Getting Started — Replicator-NG Docs

Quick Start (CLI)

This assumes you've already installed PostgreSQL and have Replicator-NG ready.

1. Create a config file

Generate a starter config from your Access database:

replicator-ng -s "C:\Users\you\MyData.accdb" -o replicatorconfig.toml -tpassword your-pg-password

This auto-discovers all tables and foreign keys and writes a complete replicatorconfig.toml.

2. Test your connections

replicator-ng -c replicatorconfig.toml --network

You should see both Access and PostgreSQL report OK. If PostgreSQL fails, check your credentials and that the server is running.

3. Create the schema

replicator-ng -c replicatorconfig.toml --schema

This creates the PostgreSQL database (if it doesn't exist), builds all tables, indexes, and foreign keys. No data is copied yet — just the structure.

4. Copy the data

replicator-ng -c replicatorconfig.toml --full-refresh

This copies every row from Access into PostgreSQL. Tables are copied in dependency order — parent tables first, then children. After completion, a validation summary compares row counts between Access and PostgreSQL.

🎯 That's it. Your Access data is now live in PostgreSQL. Subsequent runs with the same command will only copy new or changed rows (UPSERT for tables with primary keys).

Quick Start (GUI)

Launch replicator-ng-gui.exe:

Source Database — Browse for your .accdb file, click Refresh Tables
Target Database — Enter host, port, database name, user, password; click Test Connection
Tables — Review the discovered tables. Tick Nonvolatile for any static reference tables
Run Replication — Configure Extra Options if needed, then click ▶ Run Now

Progress bars update in real time for each table. The log panel shows every step. A validation summary confirms all row counts match.

See the GUI Guide for details on every panel.

What Happens Next

After the first replication, you have a live PostgreSQL copy of your Access data. You can:

Run the replicator again to sync changes (new, updated, and deleted rows)
Schedule automatic daily syncs via Task Scheduler
Connect BI tools, reporting systems, or AI platforms to the PostgreSQL database
Use the --sync-deleted flag to remove rows that were deleted in Access
Use the --nonvolatile flag to skip tables that haven't changed

Troubleshooting

Problem	Solution
"database does not exist"	Run with `--schema` first, or use the GUI's Create Database button
"access denied"	Check PostgreSQL `pg_hba.conf` allows your user from your host
Tables without keys don't sync	Tables without primary keys or unique indexes can only be appended, not updated. Consider adding a key in Access
Validation mismatch	Check the log for skipped rows. Some data types (OLE objects, attachments) can't be replicated
GUI won't launch	The GUI works on any Windows 10/11 machine with standard graphics drivers — no special configuration needed. If you're running in a VirtualBox VM, enable 3D Acceleration in the VM's Display settings and increase video memory to at least 128 MB. Without 3D acceleration, VirtualBox only provides a basic software renderer that egui's OpenGL backend cannot use.