Why are companies массово switching to Russian DBMSs, what tasks does migration solve, and why is it important to assess the risks, compatibility, and information security requirements of your business in advance.

Software import substitution remains one of the important tasks for Russian companies in 2026. Both regulatory requirements and restrictions imposed by foreign suppliers are driving the shift to domestic IT solutions. Some vendors have stopped selling their products in Russia or restricted access to updates and official technical support.

Under such conditions, the development and maintenance of the IT infrastructure of companies that use foreign solutions become more complicated.

The issue of replacing database management systems (DBMS) turned out to be particularly sensitive in these circumstances. The database is the foundation of a business’s IT infrastructure. It stores information about customers, financial transactions, orders, and other key business processes. The operation of applications, services, and entire departments within a company depends on the stability and performance of the DBMS, as well as on the integrity of the data.

How to migrate a DBMS to a domestic solution in 2026 without losing data and avoiding critical downtime? Let’s figure out how to choose a Russian platform, assess compatibility and risks before starting the work, prepare the infrastructure, organize data transfer and verification, and ensure reliable support after the transition.

How to choose a domestic DBMS for migration

Earlier, we already looked at what a DBMS is, what types there are, and how relational and non-relational solutions differ. Now we’ll focus on Russian products that can be considered for migration. The choice depends on business objectives, the type of workload, application architecture, and requirements for data storage and processing.

Various types of DBMS are available among domestic solutions:

• Relational DBMS: Postgres Pro, Platform V Pangolin, Tantor, Jatoba, RED Database. Arenadata DB is also suitable for corporate storage and analytics.
• Non-relational DBMS: Tarantool DB is a Russian in-memory NoSQL system that is used, in particular, for caching and accelerating the performance of high-load services.
• Distributed SQL solutions: YDB is an option for systems that require high availability and horizontal scaling.

When making a choice, it is important to consider not only the type of DBMS and its functionality, but also compatibility with existing applications, information security requirements, performance under load, availability of technical support, and the cost of ownership.

In addition, it is always worth considering the vendor’s own prospects: its development plans, the pace of market penetration, and its competence in the IT market.

Pre-project audit: what to check before migrating a DBMS

The best thing a business can do before migrating a DBMS is to conduct an audit of existing systems and databases. This is crucial because it’s important to assess right from the outset how feasible the transition is, what changes will be required first, and what risks might be encountered.

First and foremost, the application architecture and the role of the database are analyzed. If the DBMS is used only to store information, the application’s compatibility with the target migration platform must be checked. If part of the business logic is implemented in the database, the stored procedures, functions, and triggers are additionally analyzed. Some of them can be migrated automatically using special tools, while others will require manual доработки or changes to the application’s architecture.

The next stage is to check the data structures. It is quite a realistic scenario that the target DBMS does not support the objects from the current one. In this case, it is determined in advance how to adapt the data structure and what changes to make to the application.

Special attention is paid to performance. It is important to assess how the system’s operation will change after switching to another DBMS, whether the infrastructure resources will be sufficient, and whether the solution will be able to handle the expected load. This helps to identify potential bottlenecks in advance, rather than addressing them after the migration.

The audit result is an assessment of the feasibility of switching to a domestic DBMS, or a detailed migration plan with a list of necessary modifications, a matrix of object portability, and a performance risk assessment. The more precisely the tasks and limitations are defined at the outset, the easier it is to plan the transition and avoid unforeseen problems.

Preparing for migration: infrastructure, modifications, and testing

Even if the audit confirmed the possibility of switching to a domestic DBMS, this does not guarantee that the migration will go without problems. Before switching, it is necessary to prepare the infrastructure, adapt the application, and test the system’s operation under conditions as close to real as possible.

That is why we pay special attention to testing and the rollback plan in our work: they help reduce the risk of data loss and prolonged downtime.

Step 1. First, you need to prepare the target infrastructure: calculate the computing capacity, set up data storage, backup, and network interaction. At the same time, the application is being refined: SQL queries are adapted, incompatible components are replaced, etc.

Step 2. Test migration. It is very important to carry it out according to the same procedure that will be used during the actual transition. After the migration, it is important to check the data integrity, the correctness of the database structure, the operation of the application, and the main business processes.

We then recommend conducting load tests to understand how the system behaves under peak loads of requests and users. It is important to record all errors, fix them, and conduct a repeat test.

Step 3. Rollback plan. Before starting the migration, you need to determine under what problems the company will revert to the original system and how this will be done. For example, critical errors in the application’s operation, data discrepancies, or unsatisfactory performance may serve as grounds for canceling the switch.

At the same time, simply saving a backup copy is not enough: it is necessary to think ahead about how to preserve the changes that have already appeared in the target database after the switch. Depending on the chosen migration scheme, this can be achieved using reverse data synchronization or a double-write mechanism.

Thus, readiness for migration is determined not only by how successfully the data has been transferred to the new DBMS. It is important to confirm the functionality of the entire system and to work out a rollback scenario in advance.

How to transfer data to a Russian DBMS and check the result

If all the preparatory stages have been successfully completed, it’s time to move directly to the migration. First, the initial data is transferred to the target DBMS, the application is configured, and the user accounts, roles, and access rights are transferred. Then, a final reconciliation is performed, and the synchronization of changes is started, if it is provided for in the chosen strategy.

The transfer method depends on the volume of data, the allowed downtime, and the specific features of the application.

Offline migration is suitable for small databases, when business processes can be stopped for an extended period.

CDC (Change Data Capture) allows you to synchronize changes in almost real time and is suitable for systems with large amounts of data and high loads.

Dual Write involves synchronization at the application level and can be used when the data structure or business logic changes significantly, or CDC is not applicable.

The initial database is decommissioned only after confirming the stable operation of the new DBMS. At the same time, it is important to keep the rollback option provided for in the plan if critical problems are found.

Support for a domestic DBMS after migration

After switching to a Russian DBMS, it is important to ensure the stable operation of the new system. This requires regular monitoring, backup, query optimization, installation of updates, and prompt incident resolution. Support is needed not only to address existing problems but also to prevent them.

In this case, the company has two options: to organize DBMS administration using its own DBA team or to engage an external contractor. The choice depends on the complexity of the infrastructure, available expertise, and operational requirements. We discussed in more detail what to choose for supporting a DBMS — in‑house or outsourcing — in a separate article.

By outsourcing support to a specialized contractor, a company gains access to the expertise of specialists without having to build a full‑fledged DBA team on its own. The external team can take on monitoring, routine maintenance, backup, performance tuning, and 24/7 support. It is important to agree in advance on the scope of services, areas of responsibility, the procedure for incident escalation, and the SLA — the parameters and response timeframes for inquiries.

Regardless of the chosen model, special attention should be paid to backup and data recovery. It is necessary to determine the frequency of creating backup copies, the locations for storing them, and to regularly check the possibility of recovery. This will help reduce the risk of data loss and restore the system to operational status more quickly in the event of a failure.

Conclusion

It is impossible to say definitively which domestic DBMS will be suitable for your company without analyzing the current infrastructure and business requirements. The database is too sensitive and important a part of IT systems to choose a new platform based solely on the popularity of the solution or formal compliance with import substitution requirements. Without a preliminary audit, such a choice will be more of a guess than a well‑founded technical decision.

For the DBMS migration to be successful, it is important to assess in advance the compatibility of applications, possible modifications, performance requirements, and acceptable downtime. This will make it possible to choose a suitable platform, plan the transition, reduce the risks of data loss, and ensure stable system operation after migration.

You should start with an audit: it will help determine the optimal transition strategy and understand what resources and competencies will be required at each stage. And pre‑organized technical support will ensure the reliable operation of the domestic DBMS even after the migration is completed.