AWS Database Migration Service features

At the connection level, DMS secures endpoint connections using SSL/TLS encryption, ensuring data remains protected during transit. For enhanced security, DMS creates replication instances within an AWS Virtual Private Cloud, providing secure resource isolation and complete control over networking configurations throughout the migration.

To protect sensitive information, DMS offers data masking capabilities that can conceal sensitive data by modifying the contents of specified columns before loading them into the target database.

Secure access management in AWS DMS is achieved through integration with multiple AWS security services. Through AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM) policies, administrators can define specific permissions for users, groups, and roles, ensuring controlled and secure access throughout the migration process.

Security is further enhanced through DMS's integration with AWS Key Management Service, which enables the creation and management of encryption keys to secure data during migration. Additionally, DMS works seamlessly with AWS Secrets Manager to provide centralized storage and management of credentials and other sensitive information. This comprehensive security approach not only strengthens data protection but also simplifies access management across the entire migration workflow.

DMS delivers real-time visibility and proactive issue detection through its integration with Amazon SNS, CloudWatch, CloudTrail, and database logs, while its monitoring dashboard consolidates insights for streamlined management.

AWS DMS Fleet Advisor is a free, fully managed capability that automates migration planning by inventorying and assessing your on-premises operational database and data warehouse fleet and identifying potential migration paths. Using historical performance and usage patterns collected from self-managed databases, AWS DMS Fleet Advisor can recommend target database engines and instance options as well as estimate costs.

AWS DMS Fleet Advisor delivers results in a few hours, instead of weeks or even months, without using third-party tools or hiring migration experts. You can start your migration planning using AWS DMS Fleet Advisor in a few steps in the AWS DMS console.

For heterogenous migrations, the source and target database engines are different, such as in the case of Oracle to Aurora, Oracle to PostgreSQL, and Microsoft SQL Server to MySQL migrations. Heterogeneous migrations are a two-step process. As the schema structure, data types, and database code of source and target databases can be quite different, the first step is to convert the source schema and code to match that of the target database. The second step is to migrate data from the source database to the target database using AWS DMS. You can choose between AWS DMS replication instances or AWS DMS Serverless, which automates the time-consuming tasks of provisioning, monitoring, and scaling migration resources. All required data types will be automatically converted during the migration. 

For schema conversion, AWS DMS offers two schema conversion solutions that can save weeks to months of effort. You can choose to either sign in to the AWS DMS console to initiate the AWS DMS Schema Conversion (AWS DMS SC) workflow for a fully managed experience or download the AWS Schema Conversion Tool (AWS SCT) software to perform a similar assessment and conversion on your local system.

Both options will automatically assess and convert the source database schema and most of the database code objects, including views, stored procedures, and functions, to a format compatible with the target database. In a few steps, you can generate an assessment report that shows the schema conversion complexity. This report provides prescriptive guidance on how to resolve any incompatibilities between the source and target database engines. Any objects that cannot be automatically converted are clearly marked as action items with prescriptive instructions on how to convert so that they can be manually converted to complete the migration. Once schema conversion is complete, AWS DMS can migrate data from source to target.

AWS DMS SC uses generative AI in combination with a traditional rule-based approach to further reduce the number of database objects that require manual conversion. Using generative AI recommendations, you can simplify and accelerate your database migration projects, particularly when converting complex code objects such as stored procedures, functions, or triggers. AWS DMS Schema Conversion with generative AI accelerates migration by providing reviewable code recommendations, reducing time and effort for complex conversions and enabling faster, more reliable database migrations. The feature is available for schema conversions from commercial engines, such as Microsoft SQL Server, to Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL-Compatible Edition and Amazon Relational Database Service (Amazon RDS) for PostgreSQL. You can learn more about AWS DMS SC in our documentation and getting started guide. Check out the documentation on AWS DMS SC supported database conversions and AWS SCT conversions.

For converting embedded SQL statements in your application, Amazon Q Developer can scan your Java application source code and convert the code from Oracle to Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL or Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL.

If you signed up for AWS Free Tier prior to July 15, 2025, you have 750 hours of Single- Availability Zone (AZ) dms.t3.micro instance usage each month for one year. You also receive 50 GB of included General Purpose (SSD) storage. Depending on the feature, there is a cost based on usage. For AWS DMS Fleet Advisor and DMS SC, you only pay for the storage you use. For AWS DMS migration options, whether you’re using replication instances or serverless options, you pay by the hour for the capacity you use. Refer to AWS DMS pricing for more details.

If you sign up for AWS Free Tier after July 15, 2025, you will be able to choose between a Free Plan or a Paid Plan for access to DMS and all its features, including DMS Serverless. Either plan will offer you $100 in credits and up to an additional $100 in credits for activating foundational AWS services (see the "Explore AWS" widget in the AWS Management Console). Once you deplete your Free Tier credits, you need to upgrade to a Paid Plan to continue use of the service. Free tier credits are valid for up to twelve months.

The AWS Free Tier applies to participating services across our global Regions. Free Tier credits are not available in the AWS GovCloud (US) Regions or the China (Beijing) Region at this time.

Regardless of when you sign up for AWS Free Tier, there is no DMS data transfer charge for traffic in or out of the DMS node itself. Usage under the AWS Free Tier is calculated each month across all Regions and automatically applied to your bill. Free usage does not accumulate.