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    Data Transmission Service:Connect an on-premises database or a third-party cloud database to Alibaba Cloud by using Database Gateway

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    Data Transmission Service:Connect an on-premises database or a third-party cloud database to Alibaba Cloud by using Database Gateway

    Last Updated:Jun 20, 2026

    Using Database Gateway (DG), you can connect a database in an on-premises IDC or a third-party cloud to Alibaba Cloud quickly and cost-effectively. After the database is connected, you can directly use it as a source or destination database when you configure data migration, data synchronization, change tracking, or data verification tasks for Data Transmission Service (DTS).

    Background information

    If you want to use Alibaba Cloud Data Transmission Service (DTS) to synchronize data from or to a local database or a database in a third-party cloud, and you want to quickly verify the features of DTS during the proof of concept (POC) phase, you can use Database Gateway (DG) from Data Management Service (DMS) to establish a cross-network connection.

    Procedure

    1. Log on to the Database Gateway console.

      Note

      If you are using Database Gateway for the first time, you are navigated to the Cloud Service Activation page. On this page, read and agree to the terms of service, and then click Activate Now.

    2. Click Create Gateway. In the dialog box that appears, enter a name and description for the gateway, and then click Next step.

    3. Install the gateway.

      1. Select and install the package for your operating system.

        • For Windows systems: Click Download gateway and follow the on-screen instructions to install the package.

        • For other operating systems: Copy the command, paste it into the target machine, and press Enter.

        Important

        When deploying Database Gateway for a proof of concept (POC), ensure your network topology minimizes latency between the database and the gateway, and between the gateway and DTS. For example, if you are using DG to connect a database in Germany to a service in Singapore, you must deploy Database Gateway in Germany. The endpoint resolved by the DG gateway must also be the domain name of the DG service in Germany. Do not connect DG to the DG service domain in Singapore. This would force the gateway to make cross-border calls, which increases latency and degrades the quality of the DTS connection. On the gateway installation page, select the OS tab (Windows (x86_64), Linux/MacOS (x86_64), or Docker) and click Download gateway. If you need to connect through an Alibaba Cloud VPC internal address, select Connect through an Alibaba Cloud VPC internal address (for ECS-hosted database, Express Connect, Cloud Enterprise Network (CEN), or VPN Gateway). After downloading, run the executable file. In the installation window, enter the gateway endpoint (e.g., pub-cn-beijing.dg.aliyuncs.com), and the verification code from the web page, which is valid for 15 minutes. This completes the installation.

      2. Wait for the local gateway to start.

        Note

        The startup time varies depending on your service, network, operating system, and other factors.

      3. Go to the page for adding a database.

        • After the Database Gateway agent is started, you are navigated to the Adding a Database step.

        • You can also click Next step.

    4. Click Add database address to add a database to the gateway. For more information, see Create a database gateway.

    5. Click Complete. After adding a database to the gateway, you can also modify or delete it as needed.

    What to do next

    • When you configure a data migration, data synchronization, change tracking, or data verification task, set Access Method to Database Gateway. Then, from the Database Endpoint drop-down list, select the database that you connected through the gateway.

      Important

      • If you set Access Method to Database Gateway when you configure a data migration task, make sure that the source and destination databases reside in the same region. In this case, cross-region data migration is not supported.

      • Database Gateway (DG) is intended only as a tool for quickly verifying DTS capabilities during the proof of concept (POC) phase. DG is not a dedicated networking product. After the POC phase, you must release the DTS link, establish a production-grade network connection by using a dedicated networking product, and then reconfigure the DTS link. DTS support does not cover task delays caused by network quality issues related to DG.

    • (Recommended) After completing your proof of concept (POC) validation, use a professional networking product or a physical leased line to connect your on-premises or third-party cloud network to Alibaba Cloud. For example, if your third-party cloud is AWS, you can refer to Connect a database on an AWS instance to Alibaba Cloud to connect Alibaba Cloud and AWS through a VPN Gateway. Then, configure the DTS link by using an access method such as Express Connect, VPN Gateway, or Smart Access Gateway.

    FAQ

    Why does the Database Gateway connection test fail in the DTS console?

    Log on to the machine that hosts the Database Gateway. Use the telnet command to test connectivity to the database endpoint. Then, retry the connection test in the DTS console.