dsql

name	dsql
description	Build with Aurora DSQL — manage schemas, execute queries, handle migrations, diagnose query plans, load data, and develop applications with a serverless, distributed SQL database. Covers IAM auth, multi-tenant patterns, MySQL-to-DSQL migration, DDL operations, query plan explainability, SQL compatibility validation, and bulk data loading. Triggers on phrases like: DSQL, Aurora DSQL, create DSQL table, DSQL schema, migrate to DSQL, distributed SQL database, serverless PostgreSQL-compatible database, DSQL query plan, DSQL EXPLAIN ANALYZE, why is my DSQL query slow, aurora-dsql-loader, load CSV into DSQL.
license	Apache-2.0
metadata	{"tags":"aws, aurora, dsql, distributed-sql, distributed, distributed-database, database, serverless, serverless-database, postgresql, postgres, sql, schema, migration, multi-tenant, iam-auth, aurora-dsql, mcp, orm, data-loading"}

Amazon Aurora DSQL Skill

Aurora DSQL is a serverless, PostgreSQL-compatible distributed SQL database. This skill covers direct query execution via MCP tools, schema management, migrations, multi-tenant isolation, IAM auth, and bulk data loading via aurora-dsql-loader.

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Reference Files

Load these files as needed for detailed guidance:

development-guide.md

When: ALWAYS load before implementing schema changes or database operations Contains: Best Practices, DDL rules, connection patterns, transaction limits, data type serialization patterns, application-layer referential integrity instructions, security best practices

MCP:

mcp-setup.md

When: Always load for guidance using or updating the DSQL MCP server Contains: Instructions for setting up the DSQL MCP server with 2 configuration options as sampled in .mcp.json

1. Documentation-Tools Only
2. Database Operations (requires a cluster endpoint)

mcp-tools.md

When: Load when you need detailed MCP tool syntax and examples. PREFER MCP tools for ad-hoc queries — execute directly rather than writing scripts. Contains: Tool parameters, detailed examples, usage patterns, input validation

language.md

When: MUST load when making language-specific implementation choices. ALWAYS prefer DSQL Connector when available. Contains: Driver selection, framework patterns, connection code for Python/JS/Go/Java/Rust

dsql-examples.md

When: Load when looking for specific implementation examples Contains: Code examples, repository patterns, multi-tenant implementations

troubleshooting.md

When: Load when debugging errors or unexpected behavior. SHOULD always consult for OCC errors, connection failures, or unexpected query results. Contains: Common pitfalls, error messages, solutions

data-loading.md

When: Load when planning or running bulk loads with aurora-dsql-loader, or diagnosing slow load times. Contains: Fresh-vs-warm partition behavior, resume/retry mechanics (--manifest-dir, --resume-job-id), --on-conflict do-nothing semantics, schema inference caveats, index-count throughput impact, diagnostic decision tree

onboarding.md

When: User explicitly requests to "Get started with DSQL" or similar phrase Contains: Interactive step-by-step guide for new users

access-control.md

When: MUST load when creating database roles, granting permissions, setting up schemas for applications, or handling sensitive data. ALWAYS use scoped roles for applications — create database roles with dsql:DbConnect. Contains: Scoped role setup, IAM-to-database role mapping, schema separation for sensitive data, role design patterns

DDL Migrations (modular):

ddl-migrations/overview.md

When: MUST load when performing DROP COLUMN, RENAME COLUMN, ALTER COLUMN TYPE, or DROP CONSTRAINT Contains: Table recreation pattern overview, transaction rules, common verify & swap pattern

ddl-migrations/column-operations.md

When: Load for DROP COLUMN, ALTER COLUMN TYPE, SET/DROP NOT NULL, SET/DROP DEFAULT migrations Contains: Step-by-step migration patterns for column-level changes

ddl-migrations/constraint-operations.md

When: Load for ADD/DROP CONSTRAINT, MODIFY PRIMARY KEY, column split/merge migrations Contains: Step-by-step migration patterns for constraint and structural changes

ddl-migrations/batched-migration.md

When: Load when migrating tables exceeding 3,000 rows Contains: OFFSET-based and cursor-based batching patterns, progress tracking, error handling

MySQL Migrations (modular):

mysql-migrations/type-mapping.md

When: MUST load when migrating MySQL schemas to DSQL Contains: MySQL data type mappings, feature alternatives, DDL operation mapping

mysql-migrations/ddl-operations.md

When: Load when translating MySQL DDL operations to DSQL equivalents Contains: ALTER COLUMN, DROP COLUMN, AUTO_INCREMENT, ENUM, SET, FOREIGN KEY migration patterns

mysql-migrations/full-example.md

When: Load when migrating a complete MySQL table to DSQL Contains: End-to-end MySQL CREATE TABLE migration example with decision summary

Query Plan Explainability (modular):

When: MUST load all four at Workflow 9 Phase 0 — query-plan/plan-interpretation.md, query-plan/catalog-queries.md, query-plan/guc-experiments.md, query-plan/report-format.md Contains: DSQL node types + Node Duration math + estimation-error bands, pg_class/pg_stats/pg_indexes SQL + correlated-predicate verification, GUC experiment procedures + 30-second skip protocol, required report structure + element checklist + support request template

SQL Compatibility Validation:

dsql-lint.md

When: MUST load before running dsql_lint, processing externally-sourced SQL (pg_dump, ORM migrations, user-pasted DDL), or resolving fixed_with_warning / unfixable diagnostics Contains: dsql_lint MCP tool reference, fix statuses, ORM integration, unfixable error resolution

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MCP Tools Available

The aurora-dsql MCP server provides these tools:

Database Operations:

1. readonly_query - Execute SELECT queries (returns list of dicts)
2. transact - Execute DDL/DML statements in transaction (takes list of SQL statements)
3. get_schema - Get table structure for a specific table

SQL Validation:

1. dsql_lint - Validate SQL for DSQL compatibility and optionally auto-fix issues. Use before executing externally-sourced SQL.

Documentation & Knowledge:

1. dsql_search_documentation - Search Aurora DSQL documentation
2. dsql_read_documentation - Read specific documentation pages
3. dsql_recommend - Get DSQL best practice recommendations

Note: There is no list_tables tool. Use readonly_query with information_schema.

See mcp-setup.md for detailed setup instructions. See mcp-tools.md for detailed usage and examples.

AWS Knowledge MCP (awsknowledge)

Consult for verifying DSQL service limits before advising users. The numeric limits below are defaults that may change — when a user's decision depends on an exact limit, verify it first:

Limit	Default	Verify query
Max rows per transaction	3,000	aurora dsql transaction limits
Max data size per transaction	10 MiB	aurora dsql transaction limits
Max transaction duration	5 minutes	aurora dsql transaction limits
Max connections per cluster	10,000	aurora dsql connection limits
Auth token expiry	15 minutes	aurora dsql authentication token
Max connection duration	60 minutes	aurora dsql connection limits
Max indexes per table	24	aurora dsql index limits
Max columns per index	8	aurora dsql index limits
IDENTITY/SEQUENCE CACHE values	1 or >= 65536	aurora dsql sequence cache
Supported column data types	See docs	aurora dsql supported data types

When to verify: Before recommending batch sizes, connection pool settings, or schema designs where hitting a limit would cause failures; any time the exact number can affect user decision.

Fallback: If awsknowledge is unavailable, use the defaults above and flag that limits should be verified against DSQL documentation.

CLI Scripts Available

Bash scripts in scripts/ for cluster management (create, delete, list, cluster info), psql connection, and bulk data loading from local/s3 csv/tsv/parquet files. See scripts/README.md for usage and hook configuration.

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Quick Start

1. Explore: Use readonly_query with information_schema to list tables. Use get_schema for table structure.
2. Query: Use readonly_query for SELECT queries. MUST include tenant_id in WHERE for multi-tenant apps. MUST build SQL with safe_query.build().
3. Schema changes: Use transact with one DDL per transaction. MUST batch DML under 3,000 rows. MUST use CREATE INDEX ASYNC in a separate call. Use dsql_lint to validate first.
4. Bulk load data: Use aurora-dsql-loader for CSV/TSV/Parquet. Load data-loading.md for details. Use --dry-run first.

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Common Workflows

Workflow 1: Create Multi-Tenant Schema

1. Create main table with tenant_id column using transact
2. Create async index on tenant_id in separate transact call
3. Create composite indexes for common query patterns (separate transact calls)
4. Verify schema with get_schema

• MUST include tenant_id in all tables
• MUST use CREATE INDEX ASYNC exclusively
• MUST issue each DDL in its own transact call: transact(["CREATE TABLE ..."])
• MUST serialize arrays as TEXT or JSON; cast back at query time (string_to_array(text, ',') or jsonb_array_elements_text(json::jsonb))

Workflow 2: Safe Data Migration

Every DDL statement generated in this workflow MUST be validated with dsql_lint(fix=true) before its transact call — applies to step 2 (ADD COLUMN) and step 5 (async index). DML (UPDATE in step 3) does not require linting.

1. Validate ALTER TABLE DDL with dsql_lint(sql=..., fix=true) — handle diagnostics per dsql-lint.md
2. Add column using transact: transact(["ALTER TABLE ... ADD COLUMN ..."])
3. Populate existing rows with UPDATE in separate transact calls (batched under 3,000 rows)
4. Verify migration with readonly_query using COUNT
5. If an index is needed: validate CREATE INDEX ASYNC DDL with dsql_lint(sql=..., fix=true), then create via transact

• MUST validate every externally-sourced or generated DDL statement with dsql_lint before executing
• MUST add column first, populate later
• MUST issue ADD COLUMN with only name and type; apply DEFAULT via separate UPDATE
• MUST batch updates under 3,000 rows in separate transact calls
• MUST issue each ALTER TABLE in its own transaction

Recovery — batch fails midway: Rows already updated keep their new value (each batch committed independently). Resume by filtering on the unset state (WHERE new_column IS NULL) and continue. Re-running is safe because the filter naturally excludes completed rows.

Workflow 3: Bulk Data Loading

Use aurora-dsql-loader for CSV, TSV, or Parquet loads. MUST load data-loading.md before advising on throughput or diagnosing slow loads.

1. Validate with --dry-run first
2. Run with --manifest-dir on persistent storage (not /tmp — tmpfs on AL2023, lost on crash) and --header if file has a header row
3. On failure: resume with --resume-job-id; for duplicates use --on-conflict do-nothing
4. For large tables: create secondary indexes after load using CREATE INDEX ASYNC

Workflow 4: Application-Layer Referential Integrity

INSERT: MUST validate parent exists with readonly_query → throw error if not found → insert child with transact.

DELETE: MUST check dependents with readonly_query COUNT → return error if dependents exist → delete with transact if safe.

Workflow 5: Query with Tenant Isolation

1. MUST authorize the caller against the tenant — format validation does not establish authorization
2. MUST build SQL with safe_query.build() — use allow()/regex() for values (emits 'v'), ident() for table/column names (emits "v"). See input-validation.md
3. MUST include tenant_id in the WHERE clause; reject cross-tenant access at the application layer

Workflow 6: Set Up Scoped Database Roles

MUST load access-control.md for role setup, IAM mapping, and schema permissions.

Workflow 7: Table Recreation DDL Migration

DSQL does NOT support direct ALTER COLUMN TYPE, DROP COLUMN, DROP CONSTRAINT, or MODIFY PRIMARY KEY. These require the Table Recreation Pattern. This is a destructive workflow that requires user confirmation at each step. Every generated DDL in the pattern (CREATE new, INSERT ... SELECT, DROP old, RENAME) MUST be validated with dsql_lint(sql=..., fix=true) before execution.

MUST load ddl-migrations/overview.md before attempting any of these operations.

Workflow 8: Validate and Migrate to DSQL

MUST load dsql-lint.md before running dsql_lint — it defines diagnostic handling, the three fix_result.status values (fixed, fixed_with_warning, unfixable), and user-confirmation gates.

Run dsql_lint(sql=source_sql, fix=true) to validate and auto-convert PostgreSQL-compatible SQL. dsql_lint uses a PostgreSQL parser, so MySQL dialect syntax that PostgreSQL cannot parse (e.g., PARTITION BY HASH, AUTO_INCREMENT in some positions) surfaces as a parse_error rule rather than individual diagnostics.

• For MySQL-origin SQL, MUST cross-check the source against mysql-migrations/type-mapping.md even when lint returns clean — ENGINE= clauses and SET(...) column types can pass silently through the PostgreSQL parser.
• On parse_error, fall back to mysql-migrations/type-mapping.md for manual conversion, then re-run dsql_lint on the converted output before executing.

Workflow 9: Query Plan Explainability

Explains why the DSQL optimizer chose a particular plan. Triggered by slow queries, high DPU, unexpected Full Scans, or plans the user doesn't understand. REQUIRES a structured Markdown diagnostic report is the deliverable beyond conversation — run the workflow end-to-end before answering. Use the aurora-dsql MCP when connected; fall back to raw psql with a generated IAM token (see the fallback block below) otherwise.

Phase 0 — Load reference material. Read all four before starting — each has content later phases need verbatim (node-type math, exact catalog SQL, the >30s skip protocol, required report elements):

1. query-plan/plan-interpretation.md — node types, duration math, anomalous values
2. query-plan/catalog-queries.md — pg_class / pg_stats / pg_indexes SQL
3. query-plan/guc-experiments.md — GUC procedures and >30s skip protocol
4. query-plan/report-format.md — required report structure

Phase 1 — Capture the plan. ALWAYS run readonly_query("EXPLAIN ANALYZE VERBOSE …") on the user's query verbatim (SELECT form) — ALWAYS capture a fresh plan from the cluster, even when the user describes the plan or reports an anomaly. MAY leverage get_schema or information_schema for schema sanity checks. When EXPLAIN errors (relation does not exist, column does not exist), MUST report the error verbatim — MUST NOT invent DSQL-specific semantics (e.g., case sensitivity, identifier quoting) as the root cause. Extract Query ID, Planning Time, Execution Time, DPU Estimate. SELECT runs as-is. UPDATE/DELETE rewrite to the equivalent SELECT (same join chain + WHERE) — the optimizer picks the same plan shape. INSERT, pl/pgsql, DO blocks, and functions MUST be rejected. MUST NOT use transact --allow-writes for plan capture; it bypasses MCP safety.

Phase 2 — Gather evidence. Using SQL from catalog-queries.md, query pg_class, pg_stats, pg_indexes, COUNT(*), COUNT(DISTINCT). Classify estimation errors per plan-interpretation.md (2x–5x minor, 5x–50x significant, 50x+ severe). Detect correlated predicates and data skew.

Phase 3 — Experiment (conditional). ≤30s: run GUC experiments per guc-experiments.md (default + merge-join-only) plus optional redundant-predicate test. >30s: skip experiments, include the manual GUC testing SQL verbatim in the report, and do not re-run for redundant-predicate testing. Anomalous values (impossible row counts): confirm query results are correct despite the anomalous EXPLAIN, flag as a potential DSQL bug, and produce the Support Request Template from report-format.md.

Phase 4 — Produce the report, invite reassessment. Produce the full diagnostic report per the "Required Elements Checklist" in query-plan/report-format.md — structure is non-negotiable. End with the "Next Steps" block from that reference so the user can ask for a reassessment after applying a recommendation. When the user says "reassess" (or equivalent), re-run Phase 1–2 and append an "Addendum: After-Change Performance" to the original report (before/after table, match against expected impact) rather than producing a new report.

psql fallback (MCP unavailable). Pipe statements into psql via heredoc and check $?; report failures without proceeding on partial evidence:

TOKEN=$(aws dsql generate-db-connect-admin-auth-token --hostname "$HOST" --region "$REGION")
PGPASSWORD="$TOKEN" psql "host=$HOST port=5432 user=admin dbname=postgres sslmode=require" <<<"EXPLAIN ANALYZE VERBOSE <sql>;"

Safety. Plan capture uses readonly_query exclusively — it rejects INSERT/UPDATE/DELETE/DDL at the MCP layer. Rewrite DML to SELECT (Phase 1) rather than asking transact --allow-writes to run it; write-mode transact bypasses all MCP safety checks. MUST NOT run arbitrary DDL/DML or pl/pgsql.

Error Scenarios

• awsknowledge returns no results: Use the default limits in the table above and note that limits should be verified against DSQL documentation.
• dsql_lint unavailable or timing out: See the Error Handling section of dsql-lint.md. Do not silently skip validation — inform the user and require explicit confirmation before proceeding with manual rules from development-guide.md.
• OCC serialization error: Retry the transaction. If persistent, check for hot-key contention — see troubleshooting.md.
• Transaction exceeds limits: Split into batches under 3,000 rows — see batched-migration.md.
• Token expiration mid-operation: Generate a fresh IAM token — see authentication-guide.md. See troubleshooting.md for other issues.

Additional Resources

• Aurora DSQL Documentation
• Code Samples Repository