Syniti Replicate (former DBMoto) metadata converter

This guide explains how to convert an existing Syniti Replicate metadata.xml file into a Gluesync Bootstrapper-ready template. This process helps migrate your database schema and mappings from Syniti Replicate to Gluesync. From now on in this documentation, we’ll only mention Syniti Replicate, but the same applies to Syniti Data Replication and DBMoto.

Prerequisites

Before starting the conversion process, ensure you have:

  • A valid Syniti Replicate metadata.xml file

  • Gluesync already set and configured (at least the pipeline to be used for the conversion)

Syniti Replicate to Gluesync 101

Step 1: Convert your metadata using the online utility

For a simplified conversion process, you can use the online conversion utility available at Syniti Replicate Metadata Converter. This web-based tool allows you to upload your metadata.xml file and receive a ready-to-use Gluesync Bootstrapper template without manual setup.

To run the online conversion utility, you’ll need to issue your Gluesync Kit’s unique identifier that can be retrieved from the download email you received when you placed your trial request.

After the conversion is complete, you’ll receive a ready-to-use Gluesync Bootstrapper template that you can use to migrate your database schema and mappings to Gluesync.

Step 2: Use the Gluesync Automator to deploy the template

Once you have the YAML template from Step 1, you can use the Gluesync Automator to easily deploy it without needing to install Python or use command-line tools.

Download and launch the Automator

  1. Download the latest Automator executable from Gluesync Automator downloads

  2. Run the executable for your platform (Windows .exe, macOS .app, or Linux .bin)

  3. The application will start a web server and open http://localhost:8080 in your browser

Authenticate with Core Hub

  1. Enter your Core Hub URL (e.g., https://localhost)

  2. Provide your username and password

  3. Configure TLS options if needed (enable TLS, skip certificate verification for self-signed certificates)

  4. Click "Login" to authenticate

Upload and configure the template

  1. Click "Choose File" to select the YAML template downloaded from the online converter

  2. Configure entity creation options:

    • Enable/disable automatic table creation

    • Enable/disable scheduling for entities

    • Set chunk size for batch processing

    • Choose to skip errors during execution

Deploy

  1. Click "Start" to begin the entity creation process

  2. Monitor the live log output for progress

  3. The status will show "Running" during deployment, then "Completed" or "Failed" when done

  4. Download logs if needed for troubleshooting

The Automator provides a user-friendly web interface that handles all the complexity of the Bootstrapper while giving you full control over the deployment process. For detailed instructions, see the Gluesync Automator documentation.

You can then proceed from Step 3: Review and adjust the template.

Manual conversion (for expert users)

Before starting the manual process, ensure you have:

Step 1: Prepare your environment

  • Clone the Gluesync Bootstrapper repository:

git clone https://gitlab.com/molo17-public/gluesync/gluesync-bootstrapper.git
cd gluesync-bootstrapper

  • Install the required dependencies (if any are specified in the repository)

  • Create a working directory for the conversion process:

mkdir -p gluesync-conversion

Step 2: Convert metadata.xml

  • Place your metadata.xml file in the working directory

  • Run the conversion script:

Basic conversion:

python3 parse_dbmoto_metadata_xml.py /path/to/your/dbmoto_export.xml

Advanced options:

python3 parse_dbmoto_metadata_xml.py /path/to/your/dbmoto_export.xml \
  --output-dir ./output_configs \
  --template ./custom-template.yaml

Refer to the Gluesync Bootstrapper repository for the most up-to-date instructions and additional options.

The script will:

  • Parse your metadata.xml file

  • Convert the schema definitions to Gluesync format

  • Generate a YAML template compatible with Gluesync Bootstrapper

Step 3: Review and adjust the template

After conversion, review the generated gluesync_template.yaml file. Pay attention to:

  • Table mappings and their relationships

  • Column definitions and data types

  • Any custom transformations or business rules

  • Connection settings and credentials

Make any necessary adjustments to ensure the template meets your requirements.

Step 4: Get authentication token

Before using the Gluesync Bootstrapper, you need to obtain a valid authentication token from the Core Hub API. You can get this token in two ways:

  1. Via Core Hub Web UI: Log in to the Core Hub Web UI and copy the token from your browser’s cookies or user profile settings.

  2. Via HTTP request: Use curl or any HTTP client to request a token:

curl -X POST https://<corehub-url>/authentication/login -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d '{"username":"<username>","password":"<password>"}'

The response will contain the authentication token that you’ll use in the --token parameter.

Step 5: Use the template with Gluesync Bootstrapper

Once your template is ready and you have your authentication token, use it with the Gluesync Bootstrapper:

export CORE_HUB_URL="https://<corehub-url>" # replace with your Core Hub URL
export SSL_ENABLED="true" # set to "true" if your Core Hub is using SSL
export SSL_SKIP_VERIFY="true" # set to "true" if you want to skip SSL verification (useful for self-signed certificates)
export CREATE_TABLE_IF_NOT_EXISTS="false" # set to "false" if you want to skip table creation (requires Core Hub v2.1 or higher)

python3 create_all_entities.py --pipeline <pipeline_id> --source-schema <source_schema> --target-schema <target_schema> --source-type <source_agent_type> --target-type <target_agent_type> --yaml-file <path_to_yaml_config> --token <auth_token> [--include-targets] [--skip-errors] [--chunk-size <number>]

This command will:

  • Create the necessary database schema

  • Set up table mappings

  • Configure data transformations

  • Prepare the environment for data synchronization

Best practices

Data validation

  • Always validate the converted template in a test environment first

  • Verify that all required fields and relationships are preserved

  • Test with a small subset of data before full migration

Performance considerations

  • Optimize batch sizes for large datasets

  • Consider partitioning strategies for very large tables

  • Monitor performance during initial synchronization

Security

While the conversion tool does not store/convert database credentials from Syniti Replicate metadata.xml file, it is recommended to: * Never store credentials in the template file * Use secure connection strings * Implement proper access controls

Documentation

  • Document any custom transformations

  • Maintain a version history of template changes

  • Keep track of any manual adjustments made during conversion

Troubleshooting

Common issues

  • Missing table definitions

  • Incorrect data type mappings

Solution steps

  1. Check the conversion logs for errors

  2. Verify source database connectivity

  3. Compare converted schema with source schema

  4. Adjust batch sizes and timeouts

  5. Consult the Gluesync bootstrapper documentation or reach out to Gluesync support for further assistance

Additional resources

Next steps

After successful conversion and testing:

  1. Deploy the converted template to your production environment

  2. Configure monitoring and alerting

  3. Set up regular maintenance tasks

  4. Document the migration process for future reference

This guide provides a comprehensive overview of converting Syniti Replicate metadata.xml to Gluesync bootstrapper. For more detailed information about specific features or advanced configurations, refer to the Gluesync bootstrapper documentation.

Release Notes

0.7

Released: November 12, 2025

  • GSSD-422: Fixes for case-sensitive table names;

  • GSSD-422: Fixes for TIMESTMP data type incoming with the metadata.xml;

0.6

Released: November 7, 2025

  • Added support for the extraction of data types, lenght, precision and scale to support table creation use cases;

0.5

Released: November 4, 2025

  • Added support for target table renaming;

0.4

Released: September 15, 2025

  • Fixed an issue with the extraction of clustered indexes;

  • Fixed an issue that was causing the script to be unable to extract the proper target schema, leading it to fallback on using the source schema name;

0.3

Released: August 7, 2025

  • GSSD-291: Added support for Syniti Replicate metadata.xml Primary Keys;

  • GSSD-291: Fixed a bug where the conversion script was not able to properly handle target schemas.

0.2

Released: August 5, 2025

  • Added reverse-engineering support for Syniti Replicate metadata.xml Primary Keys;

  • Removed fallback PK previously declarad as "id" in the generated template;