Amazon MySQL RDS (v1)

Amazon MySQL RDS feature snapshot

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

Connecting Amazon MySQL RDS

Amazon MySQL RDS setup requirements

To set up Amazon MySQL 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.

• The CREATE USER or INSERT privilege (for the mysql database). The CREATE USER privilege is required to create a database user for Stitch.

• The GRANT OPTION privilege in Amazon MySQL RDS. The GRANT OPTION privilege is required to grant the necessary privileges to the Stitch database user.

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 the Data pipeline region your account is in.

1. Sign into your Stitch account, if you haven’t already.
2. Click User menu (your icon) > Edit User Settings and locate the Data 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: Configure Log-based Incremental Replication

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 the Log-based Incremental Replication documentation for more info.

You can also use one of Stitch’s other Replication Methods, which don’t require any database configuration. Replication Methods can be changed at any time.

• Step 3.1: Configure the database parameter group

• Step 3.2: Define the backup retention period

• Step 3.3: Apply parameter changes and reboot the database

• Step 3.4: Retrieve server IDs

• Step 3.5: Define the binlog retention setting

Step 3.1: Configure the database parameter group

In this step, you’ll configure the database parameters required to use Log-based Incremental Replication.

• Instructions
• Server settings list

Step 3.2: Define the backup retention period

The backup retention period setting defines the number of days for which automated backups are retained. This ensures that data can still be replicated even if a job is interrupted, there’s database or Stitch downtime, etc.

1. Navigate back to the Databases page by using the menu on the left side of the page.

2. Select the instance you’re connecting to Stitch.
3. Click the Modify button.

4. On the Modify DB Instance page, scroll down to the Backup section.

5. Set Backup retention period to anything greater than 1 day:

   

Step 3.3: Apply parameter changes and reboot the database

1. Scroll to the bottom of the Databases page and click Continue.
2. The next page will display a summary of the modifications made to the database. In the Scheduling of Modifications section, select the Apply Immediately option.
3. Click Modify DB Instance to apply the changes.

4. Navigate to the Instance Details page and locate the Parameter group. Initially, the Parameter group should say applying.

   When it changes to pending-reboot, you can reboot the database and apply the changes.

5. Scroll up to the top of the page and locate the Instance actions menu.
6. In this menu, click Reboot.
7. On the next page, click Reboot to confirm you want to reboot the instance.

Rebooting the instance will take a few minutes. When the status of the parameter group changes to in-sync and the DB instance status (located at the top of the Instance Details page) changes to available, the reboot will be complete:

Step 3.4: Retrieve server IDs

When Stitch connects to your database and uses Log-based Replication, a unique server ID will be required. This ID ensures that the integration - or integrations, if you’re connecting multiple databases - will not encounter conflicts during the replication process.

To avoid conflicts, you’ll check which server IDs are currently in use and then define a new, unqiue ID in Stitch.

1. Log into the MySQL server that acts as the replication master.

2. Run the following statement:

   mysql> SHOW SLAVE HOSTS;
   

3. The SHOW SLAVE HOSTS statement will return information about servers that are or have been connected as replication slaves:

   +------------+-------------+------+-----------+------------+
   | Server_id  | Host        | Port | Master_id | Slave_UUID |
   +------------+-------------+------+-----------+------------+
   | 192168010  | stitch_prod | 3306 | 192168011 | <UUID>     |
   | 1921680101 | stitch_dev  | 3306 | 192168011 | <UUID>     |
   +------------+-------------+------+-----------+------------+
   

When you complete the setup in Stitch, you’ll define a unique server ID for your Stitch Amazon MySQL RDS integration to use.

Step 3.5: Define the binlog retention setting

In addition to the backup retention period, you also need to define the binlog retention hours setting. This parameter specifies the number of hours to the database server should retain binary logs.

To specify the number of hours, use the mysql.rds_set_configuration procedure when logged into the Amazon MySQL RDS master instance.

In this example, the logs will be retained for seven days (24 x 7 = 168):

call mysql.rds_set_configuration('binlog retention hours', 168);

Stitch recommends a minimum of three days for the retention period, but strongly recommend seven. Note: The maximum binlog retention hours value for Amazon MySQL RDS databases is 168 hours (seven days).

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

GRANT REPLICATION CLIENT, REPLICATION SLAVE ON *.* TO '<stitch_username>'@'localhost';

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 the database connection details in AWS

• Step 5.2: Define the database connection details in Stitch

• Step 5.3: Define the SSH connection details

• Step 5.4: Define the SSL connection details

• Step 5.5: Define the Log-based Replication setting

• Step 5.6: Create a replication schedule

• Step 5.7: Save the integration

Step 5.1: Locate the database connection details in AWS

1. Sign into the AWS Console, if needed.
2. Navigate to the RDS option.

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

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

5. On the Database Details page, scroll down to the Connectivity & 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 MySQL 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 in Stitch

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

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

3. Locate and click the MySQL 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 MySQL RDS” would create a schema called stitch_amazon_mysql_rds in the destination. Note: The schema name cannot be changed after the integration is saved.

   • Integration Name: Paste the Endpoint address from the Amazon MySQL 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 MySQL RDS instance. The default is 3306.

   • Username: Enter the Stitch Amazon MySQL RDS database user’s username.

   • Password: Enter the password for the Stitch Amazon MySQL RDS database user.

Step 5.3: Define the SSH connection details

If you’re using an SSH tunnel to connect your Amazon MySQL RDS database to Stitch, you’ll also need to define the SSH settings. Refer to the Setting up an SSH Tunnel for a database in Amazon Web Services guide for assistance with completing these fields.

1. Click the SSH Tunnel checkbox.

2. Fill in the fields as follows:

   • SSH Host: Paste the Public DNS of the SSH sever (EC2 instance) into this field. Refer to the Amazon 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 be 22.

   • SSH User: Enter the Stitch Linux (SSH) user’s username.

Step 5.4: Define the SSL connection details

1. Check the Connect using SSL checkbox. Note: The database must support and allow SSL connections for this setting to work correctly.

2. Fill in the fields as follows:

   • SSL Certificate: The certificate (typically a CA or server certificate) Stitch should verify the SSL connection against. The connection will succeed only if the server’s certifcate verifies against the certificate provided.

     Note: Providing a certifcate via this property isn’t required to use SSL. This is only if Stitch should verify the connection against a specific certificate.

   • Use an SSL client key: If SSL client authentication should be used, check this box. This will display the Client Certificate and Client Key fields, which are both required when using client authentication.

   • Client Certificate: If using SSL client authentication, paste the client certificate Stitch should use into this field. Note: You must also provide a Client Key for the connection to be successful.

   • Client Key: If using SSL client authentication, paste the client key Stitch should use into this field. Note: You must also provide a Client Certificate for the connection to be successful.

Step 5.5: Define the Log-based Replication setting

In the Log-based Replication section, you can set this as the integration’s default Replication Method.

When enabled, tables that are set to replicate will use Log-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 a Replication Method for each table you set to replicate.

Step 5.6: Create a replication schedule

In the Replication Frequency section, you’ll create the integration’s replication schedule. An integration’s replication schedule determines how often Stitch runs a replication job, and the time that job begins.

Amazon MySQL 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 the Understanding and Reducing Your Row Usage guide for tips on reducing your usage.

Step 5.7: Save the integration

When finished, click Check and Save.

Stitch will perform a connection test to the Amazon MySQL RDS database; if successful, a Success! 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 MySQL RDS, its Sync Status may show as Pending on either the Stitch Dashboard or in the Integration Details page.

For a new integration, a Pending 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.

Did this article help? If you have questions or feedback, feel free to submit a pull request with your suggestions, open an issue on GitHub, or reach out to us.