Aussie-built database migration tool makes global debut

An Australian-built database migration tool is now available globally to help organisations migrate traditional relational databases to MongoDB, the open-source NoSQL document database that makes it easier to analyse data.

Developed by MongoDB’s engineering team in Australia, the Relational Migrator analyses relational databases such as Microsoft SQL Server, generates new data schemas and code, and migrates data to the MongoDB Atlas cloud database while running continuous sync jobs with no downtime.

The tool will also generate optimised code for working with data in a modern application. Organisations can then run the application in a testing environment to ensure it is operating as intended before deploying it to production.

MongoDB said the tool addresses the challenges of database migrations which require highly specialised tooling and knowledge to assess existing applications and prepare data for migration. Even then, the migration process can result in data loss, application downtime, and a migrated application that does not function as intended.

“Customers often tell us it’s crucial that they modernise their legacy applications so they can quickly build new end-user experiences that take advantage of game-changing technologies and ship new features at high velocity,” said Sahir Azam, chief product officer at MongoDB.

“But they also say that it’s too risky, expensive, and time consuming, or that they just don’t know how to get started. With MongoDB Relational Migrator, customers can now realise the full potential of software, data, and new technologies like generative AI by migrating and modernising their legacy applications with a seamless, zero-downtime migration experience and without the heavy lifting,” he added.

Australia is a core innovation hub for MongoDB, with its local engineering team playing a “huge role in delivering the long-term product vision for the company, which then ends up in the hands of thousands of organisations around the world,” said Mark Porter, the company’s chief technology officer.

“I am looking forward to seeing more great innovations come out of our local Australian engineering team, especially around AI, data visualisation, analytics and our all-important storage engine,” he added, noting that the team is working on many projects in those areas.

MongoDB Relational Migrator was rolled out globally after being successfully trialled by local Australian customers such as renewable energy provider Powerledger.

“We needed to demonstrate our platform’s ability to ingest a much higher volume of data and cater to the one billion users we aim to serve in the future, which required a level of scalability and flexibility that our previous relational database couldn’t offer,” said Vivek Bhandari, chief technology officer of Powerledger.

“Migrating an entire database is a pretty bold and risky endeavour. Our main priorities – and challenges – were to do a complete data platform migration, as well as add in scalability and flexibility without disrupting the platform or hindering data security. Amazingly, using MongoDB Relational Migrator, we didn’t experience any disruption or downtime,” he said.