All Products
Search
Document Center

Data Transmission Service:Synchronize data from a PolarDB for MySQL cluster to an ApsaraDB for SelectDB instance

Last Updated:Aug 15, 2025

ApsaraDB for SelectDB can respond to queries on large amounts of data within sub-seconds, handle tens of thousands of concurrent point queries, and perform complex analysis with high throughput. Data Transmission Service (DTS) allows you to synchronize data from a PolarDB for MySQL cluster to an ApsaraDB for SelectDB instance. This helps you analyze large amounts of data.

Prerequisites

The destination ApsaraDB for SelectDB instance is created. The available storage space of this instance is larger than the total size of data in the source PolarDB for MySQL cluster. For more information, see Create an instance.

Limits

Limit type

Description

Limits on the source database

  • The tables to be synchronized must have PRIMARY KEY or UNIQUE constraints and all fields must be unique. Otherwise, the destination database may contain duplicate data records.

    Note

    If the tables to be synchronized do not have primary keys and UNIQUE constraints, you must enable the Exactly-Once write feature when you configure the two-way synchronization instance. For more information, see Synchronize tables without primary keys or UNIQUE constraints.

  • If you select tables as the objects to be synchronized and you need to modify the tables, such as renaming tables or columns, in the destination database, you can synchronize up to 1,000 tables in a single data synchronization task. If you run a task to synchronize more than 1,000 tables, a request error occurs. In this case, we recommend that you configure multiple tasks to synchronize the tables or configure a task to synchronize the entire database.

  • The following requirements for binary logs must be met:

    • The binary logging feature must be enabled and the loose_polar_log_bin parameter must be set to ON. Otherwise, error messages are returned during the precheck and a DTS task cannot be started. For more information, see Enable binary logging and Modify parameters.

      Note

      If you enable the binary logging feature for a PolarDB for MySQL cluster, you are charged for the storage space that is occupied by binary logs.

    • The binary logs of a PolarDB for MySQL cluster must be retained at least three days. We recommend that you set the retention period of the binary logs to seven days. In exceptional circumstances, data inconsistency or loss may occur. Make sure that you configure the retention period of binary logs based on the preceding requirements. Otherwise, the service reliability or performance in the Service Level Agreement (SLA) of DTS may not be guaranteed.

      Note

      For more information about how to set the Retention Period of the binary logs for an PolarDB for MySQL cluster, see the Modify the retention period section in the topic "Enable binary logging".

  • During schema synchronization and full data synchronization, do not execute DDL statements to change the schemas of databases or tables. Otherwise, the data synchronization task fails.

Other limits

  • DTS does not synchronize the read-only nodes of the source PolarDB for MySQL cluster.

  • You can synchronize data to only tables that use the Unique Key model or Duplicate key model in ApsaraDB for SelectDB instances.

    Unique key model

    If you synchronize data to the destination table that uses the Unique key model, make sure all unique keys of the destination table already are contained in the source table and the object to be synchronized. Otherwise, this may cause data inconsistency.

    Duplicate key model

    If you synchronize data to the destination table that uses the Duplicate key model, and if one of the following operations occurs, duplicate data may exist in the destination database. In this case, you can deduplicate the data based on additional columns such as _is_deleted, _version, and _record_id.

    • Retry operation occurred in a data synchronization instance.

    • Retry operation was executed in a data synchronization instance.

    • Two or more DML operations were executed for the same row of data after a data synchronization instance started.

      Note

      When the destination table is the table that uses the Duplicate key model, DTS converts UPDATE or DELETE statements to INSERT statements.

  • During data synchronization, do not create clusters in the destination ApsaraDB for SelectDB instance. Otherwise, the data synchronization task fails. You can restart the data synchronization instance to resume the data synchronization task that failed.

  • ApsaraDB for SelectDB instances support only database names and table names that start with letters. If the name of a database or table that you want to synchronize does not start with a letter, you must use the object name mapping feature to rename the database or table.

  • Before you synchronize data, evaluate the impact of data synchronization on the performance of the source and destination databases. We recommend that you synchronize data during off-peak hours. During initial full data synchronization, DTS uses the read and write resources of the source and destination databases. This may increase the loads on the database servers.

  • During initial full data synchronization, concurrent INSERT operations cause fragmentation in the tables of the destination database. After initial full data synchronization is complete, the tablespace of the destination database is larger than that of the source database.

  • During data synchronization, do not use tools such as pt-online-schema-change to perform online DDL operations on the objects to be synchronized from the source database. Otherwise, data synchronization may fail.

  • Data inconsistency between the source and destination databases may occur if data from other sources is written to the destination database during data synchronization.

  • DTS executes the CREATE DATABASE IF NOT EXISTS `test` statement in the source database as scheduled to move forward the binary log file position.

Billing

Synchronization typeTask configuration fee
Schema synchronization and full data synchronizationFree of charge.
Incremental data synchronizationCharged. For more information, see Billing overview.

SQL operations that support incremental synchronization

Operation type

SQL statement

DML

INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE

DDL

  • ADD COLUMN

  • MODIFY COLUMN

  • CHANGE COLUMN

  • DROP COLUMN and DROP TABLE

  • TRUNCATE TABLE

Permissions required for database accounts

Database type

Required permissions

References

Source PolarDB for MySQL cluster

Read and write permissions on the objects to be synchronized

Create and manage a database account and Manage the password of a database account

Destination ApsaraDB for SelectDB instance

The USAGE_PRIV permission and the following read and write permissions: SELECT_PRIV, LOAD_PRIV, ALTER_PRIV, CREATE_PRIV, and DROP_PRIV

Manage the cluster permissions and Manage the basic permissions

Procedure

  1. Use one of the following methods to go to the Data Synchronization page and select the region in which the data synchronization instance resides.

    DTS console

    1. Log on to the DTS console.

    2. In the left-side navigation pane, click Data Synchronization.

    3. In the upper-left corner of the page, select the region in which the data synchronization task resides.

    DMS console

    Note

    The actual operations may vary based on the mode and layout of the DMS console. For more information, see Simple mode and Customize the layout and style of the DMS console.

    1. Log on to the DMS console.

    2. In the top navigation bar, move the pointer over Data + AI and choose DTS (DTS) > Data Synchronization.

    3. From the drop-down list to the right of Data Synchronization Tasks, select the region in which the data synchronization instance resides.

  2. From the drop-down list to the right of Data Synchronization Tasks, select the region in which the data synchronization instance resides.

  3. Click Create Task. On the Create Task page, configure the source and destination databases. The following table describes the parameters.

    Section

    Parameter

    Description

    N/A

    Task Name

    The name of the DTS task. DTS automatically generates a task name. We recommend that you specify a descriptive name that makes it easy to identify the task. You do not need to specify a unique task name.

    Source Database

    Select an existing DMS database instance. (Optional. If you have not registered a DMS database instance, ignore this option and configure database settings in the section below.)

    The database that you want to use. You can choose whether to use an existing database based on your business requirements.

    • If you select an existing database, DTS automatically populates the parameters for the database.

    • If you do not select an existing database, you must configure the following database information.

    Database Type

    The type of the source database. Select PolarDB for MySQL.

    Access Method

    The access method of the source database. Select Alibaba Cloud Instance.

    Instance Region

    The region in which the source PolarDB for MySQL cluster resides.

    Replicate Data Across Alibaba Cloud Accounts

    Specifies whether to synchronize data across Alibaba Cloud accounts. In this example, No is selected.

    PolarDB Cluster ID

    The ID of the source PolarDB for MySQL cluster.

    Database Account

    The database account of the source PolarDB for MySQL cluster. For more information about the permissions that are required for the database account, see the Permissions required for database accounts section of this topic.

    Database Password

    The password that is used to access the database.

    Encryption

    Specifies whether to encrypt the connection to the source database. You can set this parameter based on your business requirements. For more information about the SSL encryption feature, see Configure SSL encryption.

    Destination Database

    Select an existing DMS database instance. (Optional. If you have not registered a DMS database instance, ignore this option and configure database settings in the section below.)

    The database that you want to use. You can choose whether to use an existing database based on your business requirements.

    • If you select an existing database, DTS automatically populates the parameters for the database.

    • If you do not select an existing database, you must configure the following database information.

    Database Type

    The type of the destination database. Select SelectDB.

    Access Method

    The access method of the destination database. Select Alibaba Cloud Instance.

    Instance Region

    The region in which the destination ApsaraDB for SelectDB instance resides.

    Replicate Data Across Alibaba Cloud Accounts

    Specifies whether to synchronize data across Alibaba Cloud accounts. In this example, No is selected.

    Instance ID

    The ID of the destination ApsaraDB for SelectDB instance.

    Database Account

    The database account of the destination ApsaraDB for SelectDB instance. For information about the permissions that are required for the database account, see the Permissions required for database accounts section of this topic.

    Database Password

    The password that is used to access the database.

  4. In the lower part of the page, click Test Connectivity and Proceed.

    If the source or destination database is an Alibaba Cloud database instance, such as an ApsaraDB RDS for MySQL instance or an ApsaraDB for MongoDB instance, DTS automatically adds the CIDR blocks of DTS servers to the whitelist of the instance. If the source or destination database is a self-managed database hosted on an Elastic Compute Service (ECS) instance, DTS automatically adds the CIDR blocks of DTS servers to the security group rules of the ECS instance, and you must make sure that the ECS instance can access the database. If the database is deployed on multiple ECS instances, you must manually add the CIDR blocks of DTS servers to the security group rules of each ECS instance. If the source or destination database is a self-managed database that is deployed in a data center or provided by a third-party cloud service provider, you must manually add the CIDR blocks of DTS servers to the whitelist of the database to allow DTS to access the database. For more information, see the "CIDR blocks of DTS servers" section of the Add the CIDR blocks of DTS servers topic.

    Warning

    If the CIDR blocks of DTS servers are automatically or manually added to the whitelist of the database or instance, or to the ECS security group rules, security risks may arise. Therefore, before you use DTS to synchronize data, you must understand and acknowledge the potential risks and take preventive measures, including but not limited to the following measures: enhancing the security of your username and password, limiting the ports that are exposed, authenticating API calls, regularly checking the whitelist or ECS security group rules and forbidding unauthorized CIDR blocks, or connecting the database to DTS by using Express Connect, VPN Gateway, or Smart Access Gateway.

  5. Configure the objects to be synchronized and advanced settings. The following table describes the parameters.

    Parameter

    Description

    Synchronization Types

    The synchronization types. By default, Incremental Data Synchronization is selected. You must also select Schema Synchronization and Full Data Synchronization. After the precheck is complete, DTS synchronizes the historical data of the selected objects from the source database to the destination cluster. The historical data is the basis for subsequent incremental synchronization.

    Important

    After you synchronize data from a PolarDB for MySQL cluster to an ApsaraDB for SelectDB instance, the data types are converted. If you do not select Schema Synchronization for the Synchronization Types parameter, you must create tables that use the Unique Key model in the destination ApsaraDB for SelectDB instance before data synchronization. The schemas of the destination tables must be compatible with the synchronized data. For more information, see Data type mappings and Data models.

    Processing Mode of Conflicting Tables

    • Precheck and Report Errors: checks whether the destination database contains tables that have the same names as tables in the source database. If the source and destination databases do not contain tables that have identical table names, the precheck is passed. Otherwise, an error is returned during the precheck, and the data synchronization task cannot be started.

      Note

      If the source and destination databases contain tables with identical names and the tables in the destination database cannot be deleted or renamed, you can use the object name mapping feature to rename the tables that are synchronized to the destination database. For more information, see Map object names.

    • Ignore Errors and Proceed: skips the precheck for identical table names in the source and destination databases.

      Warning

      If you select Ignore Errors and Proceed, data inconsistency may occur and your business may be exposed to potential risks.

      • If the source and destination databases have the same schema and a data record in the destination database has the same primary key value or unique key value as a data record in the source database:

        • During full data synchronization, DTS does not synchronize the data record to the destination database. The existing data record in the destination database is retained.

        • During incremental data synchronization, DTS synchronizes the data record to the destination database. The existing data record in the destination database is overwritten.

      • If the source and destination databases have different schemas, data may fail to be initialized. In this case, only some columns are synchronized, or the data synchronization instance fails. Proceed with caution.

    Capitalization of Object Names in Destination Instance

    The capitalization of database names, table names, and column names in the destination instance. By default, DTS default policy is selected. You can select other options to ensure that the capitalization of object names is consistent with that in the source or destination database. For more information, see Specify the capitalization of object names in the destination instance.

    Source Objects

    Select one or more objects from the Source Objects section and click the 向右 icon to add the objects to the Selected Objects section.

    Note

    You can select columns, tables, or databases as the objects to be synchronized.

    Selected Objects

    • To rename an object that you want to synchronize to the destination instance, right-click the object in the Selected Objects section. For more information, see the "Map the name of a single object" section of the Map object names topic.

    • To rename multiple objects at a time, click Batch Edit in the upper-right corner of the Selected Objects section. For more information, see the "Map multiple object names at a time" section of the Map object names topic.

    Note
    • To select the SQL operations that are performed on a specific table, perform the following steps: In the Selected Objects section, right-click an object. In the dialog box that appears, select the SQL operations that you want to synchronize. For more information, see the SQL operations that support incremental synchronization section of this topic.

    • To specify conditions to filter data, right-click a table in the Selected Objects section. In the dialog box that appears, specify the conditions. For more information, see Specify filter conditions.

    • If you use the object name mapping feature to rename an object, other objects that are dependent on the object may fail to be synchronized.

  6. Click Next: Advanced Settings to configure advanced settings.

    Parameter

    Description

    Dedicated Cluster for Task Scheduling

    By default, DTS schedules the task to the shared cluster if you do not specify a dedicated cluster. If you want to improve the stability of data synchronization instances, purchase a dedicated cluster. For more information, see What is a DTS dedicated cluster.

    Retry Time for Failed Connections

    The retry time range for failed connections. If the source or destination database fails to be connected after the data synchronization task is started, DTS immediately retries a connection within the time range. Valid values: 10 to 1440. Unit: minutes. Default value: 720. We recommend that you set this parameter to a value greater than 30. If DTS reconnects to the source and destination databases within the specified time range, DTS resumes the data synchronization task. Otherwise, the data synchronization task fails.

    Note
    • If you specify different retry time ranges for multiple data synchronization tasks that have the same source or destination database, the shortest retry time range takes precedence.

    • When DTS retries a connection, you are charged for the DTS instance. We recommend that you specify the retry time range based on your business requirements. You can also release the DTS instance at your earliest opportunity after the source and destination instances are released.

    Retry Time for Other Issues

    The retry time range for other issues. For example, if the DDL or DML operations fail to be performed after the data synchronization task is started, DTS immediately retries the operations within the time range. Valid values: 1 to 1440. Unit: minutes. Default value: 10. We recommend that you set this parameter to a value greater than 10. If the failed operations are successfully performed within the specified time range, DTS resumes the data synchronization task. Otherwise, the data synchronization task fails.

    Important

    The value of the Retry Time for Other Issues parameter must be smaller than the value of the Retry Time for Failed Connections parameter.

    Enable Throttling for Full Data Synchronization

    During full data synchronization, DTS uses the read and write resources of the source and destination databases. This may increase the load on the database servers. You can configure the Queries per second (QPS) to the source database, RPS of Full Data Migration, and Data migration speed for full migration (MB/s) parameters for full data synchronization tasks to reduce the load on the destination database server.

    Note

    You can configure this parameter only if Full Data Synchronization is selected for the Synchronization Types parameter.

    Enable Throttling for Incremental Data Synchronization

    Specifies whether to enable throttling for incremental data synchronization. You can enable throttling for incremental data synchronization based on your business requirements. To configure throttling, you must configure the RPS of Incremental Data Synchronization and Data synchronization speed for incremental synchronization (MB/s) parameters. This reduces the load on the destination database server.

    Environment Tag

    The environment tag that is used to identify the DTS instance. You can select an environment tag based on your business requirements. In this example, no environment tag is selected.

    Whether to delete SQL operations on heartbeat tables of forward and reverse tasks

    Specifies whether to write SQL operations on heartbeat tables to the source database while the DTS instance is running. Valid values:

    • Yes: does not write SQL operations on heartbeat tables. In this case, a latency of the DTS instance may be displayed.

    • No: writes SQL operations on heartbeat tables. In this case, features such as physical backup and cloning of the source database may be affected.

    Configure ETL

    Specifies whether to enable the extract, transform, and load (ETL) feature. For more information, see What is ETL? Valid values:

    Monitoring and Alerting

    Specifies whether to configure alerting for the data synchronization instance. If the task fails or the synchronization latency exceeds the specified threshold, alert contacts will receive notifications. Valid values:

  7. Optional. In the lower part of the page, click Next: Configure Database and Table Fields. In the dialog box that appears, specify Primary Key Column, Distribution Key, and Engine parameters for the tables that you want to synchronize.

    Note
    • This step is available only if you select Schema Synchronization for the Synchronization Types parameter. You can set Definition Status to All and modify the database and table fields.

    • You can select multiple columns for the Primary Key Column parameter from the drop-down list. One or more columns specified for the Primary Key Column parameter can be selected for the Distribution Key parameter.

    • If the table does not have primary keys or UNIQUE constraints, select duplicate for the Engine parameter. Otherwise, the data synchronization task may fail or data loss may occur.

  8. Save the task settings and run a precheck.

    • To view the parameters to be specified when you call the relevant API operation to configure the DTS task, move the pointer over Next: Save Task Settings and Precheck and click Preview OpenAPI parameters.

    • If you do not need to view or have viewed the parameters, click Next: Save Task Settings and Precheck in the lower part of the page.

    Note
    • Before you can start the data synchronization task, DTS performs a precheck. You can start the data synchronization task only after the task passes the precheck.

    • If the data synchronization task fails the precheck, click View Details next to each failed item. After you analyze the causes based on the check results, troubleshoot the issues. Then, rerun the precheck.

    • If an alert is triggered for an item during the precheck:

      • If an alert item cannot be ignored, click View Details next to the failed item and troubleshoot the issue. Then, run a precheck again.

      • If an alert item can be ignored, click Confirm Alert Details. In the View Details dialog box, click Ignore. In the message that appears, click OK. Then, click Precheck Again to run a precheck again. If you ignore the alert item, data inconsistency may occur, and your business may be exposed to potential risks.

  9. Wait until the Success Rate becomes 100%. Then, click Next: Purchase Instance.

  10. On the buy page, configure the Billing Method and Instance Class parameters for the data synchronization task. The following table describes the parameters.

    Section

    Parameter

    Description

    New Instance Class

    Billing Method

    • Subscription: You pay for a subscription when you create a data synchronization instance. The subscription billing method is more cost-effective than the pay-as-you-go billing method for long-term use.

    • Pay-as-you-go: A pay-as-you-go instance is billed on an hourly basis. The pay-as-you-go billing method is suitable for short-term use. If you no longer require a pay-as-you-go data synchronization instance, you can release the instance to reduce costs.

    Resource Group Settings

    The resource group to which the data synchronization instance belongs. Default value: default resource group. For more information, see What is Resource Management?

    Instance Class

    DTS provides instance classes that vary in synchronization speed. You can select an instance class based on your business requirements. For more information, see Instance classes of data synchronization instances.

    Subscription Duration

    If you select the subscription billing method, specify the subscription duration and the number of data synchronization instances that you want to create. The subscription duration can be one to nine months, one year, two years, three years, or five years.

    Note

    This parameter is available only if you select the Subscription billing method.

  11. Read and select Data Transmission Service (Pay-as-you-go) Service Terms.

  12. Click Buy and Start. In the dialog box that appears, click OK.

    You can view the progress of the task in the task list.

Data type mappings

Category

Data type in PolarDB for MySQL

Data type in ApsaraDB for SelectDB

Numeric

TINYINT

TINYINT

TINYINT UNSIGNED

SMALLINT

SMALLINT

SMALLINT

SMALLINT UNSIGNED

INT

MEDIUMINT

INT

MEDIUMINT UNSIGNED

BIGINT

INT

INT

INT UNSIGNED

BIGINT

BIGINT

BIGINT

BIGINT UNSIGNED

LARGEINT

BIT(M)

INT

Decimal

Decimal

Note

ZEROFILL is not supported.

Numeric

Decimal

Float

Float

Double

DOUBLE

  • BOOL

  • BOOLEAN

BOOLEAN

DATE AND TIME

DATE

DATEV2

DATETIME[(fsp)]

DATETIMEV2

Timestamp[(fsp)]

DATETIMEV2

Time[(fsp)]

VARCHAR

YEAR[(4)]

INT

STRING

  • CHAR

  • VARCHAR

VARCHAR

Important

To avoid data loss, data of the CHAR and VARCHAR(n) types is converted to the VARCHAR(4*n) type after it is synchronized to the destination ApsaraDB for SelectDB instance.

  • If you do not specify the length of data, the default value VARCHAR(65533) is used.

  • Data with a length of more than 65,533 characters is converted to the STRING type after it is synchronized to the destination ApsaraDB for SelectDB instance.

  • BINARY

  • VARBINARY

STRING

  • TINYTEXT

  • TEXT

  • MEDIUMTEXT

  • LONGTEXT

STRING

  • TINYBLOB

  • BLOB

  • MEDIUMBOLB

  • LONGBLOB

STRING

ENUM

STRING

SET

STRING

JSON

STRING