Database Connections

MigratorXpress requires three database connections for every migration:

Source Database -- the database you are migrating from.
Target Database -- the database that receives the translated schema and data.
Migration Tracking Database -- a SQL Server database that records every migration step for auditing and resumability.

Supported Databases

Source Databases

Database	Parallel Transfer Method	Notes
PostgreSQL	Ctid	No key column required
Oracle	Rowid	Thin and thick client modes; requires `SELECT_CATALOG_ROLE` for parallel transfers
SQL Server	Standard	Also usable as target and migration tracking
Netezza	NZDataSlice	Source-only; default port 5480

Target Databases

Database	Notes
PostgreSQL	Default target for most migrations
SQL Server	Supports columnstore index options (`cci_threshold`, `aci_threshold`)

Migration Tracking Database

Database	Notes
SQL Server	Required for all migrations; stores run history, task status, and resume state

Authentication File Format

Create a JSON file containing one entry per database connection. Each entry has a unique identifier (the JSON key), a ds_type, an auth_mode, and an info object with connection details.

{
  "source_oracle": {
    "ds_type": "oracle",
    "auth_mode": "classic",
    "info": {
      "username": "$env{ORACLE_USER}",
      "password": "$env{ORACLE_PASSWORD}",
      "server": "oracle-prod.company.com",
      "port": 1521,
      "database": "PRODPDB"
    }
  },
  "source_postgres": {
    "ds_type": "postgres",
    "auth_mode": "classic",
    "info": {
      "username": "$env{PG_USER}",
      "password": "$env{PG_PASSWORD}",
      "server": "pg-prod.company.com",
      "port": 5432,
      "database": "analytics"
    }
  },
  "target_mssql": {
    "ds_type": "mssql",
    "auth_mode": "classic",
    "info": {
      "username": "$env{MSSQL_USER}",
      "password": "$env{MSSQL_PASSWORD}",
      "server": "sql-host.company.com",
      "port": 1433,
      "database": "target_db"
    }
  },
  "source_netezza": {
    "ds_type": "netezza",
    "auth_mode": "classic",
    "info": {
      "username": "$env{NZ_USER}",
      "password": "$env{NZ_PASSWORD}",
      "server": "nz-host.company.com",
      "port": 5480,
      "database": "PROD_DB"
    }
  },
  "migration_tracking": {
    "ds_type": "mssql",
    "auth_mode": "classic",
    "info": {
      "username": "$env{MIG_USER}",
      "password": "$env{MIG_PASSWORD}",
      "server": "sql-host.company.com",
      "port": 1433,
      "database": "migration_log"
    }
  }
}

Environment variable substitution

Use $env{VAR_NAME} in any string value to reference an environment variable at runtime. MigratorXpress raises an error if a referenced variable is not set. Plain-text values also work -- values without $env{ are returned as-is.

# Linux
export ORACLE_USER="migrator"
export ORACLE_PASSWORD="SecureP@ssw0rd"

# Windows (PowerShell)
$env:ORACLE_USER = "migrator"
$env:ORACLE_PASSWORD = "SecureP@ssw0rd"

Using the Auth File

Reference the file with --auth and point to individual entries by their ID:

./MigratorXpress --auth ./credentials.json \
  --source_db_auth_id source_oracle \
  --target_db_auth_id target_mssql \
  --migration_db_auth_id migration_tracking \
  --source_schema_name SALES \
  --target_schema_name sales \
  --task_list translate create transfer diff

Security Best Practices

1. Credential Storage

Never commit credentials to version control.
Restrict credentials.json permissions:
```
chmod 600 credentials.json
```
Use environment-specific auth files (dev, staging, prod).

2. Least Privilege

Create dedicated database users for MigratorXpress.
Grant only SELECT on source databases.
Grant CREATE, INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE on target databases.
Use a dedicated SQL Server database for migration tracking.

3. Network Security

Use SSL/TLS connections where supported.
Restrict database access by IP.
Use VPN or private networks for cross-environment migrations.

4. Password Management

Use strong passwords (12+ characters, mixed case, numbers, symbols).
Rotate passwords regularly.
Consider secret managers (AWS Secrets Manager, HashiCorp Vault, Azure Key Vault).

Supported Databases​

Source Databases​

Target Databases​

Migration Tracking Database​

Authentication File Format​

Using the Auth File​

Security Best Practices​

1. Credential Storage​

2. Least Privilege​

3. Network Security​

4. Password Management​

See Also​