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Amazon Microsoft SQL Server RDS (v1)

Amazon Microsoft SQL Server RDS feature snapshot

A high-level look at Stitch's Amazon Microsoft SQL Server RDS (v1) integration, including release status, useful links, and the features supported in Stitch.

Connecting Amazon Microsoft SQL Server RDS

Amazon Microsoft SQL Server RDS setup requirements

To set up Amazon Microsoft SQL Server RDS in Stitch, you need:

• Privileges in Amazon Web Services (AWS) that allow you to:

  • Create/manage Security Groups, which is required to whitelist Stitch’s IP addresses.
  • View database details, which is required for retrieving the database’s connection details.

• Privileges in Amazon Microsoft SQL Server RDS that allow you to create/manage users. This is required to create the Stitch database user.

• A database running Amazon Microsoft SQL Server RDS version 2012 through 2017. Amazon Microsoft SQL Server RDS 2012 is the miminum version that Stitch supports for this type of integration.

• If using Log-based Incremental Replication, you’ll need:

  • TheALTER DATABASE privilege in Microsoft SQL Server. This is required to complete the setup for Log-based Incremental Replication.
  • A Primary Key in the source table. This is required to use logical replication.

Step 1: Verify your Stitch account's data pipeline region

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.

1. Sign into your Stitch account, if you haven’t already.
2. ClickUser menu (your icon) > Edit User Settings and locate theData pipeline region section to verify your account’s region.

3. Locate the list of IP addresses for your region:

   • North America region IP addresses

   • Europe region IP addresses

Keep this list handy - you’ll need it later.

Step 2: Configure database connection settings

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:

• A direct connection will work if your database is publicly accessible.
• An SSH tunnel is required if your database isn’t publicly accessible. This method uses a publicly accessible instance, or an SSH server, to act as an intermediary between Stitch and your database. The SSH server will forward traffic from Stitch through an encrypted tunnel to the private database.

Click the option you’re using below and follow the instructions.

Step 3: Enable Log-based Incremental Replication with Change Tracking

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.

• Step 3.1: Verify database compatibility

• Step 3.2: Enable change tracking for the database

• Step 3.3: Enable change tracking for tables

Step 3.1: Verify database compatibility

In this step, you’ll verify the database’sdatabase’s compatibility level. This setting sets some database behaviors to be compatible with a specified version of SQL Server. To use Change Tracking, your database must have a compatibility level greater than90.

1. Log into your database:

   USE<database_name>GO

2. Run the following query to retrieve the database’s current compatibility level:

   SELECTcompatibility_levelFROMsys.databasesWHEREname='<database_name>';GO

   According toMicrosoft’s documentation, this value must be greater than90 or theCHANGETABLE function (used to obtain change tracking info during replication) will return an error.

3. If the result is less than90, you’ll need to increase it to enable Change Tracking.

   Note: Before changing this setting, you should understand how doing so could impact your database. Refer toMicrosoft’s documentation for more info.

   Use the following command to set the database compatibility level:

   ALTERDATABASE<database_name>SETCOMPATIBILITY_LEVEL=100;GO

Step 3.2: Enable change tracking for the database

In this step, you’ll enable Change Tracking at the database level. Use the following command to enable Change Tracking, replacing<database_name> with the name of the database:

ALTERDATABASE<database_name>SETCHANGE_TRACKING=ON(CHANGE_RETENTION=3DAYS,AUTO_CLEANUP=ON)

This command also defines theCHANGE_RETENTION andAUTO_CLEANUP settings:

• CHANGE_RETENTION - This specifies the time period for which change tracking information is kept. Change tracking information older than the specified time period is periodically removed by Amazon Microsoft SQL Server RDS. Stitch recommends aminimum of3 days.

• AUTO_CLEANUP - This controls the cleanup task that removes old change tracking information. WhenOFF, the task will be disabled and old change tracking information will not be removed.

  Tip: If you encounter an issue with a table, changeAUTO_CLEANUP toOFF to disable cleanup tasks. This will ensure change tracking info is retained, allowing Stitch Support to more thoroughly investigate.

Step 3.3: Enable change tracking for tables

For every table you want to replicate using Log-based Incremental Replication, you will need to enable change tracking. When change tracking is enabled, change tracking information will be maintained for all rows in the table affected by a DML operation.

Run the following command to enable change tracking for a table:

ALTERTABLE<schema_name>.<table_name>ENABLECHANGE_TRACKINGWITH(TRACK_COLUMNS_UPDATED=ON)

Repeat this step for every table you want to replicate using Log-based Incremental Replication.

Step 4: Create a Stitch database user

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.

• Instructions
• Privileges list

GRANTVIEWCHANGETRACKINGON<schema_name>.<table_name>TO<stitch_username>;GO

Step 5: Connect Stitch

In this step, you’ll complete the setup by entering the database’s connection details and defining replication settings in Stitch.

• Step 5.1: Locate RDS connection details in AWS

• Step 5.2: Define the database connection details

• Step 5.3: Define the SSH connection details

• Step 5.4: Define the SSL connection details

• Step 5.5: Define Log-based Replication setting

• Step 5.6: Create a replication schedule

• Step 5.7: Save the integration

Step 5.1: Locate RDS connection details in AWS

1. Sign into theAWS Console, if needed.
2. Navigate to theRDS option.

3. On theRDS Dashboard page, click theDatabases option on the left side of the page. This will open theRDS Databases page.

4. In the list of databases, locate and click on the instance you want to connect to Stitch. This will open theDatabase Details page.

5. On the Database Details page, scroll down to theConnectivity & security section.

6. Locate the following fields:
   • Endpoint

   • 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 Microsoft SQL Server RDS.

   • Port: This is the port used by the database.

Leave this page open for now - you’ll need it to complete the setup.

Step 5.2: Define the database connection details

1. If you aren’t signed into your Stitch account,sign in now.

2. On the Stitch Dashboard page, click theAdd Integration button.

3. Locate and click theMicrosoft SQL Server icon.

4. 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 Microsoft SQL Server RDS” would create a schema calledstitch_amazon_microsoft_sql_server_rds in the destination.Note: The schema name cannot be changed after the integration is saved.

   • Host (Endpoint): Paste theEndpoint address from the Amazon Microsoft SQL Server 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 Microsoft SQL Server RDS instance. The default is1433.

   • Username: Enter the Stitch Amazon Microsoft SQL Server RDS database user’s username.

   • Password: Enter the password for the Stitch Amazon Microsoft SQL Server RDS database user.

   • **: **Optional: Enter the name of the default database Stitch will connect to. Stitch will ‘find’ all databases you give the Stitch user access to - a default database is only used to test and complete the connection.

     Note: If this field is defined, Stitch will attempt to connect to only the database entered. If undefined, Stitch will attempt to connect to all of the databases the Stitch user has access to. To connect several specific databases, create an integration for each database you want to connect and define it in this field.

   • Include Microsoft SQL Server 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.

Step 5.3: Define the SSH connection details

If you’re using an SSH tunnel to connect your Amazon Microsoft SQL Server 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.

1. Click theSSH Tunnel checkbox.

2. 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.

Step 5.4: Define the SSL connection details

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.

Step 5.5: Define Log-based Replication setting

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.

Step 5.6: Create a replication schedule

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 Microsoft SQL Server RDS integrations support the following replication scheduling methods:

• Replication Frequency

• Anchor Scheduling

• 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.

Step 5.7: Save the integration

When finished, clickCheck and Save.

Stitch will perform a connection test to the Amazon Microsoft SQL Server RDS database; if successful, aSuccess! message will display at the top of the screen.Note: This test may take a few minutes to complete.

Step 6: Select data to replicate

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.

• Selection options
• Individual tables and columns
• All tables and columns
• Database views

Initial and historical replication jobs

After you finish setting up Amazon Microsoft SQL Server 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.

Free historical data loads

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.

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