DynamoDB Export Guide¶

For the full command reference, see devo dynamodb.

Learn how to export DynamoDB table data to various formats for backup, analysis, and migration.

Quick Start¶

# Export table to CSV
devo dynamodb export my-table

# Export to JSON with compression
devo dynamodb export my-table -f json --compress gzip

Common Use Cases¶

Backup Tables¶

Create regular backups of your DynamoDB tables:

# Daily backup with timestamp
devo dynamodb export production-users \
  --output backup-$(date +%Y%m%d).json \
  -f json \
  --compress gzip

Add to cron for automated backups:

# Daily at 2 AM
0 2 * * * devo dynamodb export production-users -f json --compress gzip

Data Analysis¶

Export data for analysis in Excel, Pandas, or other tools:

# Export to CSV for Excel
devo dynamodb export analytics-data -f csv

# Flatten nested objects for easier analysis
devo dynamodb export analytics-data -f csv --mode flatten

Filtered Exports¶

Export only specific data:

# Export active users only
devo dynamodb export users \
  --filter "status = :s" \
  --filter-values '{":s": {"S": "active"}}'

# Export specific user's data
devo dynamodb export orders \
  --key-condition "userId = :uid" \
  --filter-values '{":uid": {"S": "user123"}}'

Data Migration¶

Export from one environment and import to another:

# Export from production
devo --profile prod dynamodb export users -f jsonl

# Import to staging (using AWS CLI)
aws dynamodb batch-write-item --request-items file://users.jsonl --profile staging

Export Formats¶

CSV (Default)¶

Best for Excel and spreadsheet analysis:

devo dynamodb export my-table -f csv

Output:

id,name,email,status
1,John,john@example.com,active
2,Jane,jane@example.com,inactive

JSON¶

Best for programmatic processing:

devo dynamodb export my-table -f json --pretty

Output:

[
  {"id": 1, "name": "John", "email": "john@example.com"},
  {"id": 2, "name": "Jane", "email": "jane@example.com"}
]

JSONL (JSON Lines)¶

Best for streaming and large datasets:

devo dynamodb export my-table -f jsonl

Output:

{"id": 1, "name": "John", "email": "john@example.com"}
{"id": 2, "name": "Jane", "email": "jane@example.com"}

TSV¶

Tab-separated format:

devo dynamodb export my-table -f tsv

Handling Nested Data¶

Strings Mode (Default)¶

Serializes nested objects as JSON strings:

devo dynamodb export my-table --mode strings

Output:

id,name,metadata
1,John,"{\"age\": 30, \"city\": \"NYC\"}"

Flatten Mode¶

Flattens nested objects into separate columns:

devo dynamodb export my-table --mode flatten

Output:

id,name,metadata.age,metadata.city
1,John,30,NYC

Normalize Mode¶

Expands lists into multiple rows:

devo dynamodb export my-table --mode normalize

Output:

id,name,tag
1,John,developer
1,John,python

Performance Optimization¶

Parallel Scan¶

For large tables, use parallel scanning:

# Use 8 parallel segments
devo dynamodb export large-table \
  --parallel-scan \
  --segments 8

Recommended segments by table size:

• Small (<1GB): 2-4 segments
• Medium (1-10GB): 4-8 segments
• Large (>10GB): 8-16 segments

Limit Results¶

Export only a subset of data:

# Export first 1000 items
devo dynamodb export my-table --limit 1000

Using Templates¶

Save Export Configuration¶

Save frequently used export configurations:

devo dynamodb export my-table \
  -a "id,name,email,status" \
  --filter "status = :s" \
  --filter-values '{":s": {"S": "active"}}' \
  --save-template active-users

Use Saved Template¶

Reuse saved configurations:

devo dynamodb export my-table --use-template active-users

List Templates¶

View all saved templates:

devo dynamodb list-templates

Team Workflows¶

Share Export Templates¶

# Export DynamoDB configuration (includes templates)
devo config export -s dynamodb -o team-dynamodb-config.json

# Share team-dynamodb-config.json with team

# Import on another machine
devo config import team-dynamodb-config.json -s dynamodb

Automated Reports¶

Create scheduled exports:

#!/bin/bash
# daily-report.sh

DATE=$(date +%Y%m%d)
devo dynamodb export analytics \
  --use-template daily-report \
  --output reports/analytics-$DATE.csv

Troubleshooting¶

Access Denied¶

Verify IAM permissions:

aws dynamodb list-tables --profile your-profile

Required permissions:

• dynamodb:Scan
• dynamodb:Query
• dynamodb:DescribeTable

Table Not Found¶

Check region and table name:

devo dynamodb list --region us-east-1

Export Timeout¶

For large tables:

1. Use parallel scan: --parallel-scan --segments 8
2. Export in chunks: --limit 10000
3. Use filters to reduce data: --filter

Memory Issues¶

For very large exports:

1. Use JSONL format instead of JSON
2. Enable compression: --compress gzip
3. Export specific attributes: -a "id,name"

Best Practices¶

1. Use compression for large exports: --compress gzip
2. Save frequently used configurations: --save-template
3. Use parallel scan for large tables: --parallel-scan
4. Filter data when possible: Reduce export size with --filter
5. Choose appropriate format: CSV for analysis, JSONL for processing
6. Test with dry-run: --dry-run to preview before exporting
7. Monitor costs: DynamoDB charges for read capacity

Next Steps¶

• DynamoDB Command Reference - Full command options
• AWS Setup - Configure AWS credentials
• Configuration Guide - DynamoDB settings