Greenplum to Cloudberry
Greenplum to Apache Cloudberry: the closest-fit migration.
Cloudberry continues from the Greenplum codebase, so most SQL and design choices carry over. The work is in the version gap, the tooling around it and proving results match.
The short answer
Migrating Greenplum to Apache Cloudberry moves your warehouse to an open-source MPP database forked from Greenplum. Most SQL, distribution keys and table designs carry over. Ace8 checks compatibility against your Greenplum version, moves data in parallel, rebuilds loaders and external tables, then validates results before cutover.
Fit
Why is Cloudberry the lowest-effort Greenplum exit?
Cloudberry started from the Greenplum source and keeps its architecture: a coordinator, parallel segment hosts, distribution keys and append-optimized storage. That means your table designs and most of your SQL do not need rethinking. By contrast, a move to a cloud warehouse changes the design model. See Greenplum alternatives for the wider comparison and the decision guide for whether to leave at all.
The fit is closest when your Greenplum version is near the version Cloudberry tracks. A big version gap means a stepped upgrade first, or accepting some rework.
Check first
What do you check before migrating?
| Area | What to check | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Version lineage | Your Greenplum major version against what Cloudberry tracks | Decides how much runs unchanged |
| Extensions | PostGIS, MADlib, PL/Python, PL/R, custom extensions | Each must exist and behave on the target |
| External tables and gpfdist | Every loader, its format and its schedule | Loaders are the usual rework |
| Resource management | Resource groups or queues and role mapping | Concurrency tuning is rebuilt, not copied |
| Query plans | Heaviest 50 queries, including GPORCA use | Plans can differ; test early |
| Backup and recovery | gpbackup jobs and retention policy | Operations scripts change |
| Connected tools | BI, ETL, drivers and monitoring | Connection and catalog differences surface here |
Execution
How is the data moved?
Data moves segment to segment in parallel where possible, or through backup and restore tooling or external-table loads for very large tables. The choice depends on network, size and the downtime window. For tables that change during the move, we capture changes or reload the delta.
- 1
Stand up the target
Build a Cloudberry cluster sized from your Greenplum workload, not from a guess.
- 2
Recreate schema
Generate DDL from the source, review distribution keys and storage options, and apply.
- 3
Load history
Copy tables in parallel and record counts and checksums.
- 4
Rebuild loaders
Rewrite external tables, gpload jobs and scheduler entries.
- 5
Run in parallel
Run the same reports on both clusters and diff the results.
- 6
Cut over
Switch consumers in groups and keep Greenplum read-only until the diff holds.
Proof
How do we prove the results match?
Each check is recorded. The comparison log is part of the handover.
- Row counts and column checksums for every table.
- Report-level diffs on the queries the business actually reads.
- Timing of the heaviest queries, before and after.
- A defined rollback that has been run once, not just written.
After go-live
Who supports Cloudberry afterward?
Cloudberry is open source, so support is a plan you make, not a default. Ace8 writes the run plan before cutover. See supported after migration. If, after the assessment, staying on Greenplum looks better, AceMQ supports it: AceMQ Greenplum pages. The wider context is on the database modernization page.
After go-live
Keep it running after cutover.
Check version and extension compatibility, build the target, move the data in parallel, rebuild external tables and loaders, run both in parallel and compare, then cut over.
Closer to it than any other exit, but not a copy. Version gaps, extensions, loaders and resource settings still need work.
To plain PostgreSQL, only for smaller warehouses. For parallel workloads, move to an MPP such as Cloudberry or WarehousePG.
It is another Greenplum-derived option with vendor support. The migration steps are similar. See the alternatives page.
Evaluate it on your workload. We run a proof on your heaviest queries before recommending it, and we check the project's current release status.
A short cutover window, usually. Running both clusters in parallel keeps the pause small.
Know the cost before anything moves.
A fixed-price assessment gives you the inventory, the risk score and a phased plan. Scope and cost are fixed before the migration starts.
Book a Fixed-Price AssessmentGet in touch
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