How to Migrate from MySQL to ParadeDB in PostgreSQL

How do I migrate a MySQL database to ParadeDB safely?

Migrating from MySQL to ParadeDB converts your schema and data to PostgreSQL-compatible formats and loads them into ParadeDB so you can leverage vector search and AI functions.

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Description

Example H2

Example H3

Why migrate from MySQL to ParadeDB?

ParadeDB extends PostgreSQL with vector search and AI-ready functions. Moving from MySQL lets you run transactional and similarity queries in one place while reducing infrastructure overhead.

What tools automate the migration?

pgloader translates MySQL DDL, casts data types, and bulk loads rows into ParadeDB. mysqldump + psql works for small datasets but requires manual edits.

How do I prepare the MySQL database?

Schedule downtime or enable read-only mode, then export schema and data:

mysqldump --no-data --routines --events ecommerce > schema.sql mysqldump --no-create-info ecommerce > data.sql

How do I run pgloader?

Create a load file mapping the MySQL DSN to the ParadeDB DSN. pgloader will drop existing objects, create tables, and stream data directly.

Sample pgloader load file

LOAD DATABASE FROM mysql://root:pass@localhost/ecommerce INTO postgres://app:pass@paradedb:5432/ecommerce WITH include drop, create tables, create indexes, reset sequences, workers = 8, batch rows = 5000 CAST type datetime to timestamptz, type tinyint when (= precision 1) to boolean BEFORE LOAD DO $$ create extension if not exists "paradedb"; $$;

How do I enable ParadeDB features after import?

Connect with psql and install the extension:

CREATE EXTENSION IF NOT EXISTS paradedb;

Add a vector column to Products

ALTER TABLE Products ADD COLUMN embedding vector(1536);

How do I verify migrated data?

Compare row counts and spot-check data:

SELECT 'Orders' AS table, COUNT(*) FROM Orders UNION ALL SELECT 'Customers', COUNT(*) FROM Customers;

Can I migrate incrementally?

Use mysqlbinlog or Debezium to stream binlogs into Kafka, then apply changes with postgres-connect until lag is near zero before cutover.

Best practices for production migrations?

Test in staging, enforce foreign keys, monitor replication lag, and switch application traffic only after validation passes.

Why How to Migrate from MySQL to ParadeDB in PostgreSQL is important

How to Migrate from MySQL to ParadeDB in PostgreSQL Example Usage


-- Query top orders with vector similarity to a search term
SELECT o.id,
       c.name,
       o.total_amount,
       paradedb.cosine_similarity(p.embedding, q.embed) AS similarity
FROM Orders o
JOIN Customers c  ON c.id = o.customer_id
JOIN OrderItems oi ON oi.order_id = o.id
JOIN Products p    ON p.id = oi.product_id,
LATERAL (SELECT paradedb.embed('wireless headset') AS embed) q
ORDER BY similarity DESC, o.total_amount DESC
LIMIT 5;

How to Migrate from MySQL to ParadeDB in PostgreSQL Syntax


pgloader mysql://[user]:[password]@[host]/ecommerce \
        postgres://[user]:[password]@[paradedb-host]:5432/ecommerce \
        --with "include drop, create tables, create indexes, reset sequences" \
        --cast "type datetime to timestamptz" \
        --cast "type tinyint when (= precision 1) to boolean" \
        --before "create extension if not exists \"paradedb\";" \
        --workers 8 \
        --batch-rows 5000

Common Mistakes

Ignoring type casts: MySQL DATETIME becomes TEXT in PostgreSQL if you skip CAST rules. Always map DATETIME to TIMESTAMPTZ to preserve temporal semantics.
Forgetting the extension: Loading data without running CREATE EXTENSION paradedb disables vector functions. Run the command immediately after import or include it in the pgloader BEFORE block.