This topic walks you through creating a Babelfish-enabled instance and verifying the setup.
Babelfish can only be enabled at instance creation time. It cannot be enabled on an existing instance, and cannot be disabled after it is turned on.
Prerequisites
Before you begin, ensure that you have selected:
Major engine version: RDS PostgreSQL 15
Product series: Basic Edition or High-availability Edition
Product type: Standard Edition
Choose a migration mode
Before creating the instance, decide which migration mode fits your scenario.
| Mode | SQL Server databases | PostgreSQL schema layout | When to use |
|---|---|---|---|
| single-db | One | Standard PostgreSQL schema | Migrating a single SQL Server database. |
| multi-db | Multiple | <database_name>_<schema_name> per database, to prevent name conflicts | Migrating multiple SQL Server databases from the same SQL Server installation. |
For more information about how to select a migration mode, see Migration modes.
Create an instance with Babelfish enabled
Log in to the ApsaraDB RDS console. In the left-side navigation pane, click Instances. In the top navigation bar, select the target region.
Click Create Instance to open the buy page.
Follow the configuration wizard. The table below covers the Babelfish-specific parameters. For all other parameters, see Create an ApsaraDB RDS for PostgreSQL instance.
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| Engine | Select PostgreSQL 15, then select Enable Babelfish. |
| Instance Type | Select from the instance types available in the console. |
| Babelfish Migration Mode | Appears after you select Enable Babelfish in the Basic Configurations step. Select single-db or multi-db based on the guidance above. |
| Initial Account | The privileged management account for Babelfish and PostgreSQL. This account cannot be deleted after creation. See the account naming rules below. |
| Password | The password for the management account. See the password rules below. |
Account naming rules:
2–63 characters
Lowercase letters, digits, and underscores (
_) onlyMust start with a letter and end with a letter or digit
Cannot start with
pgCannot be a PostgreSQL reserved keyword
Password rules:
8–32 characters
Must contain at least three of the following: uppercase letters, lowercase letters, digits, special characters
Supported special characters:
!@#$%^&*()_+-=
To reset the password after instance creation, see Reset a password.
After the instance is created, the babelfish_db database is created automatically. This database is critical to Babelfish — do not delete it, or the instance becomes unavailable.
Verify the instance
Check Babelfish status
Go to the Instances page, find the instance, and click its ID.
In the left-side navigation pane, click Basic Information.
In the Configuration Information section, confirm that Babelfish Status shows the expected state, and note the Minor Engine Version.
View the management account
Go to the Instances page, find the instance, and click its ID.
In the left-side navigation pane, click Accounts.
On the User Accounts tab, confirm the Babelfish management account created during instance setup.
View the endpoint and TDS port
Before viewing connection details, configure a whitelist for the instance.
Go to the Instances page, find the instance, and click its ID.
In the left-side navigation pane, click Database Connection. The page shows the internal and public endpoints and the TDS port number.
NoteTo use a public endpoint, click Apply for Public Endpoint. For details, see Apply for or release a public endpoint. To change the TDS port number, click Modify Endpoint. For details, see View or change the endpoints and port numbers of an ApsaraDB RDS for PostgreSQL instance.
API reference
| API | Description |
|---|---|
| CreateDBInstance | Creates an RDS instance |
| DescribeDBInstanceAttribute | Queries instance details |
| AllocateInstancePublicConnection | Applies for a public endpoint |
| ModifyDBInstanceConnectionString | Modifies an endpoint |
| DescribeDBInstanceNetInfo | Queries endpoints |