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Important:Aurora PostgreSQL as an input data source
This article describes how to connect Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL RDSas an input data source.
If you want to connect a Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL RDS instance as adestination, refer to theConnecting an Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL RDS Destination guide.
A high-level look at Stitch's Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL RDS (v2) integration, including release status, useful links, and the features supported in Stitch.
| STITCH | |||
| Release status | Released (Testing) on March 5, 2021 | Supported by | |
| Stitch plan | Standard | Supported versions | 9.3+; 10.6+ for binlog |
| API availability | Available | Singer GitHub repository | |
| CONNECTION METHODS | |||
| SSH connections | Supported | SSL connections | Supported |
| REPLICATION SETTINGS | |||
| Anchor Scheduling | Supported | Advanced Scheduling | Supported |
| Table-level reset | Supported | Configurable Replication Methods | Supported |
| REPLICATION METHODS | |||
| Log-based Replication | Supported | Key-based Replication | Supported |
| Full Table Replication | Supported | ||
| DATA SELECTION | |||
| Table selection | Supported | Column selection | Supported |
| View replication | Supported | Select all | Supported, with prerequisites |
| TRANSPARENCY | |||
| Extraction Logs | Supported | Loading Reports | Supported |
To set up Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL RDS in Stitch, you need:
Permissions in Amazon Web Services (AWS) that allow you to:
Permissions in PostgreSQL that allow you to create users. This is required to create a database user for Stitch.
If using Log-based Incremental Replication, you’ll need:
rds_superuser role in your Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL RDS database, if you want to use Log-based Replication.This role is required to grant therds_replication privilege to Stitch’s database user.If you’re not using Log-based Incremental Replication, you’ll need:
max_standby_streaming_delay andmax_standby_archive_delay settings - before connecting it to Stitch. We recommend setting these parameters to 8-12 hours for an initial replication job, and then decreasing them afterwards.First, you’ll log into Stitch and verify the data pipeline region your account is using. Later in this guide, you’ll need to grant Stitch access by whitelisting our IP addresses.
The IP addresses you’ll whitelist depend on theData pipeline region your account is in.
Locate the list of IP addresses for your region:
Keep this list handy - you’ll need it later.
In this step, you’ll configure the database server to allow traffic from Stitch to access it. There are two ways to connect your database:
Click the option you’re using below and follow the instructions.
For Stitch to successfully connect with your database instance, you’ll need to add our IP addresses to the appropriate Security Group via the AWS management console.
Security Groups must reside in the same VPC as the instance. Use the instructions below to create a security group for Stitch and grant access to the VPC.
StitchCustom TCP Rule5432 by default)Repeat steps 6-8 until all the IP addresses for your Stitch data pipeline region have been added.
This is what a Security Group using Stitch’s North America IP addresses looks like:

Next, you’ll create a dedicated database user for Stitch. This will ensure Stitch is visible in any logs or audits, and allow you to maintain your privilege hierarchy.
Your organization may require a different process, but the simplest way to create this user is to execute the following query when logged into the Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL RDS database as a user with the right to grant privileges.
Note: The user performing this step should also own the schema(s) that Stitch is being granted access to.
Create the database user, replacing<stitch_username> with the name of the database user and<password> with a password:
CREATEUSER<stitch_username>WITHENCRYPTEDPASSWORD'<password>';Grant the database userCONNECT privileges to the database, replacing<database_name> with the name of a database you want to connect Stitch to:
GRANTCONNECTONDATABASE<database_name>TO<stitch_username>;Grant the database user schema usage privileges, replacing<schema_name> with the name of a schema you want to replicate data from:
GRANTUSAGEONSCHEMA<schema_name>TO<stitch_username>;Grant the database userSELECT privileges by running this command for every table you want to replicate:
GRANTSELECTON<schema_name>.<table_name>TO<stitch_username>;Limiting access to only the tables you want to replicate ensures that the integration can complete discovery (a structure sync) in a timely manner. If you encounter issues in Stitch where tables aren’t displaying, try limiting the Stitch database user’s table access.
Alter the schema’s default privileges to grantSELECT privileges on tables to the database user. This is required to ensure that objects created in the schema after connecting to Stitch will remain accessible to thestitch user:
ALTERDEFAULTPRIVILEGESINSCHEMA<schema_name>GRANTSELECTONTABLESTO<stitch_username>;Important:Using Log-based Incremental Replication
You’ll also need to grant therds_replication role to the Stitch user if you want to use Log-based Incremental Replication.
Note: Granting this role requires that your user have therds_superuser role. Log into the database as a user with therds_superuser role and run the following command:
GRANTrds_replicationTO<stitch_username>;See thePrivileges list tab for an explanation of why these permissions are required by Stitch.
In the table below are the database user privileges Stitch requires to connect to and replicate data from a Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL RDS database.
| Privilege name | Reason for requirement |
| CONNECT | Required to connect successfully to the specified database. |
| USAGE | Required to access the objects contained in the specified schema. |
| SELECT | Required to select rows from tables in the specified schema. |
| ALTER DEFAULT PRIVILEGES | Required to ensure that objects created in the schema after connecting to Stitch will be accessible by the Stitch database user. |
| rds_replication | Required to allow the Stitch database user to use logical (Log-based) replication. The |
Important:Log-based Replication requirements
Log-based Replication for Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL RDS-based databases requires:
A PostgreSQL database running Aurora PostgreSQL 10.6 or greater. This is required to use wal2json, the plugin Stitch uses to perform Log-based Incremental Replication. Amazon introduced support for wal2json inversion 10.6 of their Aurora PostgreSQL engine.
A connection to the master instance. Log-based replication will only work on master instances due to a feature gap in PostgreSQL 10.Based on their forums, PostgreSQL is working on adding support for using logical replication on a read replica to a future version.
Until this feature is released, you can connect Stitch to the master instance and use Log-based Replication,or connect to a read replica and use Key-based Incremental Replication.
REPLICA IDENTITY parameter toFULL in your source table to capture all changed and unchanged keys in the Write-Ahead Logging. You can configure this with the following query:ALTER TABLE <your_table> REPLICA IDENTITY FULL.While Log-based Incremental Replication is the most accurate and efficient method of replication, using this replication method may, at times, require manual intervention or impact the source database’s performance. Refer to theLog-based Incremental Replication documentation for more info.
You can also use one of Stitch’s otherReplication Methods, which don’t require any database configuration. Replication Methods can be changed at any time.
In this step, you’ll configure the required parameters in the database’s DB cluster parameter group and enable Log-based Incremental Replication.
Note: Modifications must be made to the DB Cluster Parameter Group associated with the database. This is because the parameters required to enable Log-based Incremental do not exist in Database Parameter Groups.
On theRDS Dashboard page, click theDatabases option on the left side of the page. This will open theRDS Databases page.
In the list of databases, locate and click on thedatabase (not the cluster) you want to connect to Stitch. This will open theDatabase Details page.
Locate the parameters in the list below, and enter the required values into theValues column:
rds.logical_replication:1
max_replication_slots:5
max_wal_senders:5
Note: Formax_replication_slots andmax_wal_senders, Amazon’s default value of5 should be sufficientunless you have a large number of read replicas.
See theServer settings list tab for more info on these settings.
In the table below are the names, required values, and descriptions of the server settings you must define.
| Setting | Value | Description |
| rds.logical_replication | 1 | Required to use Log-based Replication; available on PostgreSQL versions 9.4 and higher. Enables logical (log-based) replication for the database server. |
| max_replication_slots | 5 | Required to use Log-based Replication; available on PostgreSQL versions 9.4 and higher. Specifies the maximum number of replication slots that the server can support. This must be greater than 1. If you have a large number of replica databases, you may want to increase the value of this parameter. Typically, Amazon’s default value of |
| max_wal_senders | 5 | Available on PostgreSQL versions 9.4 and higher. Specifies the maximum number of concurrent connections from standby servers or streaming base backup clients (the maximum number of simultaneously running WAL sender processes). If you have a large number of replica databases, you may want to define this setting during setup. Typically, Amazon’s default value of |
The backup retention period setting defines the number of days for which automated backups are retained. This ensures that data can still be replicated even if a job is interrupted, there’s database or Stitch downtime, etc.
Navigate back to theDatabases page by using the menu on the left side of the page.
On theModify DB Instance page, scroll down to theBackup section.
SetBackup retention period to anything greater than1 day:

Navigate to the Instance Details page and locate theParameter group. Initially, the Parameter group should sayapplying.
When it changes topending-reboot, you can reboot the database and apply the changes.
Rebooting the instance will take a few minutes. When the status of theparameter group changes toin-sync and theDB instance status (located at the top of the Instance Details page) changes toavailable, the reboot will be complete:

Next, you’ll create a dedicated logical replication slot for Stitch. In PostgreSQL, a logical replication slot represents a stream of database changes that can then be replayed to a client in the order they were made on the original server. Each slot streams a sequence of changes from a single database.
Important:Replication slots and data loss
A logical replication slot should only be used by a single process OR Stitch integration. If you need to connect multiple databases to Stitch, you’ll need to create a replication slot for each database.
You risk losing data if multiple processes or Stitch integrations share a replication slot. This is becausea logical slot emits a single change only once - if multiple processes or Stitch integrations share a logical slot, only the changes that occurred after the last process/integration consumed them will be received.
Note: Replication slots are specific to a given database in a cluster. If you want to connect multiple databases - whether in one integration or several - you’ll need to create a replication slot for each database.
wal2json, create a logical replication slot:If you’re connecting multiple databases, you’ll need to run this command for every database you want to connect, replacing<raw_database_name> with the name of the database:
SELECT*FROMpg_create_logical_replication_slot('stitch_<raw_database_name>','wal2json');This will create a replication slot namedstitch_<raw_database_name>.
If you’re connecting a single database, run the following command:
SELECT*FROMpg_create_logical_replication_slot('stitch','wal2json');This will create a replication slot namedstitch.
Log in as the Stitch user and verify you can read from the replication slot, replacing<replication_slot_name> with the name of the replication slot:
SELECTCOUNT(*)FROMpg_logical_slot_peek_changes('<replication_slot_name>',null,null);If connecting multiple databases, you should verify that the Stitch user can read from each of the replication slots you created.
Note:wal2json is required to use Log-based replication in Stitch for PostgreSQL-backed databases.wal2json is included by default and enabled inStep 3.1 by defining therds.logical_replication parameter.
In this step, you’ll complete the setup by entering the database’s connection details and defining replication settings in Stitch.
On theRDS Dashboard page, click theDatabases option on the left side of the page. This will open theRDS Databases page.
In the list of databases, locate and click on thedatabase (not the cluster) you want to connect to Stitch. This will open theDatabase Details page.
On the Database Details page, scroll down to theConnectivity & security section.
DB Name: This field contains the name of the database used to launch the instance. You’ll only need this info if you want to connect this specific database to Stitch.
You can connect this database to Stitch, or another database within Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL RDS.
Leave this page open for now - you’ll need it to complete the setup.
On the Stitch Dashboard page, click theAdd Integration button.
Fill in the fields as follows:
Integration Name: Enter a name for the integration. This is the name that will display on the Stitch Dashboard for the integration; it’ll also be used to create the schema in your destination.
For example, the name “Stitch Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL RDS” would create a schema calledstitch_amazon_aurora_postgresql_rds in the destination.Note: The schema name cannot be changed after the integration is saved.
Host (Endpoint): Paste theEndpoint address from the Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL RDS Details page in AWS into this field. Don’t include the port number, if it’s appended to the end of the endpoint string - this will cause errors.
Port: Enter the port used by the Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL RDS instance. The default is5432.
Username: Enter the Stitch Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL RDS database user’s username.
Password: Enter the password for the Stitch Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL RDS database user.
**: Enter the name of the Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL RDS database you want to connect to Stitch. Stitch will ‘find’ all databases you give the Stitch user access to - a default database is only used to complete the connection. This is required for Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL RDS integrations.
Include PostgreSQL schema names in destination tables: Checking this setting will include schema names from the source database in the destination table name - for example:<source_schema_name>__<table_name>.
Stitch loads all selected replicated tables to a single schema, preserving only the table name. If two tables canonicalize to the same name - even if they’re in different source databases or schemas - name collision errors can arise. Checking this setting can prevent these issues.
Note: This setting can not be changed after the integration is saved. Additionally, this setting may create table names that exceed your destination’s limits. For more info, refer to theDatabase Integration Table Name Collisions guide.
If you’re using an SSH tunnel to connect your Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL RDS database to Stitch, you’ll also need to define the SSH settings. Refer to theSetting up an SSH Tunnel for a database in Amazon Web Services guide for assistance with completing these fields.
Click theSSH Tunnel checkbox.
Fill in the fields as follows:
SSH Host: Paste thePublic DNS of the SSH sever (EC2 instance) into this field. Refer to theAmazon SSH guide for instructions on retrieving this info.
SSH Port: Enter the SSH port of the SSH server (EC2 instance) into this field. This will usually be22.
SSH User: Enter the Stitch Linux (SSH) user’s username.
Click theConnect using SSL checkbox if you’re using an SSL connection.Note: The database must support and allow SSL connections for this setting to work correctly.
In theLog-based Replication section, you can set this as the integration’s default Replication Method.
When enabled, tables that are set to replicate will useLog-based Incremental Replication by default. If you don’t want a table to use Log-based Incremental Replication, you can change it in the Table Settings page for that table.
If this setting isn’t enabled, you’ll have to select aReplication Method for each table you set to replicate.
In theReplication Frequency section, you’ll create the integration’sreplication schedule. An integration’s replication schedule determines how often Stitch runs a replication job, and the time that job begins.
Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL RDS integrations support the following replication scheduling methods:
Advanced Scheduling using Cron (Advanced or Premium plans only)
To keep your row usage low, consider setting the integration to replicate less frequently. See theUnderstanding and Reducing Your Row Usage guide for tips on reducing your usage.
The last step is to select the tables and columns you want to replicate.
Note: If a replication job is currently in progress, new selections won’t be used until the next job starts.
For Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL RDS integrations, you can select:
Individual tables and columns
All tables and columns (except views)
Database views
Click the tabs to view instructions for each selection method.
Click thecheckbox next to the table’s name. A blue checkmark means the table is set to replicate.
After you set a table to replicate, a page with the table’s columns will display. De-select columns if needed.
Define the table’sReplication Method, or skip this step if you want to use theintegration’s default method.
If usingKey-based Incremental Replication, select aReplication Key.
When finished, clickUpdate Settings.
Repeat this process for every table you want to replicate.
Important: Before using this feature, note that:
Using theSelect All feature will overwrite any previous selections. However, selections aren’t final untilFinalize Your Selections is clicked. ClickingCancel will restore your previous selections.
Log-based Incremental Replication must be enabled and set as the default Replication Method to use the Select All feature.
Refer to theSelect All guide for more info about this feature.
Click theTables to Replicate tab.
Navigate to the table level, selecting any databases and/or schemas that contain tables you want to replicate.
In the menu that displays, clickTrack AllTables and Fields (Except Views):

Setting a database view to replicate is similar to selecting a table, with a few differences. Refer to theReplicating Database Views guide for detailed instructions.
At a high level, you’ll need to complete the following to select a database view:
After you finish setting up Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL RDS, itsSync Status may show asPending on either the Stitch Dashboard or in the Integration Details page.
For a new integration, aPending status indicates that Stitch is in the process of scheduling the initial replication job for the integration.This may take some time to complete.
Initial replication jobs with Anchor Scheduling
If using Anchor Scheduling, an initial replication job may not kick off immediately. This depends on the selected Replication Frequency and Anchor Time. Refer to theAnchor Scheduling documentation for more information.
The first seven days of replication, beginning when data is first replicated, are free. Rows replicated from the new integration during this time won’t count towards your quota. Stitch offers this as a way of testing new integrations, measuring usage, and ensuring historical data volumes don’t quickly consume your quota.
| Related | Troubleshooting |
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