Various example embodiments are directed to systems and methods for migrating a database from a source database having a source schema to a target database having a target schema. For example the migrating may comprise a pre-migration phase and a migration phase. The pre-migration phase may comprise either executing a pre-migration command to modify at least a portion of the source database or generating a pre-migration object at the source database. The migration phase may comprise selecting at least one column from the source database that was modified during the pre-migration phase and writing the at least one column to the target database.