name: database_migration
router_kit: FullStackKit
description: Execute database migrations across ORMs and platforms with zero-downtime strategies, data transformation, and rollback procedures. Use when migrating databases, changing schemas, performing data transformations, or implementing zero-downtime deployment strategies.
metadata:
skillport:
category: auto-healed
tags: [big data, cleaning, csv, data analysis, data engineering, data science, database, database migration, etl pipelines, export, flyway, import, json, liquibase, machine learning basics, migration, nosql, numpy, pandas, python data stack, query optimization, reporting, schema change, schema design, seed data, sql, statistics, transformation, version control, visualization]

Database Migration

Master database schema and data migrations across ORMs (Sequelize, TypeORM, Prisma), including rollback strategies and zero-downtime deployments.

When to Use This Skill

• Migrating between different ORMs
• Performing schema transformations
• Moving data between databases
• Implementing rollback procedures
• Zero-downtime deployments
• Database version upgrades
• Data model refactoring

ORM Migrations

Sequelize Migrations

// migrations/20231201-create-users.js
module.exports = {
  up: async (queryInterface, Sequelize) => {
    await queryInterface.createTable('users', {
      id: {
        type: Sequelize.INTEGER,
        primaryKey: true,
        autoIncrement: true
      },
      email: {
        type: Sequelize.STRING,
        unique: true,
        allowNull: false
      },
      createdAt: Sequelize.DATE,
      updatedAt: Sequelize.DATE
    });
  },

  down: async (queryInterface, Sequelize) => {
    await queryInterface.dropTable('users');
  }
};

// Run: npx sequelize-cli db:migrate
// Rollback: npx sequelize-cli db:migrate:undo

TypeORM Migrations

// migrations/1701234567-CreateUsers.ts
import { MigrationInterface, QueryRunner, Table } from 'typeorm';

export class CreateUsers1701234567 implements MigrationInterface {
  public async up(queryRunner: QueryRunner): Promise<void> {
    await queryRunner.createTable(
      new Table({
        name: 'users',
        columns: [
          {
            name: 'id',
            type: 'int',
            isPrimary: true,
            isGenerated: true,
            generationStrategy: 'increment'
          },
          {
            name: 'email',
            type: 'varchar',
            isUnique: true
          },
          {
            name: 'created_at',
            type: 'timestamp',
            default: 'CURRENT_TIMESTAMP'
          }
        ]
      })
    );
  }

  public async down(queryRunner: QueryRunner): Promise<void> {
    await queryRunner.dropTable('users');
  }
}

// Run: npm run typeorm migration:run
// Rollback: npm run typeorm migration:revert

Prisma Migrations

// schema.prisma
model User {
  id        Int      @id @default(autoincrement())
  email     String   @unique
  createdAt DateTime @default(now())
}

// Generate migration: npx prisma migrate dev --name create_users
// Apply: npx prisma migrate deploy

Schema Transformations

Adding Columns with Defaults

// Safe migration: add column with default
module.exports = {
  up: async (queryInterface, Sequelize) => {
    await queryInterface.addColumn('users', 'status', {
      type: Sequelize.STRING,
      defaultValue: 'active',
      allowNull: false
    });
  },

  down: async (queryInterface) => {
    await queryInterface.removeColumn('users', 'status');
  }
};

Renaming Columns (Zero Downtime)

// Step 1: Add new column
module.exports = {
  up: async (queryInterface, Sequelize) => {
    await queryInterface.addColumn('users', 'full_name', {
      type: Sequelize.STRING
    });

    // Copy data from old column
    await queryInterface.sequelize.query(
      'UPDATE users SET full_name = name'
    );
  },

  down: async (queryInterface) => {
    await queryInterface.removeColumn('users', 'full_name');
  }
};

// Step 2: Update application to use new column

// Step 3: Remove old column
module.exports = {
  up: async (queryInterface) => {
    await queryInterface.removeColumn('users', 'name');
  },

  down: async (queryInterface, Sequelize) => {
    await queryInterface.addColumn('users', 'name', {
      type: Sequelize.STRING
    });
  }
};

Changing Column Types

module.exports = {
  up: async (queryInterface, Sequelize) => {
    // For large tables, use multi-step approach

    // 1. Add new column
    await queryInterface.addColumn('users', 'age_new', {
      type: Sequelize.INTEGER
    });

    // 2. Copy and transform data
    await queryInterface.sequelize.query(`
      UPDATE users
      SET age_new = CAST(age AS INTEGER)
      WHERE age IS NOT NULL
    `);

    // 3. Drop old column
    await queryInterface.removeColumn('users', 'age');

    // 4. Rename new column
    await queryInterface.renameColumn('users', 'age_new', 'age');
  },

  down: async (queryInterface, Sequelize) => {
    await queryInterface.changeColumn('users', 'age', {
      type: Sequelize.STRING
    });
  }
};

Data Transformations

Complex Data Migration

module.exports = {
  up: async (queryInterface, Sequelize) => {
    // Get all records
    const [users] = await queryInterface.sequelize.query(
      'SELECT id, address_string FROM users'
    );

    // Transform each record
    for (const user of users) {
      const addressParts = user.address_string.split(',');

      await queryInterface.sequelize.query(
        `UPDATE users
         SET street = :street,
             city = :city,
             state = :state
         WHERE id = :id`,
        {
          replacements: {
            id: user.id,
            street: addressParts[0]?.trim(),
            city: addressParts[1]?.trim(),
            state: addressParts[2]?.trim()
          }
        }
      );
    }

    // Drop old column
    await queryInterface.removeColumn('users', 'address_string');
  },

  down: async (queryInterface, Sequelize) => {
    // Reconstruct original column
    await queryInterface.addColumn('users', 'address_string', {
      type: Sequelize.STRING
    });

    await queryInterface.sequelize.query(`
      UPDATE users
      SET address_string = CONCAT(street, ', ', city, ', ', state)
    `);

    await queryInterface.removeColumn('users', 'street');
    await queryInterface.removeColumn('users', 'city');
    await queryInterface.removeColumn('users', 'state');
  }
};

Rollback Strategies

Transaction-Based Migrations

module.exports = {
  up: async (queryInterface, Sequelize) => {
    const transaction = await queryInterface.sequelize.transaction();

    try {
      await queryInterface.addColumn(
        'users',
        'verified',
        { type: Sequelize.BOOLEAN, defaultValue: false },
        { transaction }
      );

      await queryInterface.sequelize.query(
        'UPDATE users SET verified = true WHERE email_verified_at IS NOT NULL',
        { transaction }
      );

      await transaction.commit();
    } catch (error) {
      await transaction.rollback();
      throw error;
    }
  },

  down: async (queryInterface) => {
    await queryInterface.removeColumn('users', 'verified');
  }
};

Checkpoint-Based Rollback

module.exports = {
  up: async (queryInterface, Sequelize) => {
    // Create backup table
    await queryInterface.sequelize.query(
      'CREATE TABLE users_backup AS SELECT * FROM users'
    );

    try {
      // Perform migration
      await queryInterface.addColumn('users', 'new_field', {
        type: Sequelize.STRING
      });

      // Verify migration
      const [result] = await queryInterface.sequelize.query(
        "SELECT COUNT(*) as count FROM users WHERE new_field IS NULL"
      );

      if (result[0].count > 0) {
        throw new Error('Migration verification failed');
      }

      // Drop backup
      await queryInterface.dropTable('users_backup');
    } catch (error) {
      // Restore from backup
      await queryInterface.sequelize.query('DROP TABLE users');
      await queryInterface.sequelize.query(
        'CREATE TABLE users AS SELECT * FROM users_backup'
      );
      await queryInterface.dropTable('users_backup');
      throw error;
    }
  }
};

Zero-Downtime Migrations

Blue-Green Deployment Strategy

// Phase 1: Make changes backward compatible
module.exports = {
  up: async (queryInterface, Sequelize) => {
    // Add new column (both old and new code can work)
    await queryInterface.addColumn('users', 'email_new', {
      type: Sequelize.STRING
    });
  }
};

// Phase 2: Deploy code that writes to both columns

// Phase 3: Backfill data
module.exports = {
  up: async (queryInterface) => {
    await queryInterface.sequelize.query(`
      UPDATE users
      SET email_new = email
      WHERE email_new IS NULL
    `);
  }
};

// Phase 4: Deploy code that reads from new column

// Phase 5: Remove old column
module.exports = {
  up: async (queryInterface) => {
    await queryInterface.removeColumn('users', 'email');
  }
};

Cross-Database Migrations

PostgreSQL to MySQL

// Handle differences
module.exports = {
  up: async (queryInterface, Sequelize) => {
    const dialectName = queryInterface.sequelize.getDialect();

    if (dialectName === 'mysql') {
      await queryInterface.createTable('users', {
        id: {
          type: Sequelize.INTEGER,
          primaryKey: true,
          autoIncrement: true
        },
        data: {
          type: Sequelize.JSON  // MySQL JSON type
        }
      });
    } else if (dialectName === 'postgres') {
      await queryInterface.createTable('users', {
        id: {
          type: Sequelize.INTEGER,
          primaryKey: true,
          autoIncrement: true
        },
        data: {
          type: Sequelize.JSONB  // PostgreSQL JSONB type
        }
      });
    }
  }
};

Resources

• references/orm-switching.md: ORM migration guides
• references/schema-migration.md: Schema transformation patterns
• references/data-transformation.md: Data migration scripts
• references/rollback-strategies.md: Rollback procedures
• assets/schema-migration-template.sql: SQL migration templates
• assets/data-migration-script.py: Data migration utilities
• scripts/test-migration.sh: Migration testing script

🔄 Workflow

🔄 Workflow

Source: Prisma Migration Guide - Zero Downtime & Liquibase Best Practices

Phase 1: Planning & Backup (Safety First)

• [ ] Backup: Take full database backup before migration or check Point-in-Time Recovery (PITR) settings.
• [ ] Impact Analysis: Calculate migration duration and Lock risk based on table size.
• [ ] Rollback Script: Prepare a working down script for every up script.

Phase 2: Expand-Contract Strategy (Zero Downtime)

• [ ] Expand: Add new fields (Backward compatible). Old code must still work.
• [ ] Backfill: Copy data from old field to new field (if any) in small batches in background.
• [ ] Contract: Remove old field or table when all code starts using the new field.

Phase 3: Validation & Drift Detection

• [ ] Verification: Verify schema integrity after migration.
• [ ] Schema Drift: Check differences (Drift) between file-based schema and actual schema in database.
• [ ] Automation: Integrate migration into CI/CD process (Github Actions/Gitlab CI).

Checkpoints

Database Migration v1.5 - With Workflow