How big of a dataset can Sideloader handle?
Tested to over 100 TB per run; pipeline parallelism scales linearly—your cloud bucket is the limit.
Astra Migration Toolkit
Migrate Cassandra Workloads to Astra DB—Fast, Safe, Proven
Bulk‑load terabytes while shifting traffic with zero downtime, securely and reliably.
Get Hands-on Migration Training
Supercharge Cassandra Migrations with DataStax Astra Migration Toolkit
Migrating data to the cloud doesn’t have to be painful or slow. Join us for a live session where we dive into the DataStax Astra Migration Toolkit. A comprehensive architecture using secure methods to move data and built with the flexibility to work with your Cassandra data wherever it is. Cassandra, Keyspaces, Scylla, or wherever you are, we can show you how.
Import TB‑scale Data 10× Faster
Sideloader moves raw SSTables straight into Astra Serverless storage—no CQL bottlenecks, minimal cloud egress.
Zero‑Downtime Cut‑over
Cassandra Data Migrator (CDM) keeps clusters in sync, while ZDM Proxy duplicates live traffic so you can flip the switch when ready.
Open Source & Driver‑Compatible
Works with any Cassandra‑compatible service—Keyspaces, Cosmos DB, Scylla, Instaclustr—via standard Java/Python drivers.
| Provider / Service (source) | Sideloader AMT Bulk Import | CDM Cassandra Data Migrator | ZDM Proxy Query-duplication |
|---|---|---|---|
| DSE 5.1 or greater | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| DSE 5.0 or lower | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Apache Cassandra® OSS 3.11 or greater | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Apache Cassandra® OSS 3.10 or lower | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| K8ssandra (self-managed) | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Amazon Keyspaces | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Azure Cosmos DB (Cassandra API) | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Azure Managed Instance for Apache Cassandra | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Instaclustr Managed Cassandra | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Aiven for Cassandra | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Scylla Cloud | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Yugabyte Aeon (YCQL) | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Scylla OSS / Enterprise | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Yugabyte OSS / Anywhere | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
Hear from the engineers who have already done it!
WellAware Avoided Big Database Headaches by Migrating to Astra DB
WellAware, an industrial IoT company, successfully migrated over 600GB of data to DataStax Astra DB using the Zero Downtime Migration (ZDM) suite, ensuring uninterrupted service and maintaining their 99% uptime SLA. The ZDM Proxy facilitated a seamless transition with minimal code changes, allowing WellAware to enhance scalability and reduce operational overhead without impacting their clients’ access to critical real-time data.
High 5 Games Lowers Risk with Cassandra Migration
When leading online casino game developer High 5 Games needed to migrate their mission-critical data infrastructure from self-managed Cassandra to a more reliable solution, they turned to DataStax's Astra Migration Toolkit. Using the Cassandra Data Migrator (CDM) for efficient bulk transfers and Zero-Downtime Migration (ZDM) tools to ensure continuous service to their global player base, High 5 Games achieved a seamless transition with minimal risk.
MegaZebra Migrates Critical Game Infrastructure with Zero Downtime
MegaZebra seamlessly migrated over 1TB of player data to DataStax Astra DB on AWS using the Zero Downtime Migration (ZDM) suite, ensuring uninterrupted gameplay for its 100 million users. This strategic move enhanced system reliability and scalability, allowing MegaZebra’s developers to focus more on game innovation rather than infrastructure maintenance.
FAQs
Will my application need code changes?
No. All tools use the standard Cassandra binary protocol; simply point them at your existing cluster and Astra target.
What if I can’t afford downtime at all?
Use CDM or Sideloader for continuous sync, then put ZDM Proxy in front of your app to duplicate traffic. Flip over when metrics look good—no visible outage.
Is my data secure?
When using Sideloader, we provide you with a secure bucket to upload your data in the Astra environment. At no point is data put in public servers. When working with traffic, we rely on TLS for point-to-point communication between the application and the database.
What are the TCO benefits of a migration?
Users typically report a much lower storage cost after migrating. The cloud native architecture of Astra reduces the storage requirements while maintaining performance and resilience.
How fast can a migration happen once we start?
If using the sideloader, once initiated, it’s typical to see an ingest speed of 1-2 hours per TB of data. This varies by use case, but moving data can be very quick. When using CDM, you are limited to how fast the data can be read from the source database. ZDM Proxy will ensure that your users will never see the impact of the migration, making it as safe as possible.