Modernizing Databases with AWS

Schema Conversion Tool (SCT) vs Database Migration Service (DMS)

As organizations shift from legacy databases to cloud-native or open-source alternatives, one of the biggest challenges is migrating not just the data, but also the underlying schema and business logic. AWS provides two powerful services to simplify this transition: the AWS Schema Conversion Tool (SCT) and the AWS Database Migration Service (DMS). While they are often used together, each has a distinct role in the database modernization journey.

What is AWS Schema Conversion Tool (SCT)?

The AWS Schema Conversion Tool (SCT) is a desktop application designed to convert the schema of a legacy database — including tables, indexes, views, and stored procedures — into a format compatible with modern databases such as Amazon Aurora, Amazon RDS, or Amazon Redshift.

Key Features:

• Schema translation for heterogeneous migrations (e.g., Oracle to PostgreSQL).
• Assessment reports highlighting what can be automatically converted and what requires manual changes.
• Support for procedural code (functions, triggers, stored procedures), though complex logic may require human intervention.
• Data type mapping between source and target platforms.

Typical Use Case:

You’re migrating a legacy Oracle…