This page describes the migration jobs available in Database Migration Service with
homogeneous migrations: for pre-existing destination instances, and ones that
Database Migration Service creates on your behalf during the migration job configuration.
Destination databases created by Database Migration Service
In most migration scenarios, Database Migration Service creates a new destination database
instance for you as a part of the migration job creation flow. If you want
Database Migration Service to create the destination database for you,
follow the guidance in
Create a migration job to a new destination instance.
Destination databases created outside Database Migration Service
You can create your destination database instance outside of
Database Migration Service before you configure the migration job.
This approach is especially useful when you plan to utilize Terraform or other
infrastructure as code tools to manage your infrastructure.
There are certain limitations that you should
consider when you want to migrate to a destination instance
created outside of Database Migration Service. For more information, see
Known Limitations.
[[["Easy to understand","easyToUnderstand","thumb-up"],["Solved my problem","solvedMyProblem","thumb-up"],["Other","otherUp","thumb-up"]],[["Hard to understand","hardToUnderstand","thumb-down"],["Incorrect information or sample code","incorrectInformationOrSampleCode","thumb-down"],["Missing the information/samples I need","missingTheInformationSamplesINeed","thumb-down"],["Other","otherDown","thumb-down"]],["Last updated 2025-08-25 UTC."],[[["\u003cp\u003eDatabase Migration Service supports homogeneous migrations to both pre-existing destination instances and new instances it creates during migration job setup.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eThe service can automatically create a new destination database instance as part of the migration job creation.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eUsers can also create the destination database instance independently, outside of the Database Migration Service, using tools like Terraform.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eMigrating to a pre-existing destination database instance has limitations that should be reviewed before starting, refer to the documentation on Known Limitations.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eDifferent instructions are provided based on whether you are migrating to a destination database created by Database Migration Service or one created outside of it.\u003c/p\u003e\n"]]],[],null,["# Migration job creation\n\n\u003cbr /\u003e\n\n[MySQL](/database-migration/docs/mysql/create-migration-job-intro \"View this page for the MySQL version of Database Migration Service.\") \\| PostgreSQL \\| [PostgreSQL to AlloyDB](/database-migration/docs/postgresql-to-alloydb/create-migration-job-intro \"View this page for the PostgreSQL to AlloyDB version of Database Migration Service.\")\n\n\u003cbr /\u003e\n\n\u003cbr /\u003e\n\n\u003cbr /\u003e\n\n\u003cbr /\u003e\n\n\nThis page describes the migration jobs available in Database Migration Service with\nhomogeneous migrations: for pre-existing destination instances, and ones that\nDatabase Migration Service creates on your behalf during the migration job configuration.\n\nDestination databases created by Database Migration Service\n-----------------------------------------------------------\n\nIn most migration scenarios, Database Migration Service creates a new destination database\ninstance for you as a part of the migration job creation flow. If you want\nDatabase Migration Service to create the destination database for you,\nfollow the guidance in\n[Create a migration job to a new destination instance](/database-migration/docs/postgres/create-migration-job).\n\nDestination databases created outside Database Migration Service\n----------------------------------------------------------------\n\nYou can create your destination database instance outside of\nDatabase Migration Service before you configure the migration job.\nThis approach is especially useful when you plan to utilize Terraform or other\ninfrastructure as code tools to manage your infrastructure.\n\nThere are certain limitations that you should\nconsider when you want to migrate to a destination instance\ncreated outside of Database Migration Service. For more information, see\n[Known Limitations](/database-migration/docs/postgres/known-limitations#existing-instance-limitations).\n\nIf you want to migrate to a destination database created outside of\nDatabase Migration Service, follow the guidance in\n[Create a migration job to an existing destination instance](/database-migration/docs/postgres/create-migration-job-existing-instance)."]]
