# Resume Replication

Resume replication using MOLT Replicator by running `replicator` with the same arguments used during initial replication setup. Replicator will automatically resume from the saved checkpoint in the existing staging schema.

Note:

These instructions assume you have already started replication at least once. To start replication for the first time, refer to Load and Replicate.

## Resume replication after interruption

Run the MOLT Replicator `pglogical` command using the same `--stagingSchema` value from your initial replication command.

Be sure to specify the same `--slotName` value that you used during your initial replication command. The replication slot on the source PostgreSQL database automatically tracks the LSN (Log Sequence Number) checkpoint, so replication will resume from where it left off.

    replicator pglogical \
    --sourceConn $SOURCE \
    --targetConn $TARGET \
    --targetSchema defaultdb.public \
    --slotName molt_slot \
    --stagingSchema _replicator \
    --metricsAddr :30005 \
    -v

Run the MOLT Replicator `mylogical` command using the same `--stagingSchema` value from your initial replication command.

Replicator will automatically use the saved GTID (Global Transaction Identifier) from the `memo` table in the staging schema (in this example, `_replicator.memo`) and track advancing GTID checkpoints there. To have Replicator start from a different GTID instead of resuming from the checkpoint, clear the `memo` table with `DELETE FROM _replicator.memo;` and run the `replicator` command with a new `--defaultGTIDSet` value.

Tip:

For MySQL versions that do not support `binlog_row_metadata`, include `--fetchMetadata` to explicitly fetch column metadata. This requires additional permissions on the source MySQL database. Grant `SELECT` permissions with `GRANT SELECT ON source_database.* TO 'migration_user'@'localhost';`. If that is insufficient for your deployment, use `GRANT PROCESS ON *.* TO 'migration_user'@'localhost';`, though this is more permissive and allows seeing processes and server status.

    replicator mylogical \
    --sourceConn $SOURCE \
    --targetConn $TARGET \
    --targetSchema defaultdb.public \
    --stagingSchema _replicator \
    --metricsAddr :30005 \
    --userscript table_filter.ts \
    -v

Run the MOLT Replicator `oraclelogminer` command using the same `--stagingSchema` value from your initial replication command.

Replicator will automatically find the correct restart SCN (System Change Number) from the `_oracle_checkpoint` table in the staging schema. The restart point is determined by the non-committed row with the smallest `startscn` column value.

    replicator oraclelogminer \
    --sourceConn $SOURCE \
    --sourcePDBConn $SOURCE_PDB \
    --sourceSchema migration_schema \
    --targetConn $TARGET \
    --stagingSchema _replicator \
    --metricsAddr :30005 \
    --userscript table_filter.ts

Note:

When filtering out tables in a schema with a userscript, replication performance may decrease because filtered tables are still included in LogMiner queries and processed before being discarded.

Replication resumes from the last checkpoint without performing a fresh load. Monitor the metrics endpoint at `http://localhost:30005/_/varz` to track replication progress.

## Troubleshooting

### Forward replication issues

##### Performance troubleshooting

If MOLT Replicator appears hung or performs poorly:

1. Enable trace logging with `-vv` to get more visibility into the replicator's state and behavior.

2. If MOLT Replicator is in an unknown, hung, or erroneous state, collect performance profiles to include with support tickets. Replace `{host}` and `{metrics-port}` with your Replicator host and the port specified by `--metricsAddr`:

       curl '{host}:{metrics-port}/debug/pprof/trace?seconds=15' > trace.out
       curl '{host}:{metrics-port}/debug/pprof/profile?seconds=15' > profile.out
       curl '{host}:{metrics-port}/debug/pprof/goroutine?seconds=15' > gr.out
       curl '{host}:{metrics-port}/debug/pprof/heap?seconds=15' > heap.out

3. Monitor lag metrics and adjust performance parameters as needed.

##### Unable to create publication or slot

This error occurs when logical replication is not supported.

Resolution: If you are connected to a replica, connect to the primary instance instead. Replicas cannot create or manage logical replication slots or publications.

Verify that the source database supports logical replication by checking the `wal_level` parameter on PostgreSQL:

    SHOW wal_level;

If `wal_level` is not set to `logical`, update it and restart PostgreSQL:

    ALTER SYSTEM SET wal_level = 'logical';

##### Replication slot already exists

    ERROR: replication slot "molt_slot" already exists

Resolution: Either create a new slot with a different name, or drop the existing slot to start fresh:

    SELECT pg_drop_replication_slot('molt_slot');

Warning:

Dropping a replication slot can be destructive and delete data that is not yet replicated. Only use this if you want to restart replication from the current position.

##### Publication does not exist

    run CREATE PUBLICATION molt_fetch FOR ALL TABLES;

Resolution: Create the publication on the source database. Ensure you also create the replication slot:

    CREATE PUBLICATION molt_publication FOR ALL TABLES;
    SELECT pg_create_logical_replication_slot('molt_slot', 'pgoutput');

##### Could not connect to PostgreSQL

    could not connect to source database: failed to connect to `user=migration_user database=source_database`

Resolution: Verify the connection details including user, host, port, and database name. Ensure the database name in your `--sourceConn` connection string matches exactly where you created the publication and slot. Verify you're connecting to the same host and port where you ran the `CREATE PUBLICATION` and `SELECT pg_create_logical_replication_slot()` commands. Check if TLS certificates need to be included in the connection URI.

##### Wrong replication slot name

    run SELECT pg_create_logical_replication_slot('molt_slot', 'pgoutput'); in source database

Resolution: Create the replication slot or verify the correct slot name:

    SELECT pg_create_logical_replication_slot('molt_slot', 'pgoutput');

##### Resuming from stale location

For PostgreSQL, the replication slot on the source database tracks progress automatically. Clearing the memo table is only necessary if the replication slot was destroyed and you need to restart replication from a specific LSN.

Resolution: Clear the `_replicator.memo` table:

Resolution: Clear the `_replicator.memo` table to remove stale GTID checkpoints:

Resolution: Clear the `_replicator.memo` table to remove stale SCN (System Change Number) checkpoints:

    DELETE FROM _replicator.memo WHERE true;

##### Repeated binlog syncing restarts

If Replicator repeatedly restarts binlog syncing or starts replication from an unexpectedly old location, this indicates an invalid or purged GTID. When an invalid GTID is provided, the binlog syncer will fall back to the first valid GTID.

Resolution: Verify the GTID set is valid and not purged:

    -- Check if GTID is in executed set
    SELECT GTID_SUBSET('your-gtid-set', @@GLOBAL.gtid_executed) AS in_executed;

    -- Check if GTID is purged
    SELECT GTID_SUBSET('your-gtid-set', @@GLOBAL.gtid_purged) AS in_purged;

Interpret the results as follows:

- If `in_executed` returns `1` and `in_purged` returns `0`, the GTID is valid for replication.
- If `in_purged` returns `1`, the GTID has been purged and you must find a newer consistent point.
- If both return `0`, the GTID doesn't exist in the records and is invalid.

If the GTID is purged or invalid, follow these steps:

1. Increase binlog retention by configuring `binlog_expire_logs_seconds` in MySQL:

       -- Increase binlog retention (example: 7 days = 604800 seconds)
       SET GLOBAL binlog_expire_logs_seconds = 604800;

   Note:

   For managed MySQL services (such as Amazon RDS, Google Cloud SQL, or Azure Database for MySQL), binlog retention is typically configured through the provider's console or CLI. Consult your provider's documentation for how to adjust binlog retention settings.

2. Get a current GTID set to restart replication:

       -- For MySQL < 8.0:
       SHOW MASTER STATUS;
       -- For MySQL 8.0+:
       SHOW BINARY LOG STATUS;

       +---------------+----------+--------------+------------------+-------------------------------------------+
       | File          | Position | Binlog_Do_DB | Binlog_Ignore_DB | Executed_Gtid_Set                         |
       +---------------+----------+--------------+------------------+-------------------------------------------+
       | binlog.000005 |      197 |              |                  | 77263736-7899-11f0-81a5-0242ac120002:1-38 |
       +---------------+----------+--------------+------------------+-------------------------------------------+

   Use the `Executed_Gtid_Set` value for the `--defaultGTIDSet` flag.

##### Invalid GTID format

Invalid GTIDs can occur when GTIDs are purged due to insufficient binlog retention, when connecting to a replica instead of the primary host, or when passing a GTID that has valid format but doesn't exist in the binlog history.

Resolution: Use a valid GTID from `SHOW MASTER STATUS` (MySQL < 8.0) or `SHOW BINARY LOG STATUS` (MySQL 8.0+) and ensure you're connecting to the primary host. If GTIDs are being purged, increase binlog retention.

##### Stale GTID from cache

Resolution: Clear the `_replicator` database memo table:

    DELETE FROM _replicator.memo WHERE true;

##### Table/column names exceed 30 characters

Oracle LogMiner excludes tables and columns with names longer than 30 characters from redo logs.

Resolution: Rename tables and columns to 30 characters or fewer before migration.

##### Unsupported data types

LogMiner and replication do not support:

- Long `BLOB`/`CLOB`s (4000+ characters)
- User-defined types (UDTs)
- Nested tables
- Varrays
- `GEOGRAPHY` and `GEOMETRY`

Resolution: Convert unsupported data types or exclude affected tables from replication.

##### LOB column UPDATE statements

UPDATE statements that only modify LOB columns are not supported by Oracle LogMiner.

Resolution: Avoid LOB-only updates during replication, or use Binary Reader for Oracle 12c.

##### JSONB null handling

SQL NULL and JSON null values are not distinguishable in JSON payloads during replication.

Resolution: Avoid using nullable JSONB columns where the distinction between SQL NULL and JSON null is important.

##### Missing redo logs or unavailable SCN

If the Oracle redo log files are too small or do not retain enough history, you may get errors indicating that required log files are missing for a given SCN range, or that a specific SCN is unavailable.

Resolution: Increase the number and size of online redo log files, and verify that archived log files are being generated and retained correctly in your Oracle environment.

##### Replicator lag

If the `replicator` process is lagging significantly behind the current Oracle SCN, you may see log messages like: `replicator is catching up to the current SCN at 5000 from 1000…`. This indicates that replication is progressing but is still behind the most recent changes on the source database.

##### Schema drift errors

Indicates source and target schemas are mismatched:

    WARNING: schema drift detected in "database"."table" at payload object offset 0: unexpected columns: column_name

Resolution: Align schemas or use userscripts to transform data.

##### Apply flow failures

Apply flow failures occur when the target database encounters error conditions such as unique constraint violations, target database being unavailable, or incorrect data (missing or extraneous columns) during apply operations:

    WARNING: warning during tryCommit: ERROR: duplicate key value violates unique constraint
    ERROR: maximum number of retries (10) exceeded

Resolution: Check target database constraints and connection stability. MOLT Replicator will log warnings for each retry attempt. If you see warnings but no final error, the apply succeeded after retrying. If all retry attempts are exhausted, Replicator will surface a final error and restart the apply loop to continue processing.

## See also

- Migration Overview
- Migration Strategy
- MOLT Schema Conversion Tool
- MOLT Fetch
- MOLT Verify
- Migration Failback