# Migrating from AIX or Windows to Linux for Amazon RDS for Db2
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With this migration approach, you use native Db2 tools to back up your self-managed Db2 database to an Amazon S3 bucket. Native Db2 tools include the `export` utility, the `db2move` system command, or the `db2look` system command. Your Db2 database can either be self-managed or in Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2). You can move data from your AIX or Windows system to your Amazon S3 bucket. Then, use a Db2 client to load data directly from the S3 bucket to your Amazon RDS for Db2 database. Downtime depends on the size of your database. For more information about using Amazon S3, see [Integrating an Amazon RDS for Db2 DB instance with Amazon S3](db2-s3-integration.md).

**To migrate your Db2 database to RDS for Db2**

1. Prepare to back up your database. Configure sufficient storage amount to hold the backup on your self-managed Db2 system.

1. Back up your database.

   1. Run the [db2look system command](https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/db2/11.5?topic=commands-db2look-db2-statistics-ddl-extraction-tool) to extract the data definition language (DDL) file for all objects.

   1. Run either the [Db2 export utility](https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/db2/11.5?topic=utility-exporting-data), the [db2move system command](https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/db2/11.5?topic=commands-db2move-database-movement-tool), or a [CREATE EXTERNAL TABLE statement](https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/db2/11.5?topic=statements-create-table-external) to unload the Db2 table data to storage on your Db2 system.

1. Move your backup to an Amazon S3 bucket. For more information, see [Integrating an Amazon RDS for Db2 DB instance with Amazon S3](db2-s3-integration.md). 
**Note**  
If your database is large and would take a long time to transfer to an S3 bucket, you can order an AWS Snow Family device and ask AWS to perform the backup. After you copy your files to the device and return it to the Snow Family team, the team transfers your backed-up images to your S3 bucket. For more information, see the [AWS Snow Family documentation](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/snowball/).

1. Use a Db2 client to load data directly from your S3 bucket to your RDS for Db2 database. For more information, see [Migrating with Amazon S3](db2-migration-load-from-s3.md).