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Automate Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL major or minor version upgrade using AWS Systems Manager and Amazon EC2

Database Blog

This article presents an automated solution for upgrading Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL clusters using AWS Systems Manager and EC2, reducing manual effort by up to 80%.

  • Automates major and minor version upgrades across multiple Aurora PostgreSQL clusters
  • Uses AWS Systems Manager to orchestrate upgrades with PREUPGRADE and UPGRADE modules
  • Creates Copy-on-Write clones for safety backups before upgrades
  • Identifies upgrade candidates using database tags for targeted automation
  • Provides comprehensive logging to S3 and email notifications via SNS
  • Requires EC2 instance in same VPC with AWS CLI, PostgreSQL client, and proper IAM permissions
  • Supports both single and multi-cluster deployments with detailed pre-upgrade checks

The solution streamlines Aurora PostgreSQL version management through consistent, repeatable procedures with minimal human intervention and comprehensive monitoring throughout the upgrade process.

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