work for you.

Method 2: Using Hevo Data to Set up MariaDB to Redshift Integration

Hevo Data, a No-code Data Pipeline, helps you directly transfer data from MariaDB and 100+ other data sources to Data Warehouses such as Redshift, Databases, BI tools, or a destination of your choice in a completely hassle-free & automated manner. Hevo is fully managed and completely automates the process of not only loading data from your desired source but also enriching the data and transforming it into an analysis-ready form without having to write a single line of code. Its fault-tolerant architecture ensures that the data is handled securely and consistently with zero data loss.

Hevo Data takes care of all your Data Preprocessing needs and lets you focus on key business activities and draw a much powerful insight on how to generate more leads, retain customers, and take your business to new heights of profitability. It provides a consistent & reliable solution to manage data in real-time and always have analysis-ready data in your desired destination. 

Sign up here for a 14-Day Free Trial!

Advantages of Using Hevo

There are a couple of reasons why you should opt for Hevo over building your own solution to migrate data from MariaDB to Redshift.

• Minimal Setup – The complexity, as well as the time spent on setup on Hevo, is much less compared to building the setup yourself, giving you a hassle-free experience.
• Automatic Schema Detection and Mapping: Hevo scans the schema of incoming MariaDB automatically. In case of any change, Hevo seamlessly incorporates the change in Redshift. 
• Fully Managed Solution: Hevo is a completely managed data solution, relieving users from any maintenance aspect. 
• Automatic Real-time Recurring Data Transfer: In Hevo, data is recurrently transferred to Redshift in real-time as well as daily or weekly, just the way you need.
• No Data Loss: The fault-tolerant architecture of Hevo makes sure that there is zero loss of your precious data while moving from MariaDB to Redshift.
• Added Integration Option – Hevo ensures that you get the similar power of moving data from other sources to Redshift with ease. Hevo natively integrates with several Databases, Sales and Marketing Applications, Analytics platforms, etc. 
• Strong Customer Support – Hevo team guarantees you have 24×7 support over Call, E-Mail, and Chat.
• Ability to Transform Data – Hevo allows you to transfer data both before and after moving it to the Data Warehouse. This ensures that you always have analysis-ready data in your Redshift Data Warehouse.

Conclusion

The article explained to you the two methods of connecting MariaDB to Redshift in a step-by-step manner. It also discussed the limitations of writing custom scripts to set up your ETL process. If you have no qualms about facing those limitations then you can try the manual ETL setup.

Hevo Data on the other hand can simplify your task by eliminating the need to write any code. It will automate the process of data transfer from MariaDB to Redshift and provide you with a hassle-free experience. Hevo provides granular logs that allow you to monitor the health and flow of your data. 

Visit our Website to Explore Hevo

In addition to MariaDB, Hevo can load data from a multitude of other data sources including Databases, Cloud Applications, SDKs, and more. This allows you to scale up your data infrastructure on demand and start moving data from all the applications important for your business.

Want to take Hevo for a spin? Sign Up here for a 14-day free trial and experience the feature-rich Hevo suite first hand. You can also have a look at our unbeatable pricing that will help you choose the right plan for your business needs!

What are your thoughts on moving data from MariaDB to Redshift? Let us know in the comments.