# Exporting data from an RDS for PostgreSQL DB instance to Amazon S3
You can query data from an RDS for PostgreSQL DB instance and export it directly into files stored in an Amazon S3 bucket. To do this, you first install the RDS for PostgreSQL `aws_s3` extension. This extension provides you with the functions that you use to export the results of queries to Amazon S3. Following, you can find out how to install the extension and how to export data to Amazon S3.
**Note**
Cross-account export to Amazon S3 isn't supported.
All currently available versions of RDS for PostgreSQL support exporting data to Amazon Simple Storage Service. For detailed version information, see [Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL updates](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AmazonRDS/latest/PostgreSQLReleaseNotes/postgresql-versions.html) in the *Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL Release Notes*.
If you don't have a bucket set up for your export, see the following topics the *Amazon Simple Storage Service User Guide*.
+ [Setting up Amazon S3](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AmazonS3/latest/userguide/setting-up-s3.html)
+ [Creating a bucket](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AmazonS3/latest/userguide/create-bucket-overview.html)
By default, the data exported from RDS for PostgreSQL to Amazon S3 uses server-side encryption with an AWS managed key. If you are using bucket encryption, the Amazon S3 bucket must be encrypted with an AWS Key Management Service (AWS KMS) key (SSE-KMS). Currently, buckets encrypted with Amazon S3 managed keys (SSE-S3) are not supported.
**Note**
You can save DB snapshot data to Amazon S3 using the AWS Management Console, AWS CLI, or Amazon RDS API. For more information, see [Exporting DB snapshot data to Amazon S3 for Amazon RDS](USER_ExportSnapshot.md).
**Topics**
+ [Installing the aws\_s3 extension](#USER_PostgreSQL.S3Export.InstallExtension)
+ [Overview of exporting data to Amazon S3](#postgresql-s3-export-overview)
+ [Specifying the Amazon S3 file path to export to](#postgresql-s3-export-file)
+ [Setting up access to an Amazon S3 bucket](postgresql-s3-export-access-bucket.md)
+ [Exporting query data using the aws\_s3.query\_export\_to\_s3 function](postgresql-s3-export-examples.md)
+ [Function reference](postgresql-s3-export-functions.md)
+ [Troubleshooting access to Amazon S3](postgresql-s3-export-troubleshoot.md)
## Installing the aws\_s3 extension
Before you can use Amazon Simple Storage Service with your RDS for PostgreSQL DB instance, you need to install the `aws_s3` extension. This extension provides functions for exporting data from an RDS for PostgreSQL DB instance to an Amazon S3 bucket. It also provides functions for importing data from an Amazon S3. For more information, see [Importing data from Amazon S3 into an RDS for PostgreSQL DB instance](USER_PostgreSQL.S3Import.md). The `aws_s3` extension depends on some of the helper functions in the `aws_commons` extension, which is installed automatically when needed.
**To install the `aws_s3` extension**
1. Use psql (or pgAdmin) to connect to the RDS for PostgreSQL DB instance as a user that has `rds_superuser` privileges. If you kept the default name during the setup process, you connect as `postgres`.
```
psql --host={{111122223333}}.{{aws-region}}.rds.amazonaws.com --port=5432 --username=postgres --password
```
1. To install the extension, run the following command.
```
postgres=> CREATE EXTENSION aws_s3 CASCADE;
NOTICE: installing required extension "aws_commons"
CREATE EXTENSION
```
1. To verify that the extension is installed, you can use the psql `\dx` metacommand.
```
postgres=> \dx
List of installed extensions
Name | Version | Schema | Description
-------------+---------+------------+---------------------------------------------
aws_commons | 1.2 | public | Common data types across AWS services
aws_s3 | 1.1 | public | AWS S3 extension for importing data from S3
plpgsql | 1.0 | pg_catalog | PL/pgSQL procedural language
(3 rows)
```
The functions for importing data from Amazon S3 and exporting data to Amazon S3 are now available to use.
### Verify that your RDS for PostgreSQL version supports exports to Amazon S3
You can verify that your RDS for PostgreSQL version supports export to Amazon S3 by using the `describe-db-engine-versions` command. The following example verifies support for version 10.14.
```
aws rds describe-db-engine-versions --region us-east-1
--engine postgres --engine-version 10.14 | grep s3Export
```
If the output includes the string `"s3Export"`, then the engine supports Amazon S3 exports. Otherwise, the engine doesn't support them.
## Overview of exporting data to Amazon S3
To export data stored in an RDS for PostgreSQL database to an Amazon S3 bucket, use the following procedure.
**To export RDS for PostgreSQL data to S3**
1. Identify an Amazon S3 file path to use for exporting data. For details about this process, see [Specifying the Amazon S3 file path to export to](#postgresql-s3-export-file).
1. Provide permission to access the Amazon S3 bucket.
To export data to an Amazon S3 file, give the RDS for PostgreSQL DB instance permission to access the Amazon S3 bucket that the export will use for storage. Doing this includes the following steps:
1. Create an IAM policy that provides access to an Amazon S3 bucket that you want to export to.
1. Create an IAM role.
1. Attach the policy you created to the role you created.
1. Add this IAM role to your DB instance.
For details about this process, see [Setting up access to an Amazon S3 bucket](postgresql-s3-export-access-bucket.md).
1. Identify a database query to get the data. Export the query data by calling the `aws_s3.query_export_to_s3` function.
After you complete the preceding preparation tasks, use the [aws\_s3.query\_export\_to\_s3](postgresql-s3-export-functions.md#aws_s3.export_query_to_s3) function to export query results to Amazon S3. For details about this process, see [Exporting query data using the aws\_s3.query\_export\_to\_s3 function](postgresql-s3-export-examples.md).
## Specifying the Amazon S3 file path to export to
Specify the following information to identify the location in Amazon S3 where you want to export data to:
+ Bucket name – A *bucket* is a container for Amazon S3 objects or files.
For more information on storing data with Amazon S3, see [ Creating a bucket](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AmazonS3/latest/userguide/create-bucket-overview.html) and [Working with objects](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AmazonS3/latest/userguide/uploading-downloading-objects.html) in the *Amazon Simple Storage Service User Guide*.
+ File path – The file path identifies where the export is stored in the Amazon S3 bucket. The file path consists of the following:
+ An optional path prefix that identifies a virtual folder path.
+ A file prefix that identifies one or more files to be stored. Larger exports are stored in multiple files, each with a maximum size of approximately 6 GB. The additional file names have the same file prefix but with `_part{{XX}}` appended. The `{{XX}}` represents 2, then 3, and so on.
For example, a file path with an `exports` folder and a `query-1-export` file prefix is `/exports/query-1-export`.
+ AWS Region (optional) – The AWS Region where the Amazon S3 bucket is located. If you don't specify an AWS Region value, then Amazon RDS saves your files into Amazon S3 in the same AWS Region as the exporting DB instance.
**Note**
Currently, the AWS Region must be the same as the region of the exporting DB instance.
For a listing of AWS Region names and associated values, see [Regions, Availability Zones, and Local Zones](Concepts.RegionsAndAvailabilityZones.md).
To hold the Amazon S3 file information about where the export is to be stored, you can use the [aws\_commons.create\_s3\_uri](postgresql-s3-export-functions.md#aws_commons.create_s3_uri) function to create an `aws_commons._s3_uri_1` composite structure as follows.
```
psql=> SELECT aws_commons.create_s3_uri(
'{{amzn-s3-demo-bucket}}',
'sample-filepath',
'us-west-2'
) AS s3_uri_1 \gset
```
You later provide this `s3_uri_1` value as a parameter in the call to the [aws\_s3.query\_export\_to\_s3](postgresql-s3-export-functions.md#aws_s3.export_query_to_s3) function. For examples, see [Exporting query data using the aws\_s3.query\_export\_to\_s3 function](postgresql-s3-export-examples.md).