> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://sequinstream.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Get started with AWS Kinesis
> Stream Postgres changes to an Amazon Kinesis stream in minutes with Sequin.
In this quickstart, you'll create a real-time data pipeline that streams changes from a Postgres database to an Amazon Kinesis data stream. You'll:
* Set up a Kinesis stream using the AWS CLI
* Create an IAM user with the minimal required permissions
* Boot Sequin and connect to a sample playground database
* Configure Sequin to stream database changes to your Kinesis stream
* See your changes flow in real-time
By the end, you'll have hands-on experience setting up Postgres change data capture (CDC) with Sequin and Kinesis.
This is the quickstart for streaming Postgres to Kinesis. See the [how-to guide](/how-to/stream-postgres-to-kinesis) for an explanation of how to use the Kinesis sink or the [reference](/reference/sinks/kinesis) for details on all configuration options.
## Prerequisites
* AWS CLI installed and configured with your AWS credentials
* An AWS account with permissions to create Kinesis streams and IAM users
## Step 1: Set up your Kinesis stream
First, let's create a Kinesis stream and the necessary AWS resources using the AWS CLI.
Run this command to create a new Kinesis stream called `sequin-quickstart`:
```bash theme={null}
aws kinesis create-stream \
--stream-name sequin-quickstart \
--shard-count 1
```
Wait for the stream to become active (this takes about 1-2 minutes):
```bash theme={null}
aws kinesis describe-stream --stream-name sequin-quickstart
```
Look for `"StreamStatus": "ACTIVE"` in the response.
Once active, note down your stream ARN from the describe-stream output. It will look like:
```
arn:aws:kinesis:us-east-1:123456789012:stream/sequin-quickstart
```
You can also get just the ARN with:
```bash theme={null}
aws kinesis describe-stream --stream-name sequin-quickstart --query 'StreamDescription.StreamARN' --output text
```
Create a policy file called `sequin-kinesis-policy.json`:
```json theme={null}
{
"Version": "2012-10-17",
"Statement": [
{
"Effect": "Allow",
"Action": [
"kinesis:PutRecords",
"kinesis:DescribeStream"
],
"Resource": "arn:aws:kinesis:*:*:stream/sequin-quickstart"
}
]
}
```
Create the policy in AWS:
```bash theme={null}
aws iam create-policy \
--policy-name SequinKinesisPolicy \
--policy-document file://sequin-kinesis-policy.json
```
Note the policy ARN from the response - you'll need it in the next step.
Create a dedicated IAM user for Sequin:
```bash theme={null}
aws iam create-user --user-name sequin-kinesis-user
```
Attach the policy to the user (replace `YOUR_ACCOUNT_ID` with your AWS account ID):
```bash theme={null}
aws iam attach-user-policy \
--user-name sequin-kinesis-user \
--policy-arn arn:aws:iam::YOUR_ACCOUNT_ID:policy/SequinKinesisPolicy
```
If you don't have your account ID handy, you can ask AWS like this:
```bash theme={null}
aws sts get-caller-identity --query Account --output text
```
Generate access keys for the user:
```bash theme={null}
aws iam create-access-key --user-name sequin-kinesis-user
```
**Important**: Save the `AccessKeyId` and `SecretAccessKey` from the response - you'll need these for Sequin configuration and they won't be shown again.
The easiest way to get started with Sequin is with our [Docker Compose file](https://github.com/sequinstream/sequin/blob/main/docker/docker-compose.yaml). This file starts a Postgres database, Redis instance, and Sequin server.
1. Download [sequin-docker-compose.zip](https://github.com/sequinstream/sequin/releases/latest/download/sequin-docker-compose.zip).
2. Unzip the file.
3. Navigate to the unzipped directory and start the services:
```bash theme={null}
cd sequin-docker-compose && docker compose up -d
```
```bash theme={null}
curl -L https://github.com/sequinstream/sequin/releases/latest/download/sequin-docker-compose.zip -o sequin-docker-compose.zip \
&& unzip sequin-docker-compose.zip && rm sequin-docker-compose.zip
cd sequin-docker-compose && docker compose up -d
```
```bash theme={null}
git clone git@github.com:sequinstream/sequin.git
cd sequin/docker
docker compose up -d
```
Check that Sequin is running using `docker ps`:
```bash theme={null}
docker ps
```
You should see output like the following:
```
CONTAINER ID IMAGE COMMAND CREATED STATUS PORTS NAMES
bd5c458cabde sequin/sequin:latest "/scripts/start_comm…" 11 seconds ago Up 9 seconds 4000/tcp, 0.0.0.0:7376->7376/tcp sequin-sequin-1
3bacd89765e7 grafana/grafana "/run.sh" 11 seconds ago Up 11 seconds 0.0.0.0:3000->3000/tcp sequin-sequin_grafana-1
3ad41319a66c postgres:16 "docker-entrypoint.s…" 11 seconds ago Up 11 seconds (healthy) 0.0.0.0:7377->5432/tcp sequin-sequin_postgres-1
6139a5fc4e80 redis:7 "docker-entrypoint.s…" 11 seconds ago Up 11 seconds 0.0.0.0:7378->6379/tcp sequin-sequin_redis-1
7e07a5b052de prom/prometheus "/bin/prometheus --c…" 11 seconds ago Up 11 seconds 0.0.0.0:9090->9090/tcp sequin-sequin_prometheus-1
```
Sequin, Postgres, Redis, Prometheus, and Grafana should be up and running (status: `Up`).
The Docker Compose file automatically configures Sequin with an admin user and a playground database.
Let's log in to the Sequin web console:
After starting the Docker Compose services, open the Sequin web console at [http://localhost:7376](http://localhost:7376):
Use the following default credentials to login:
* Email:
```
admin@sequinstream.com
```
* Password:
```
sequinpassword!
```
To get you started quickly, Sequin's Docker Compose file creates a logical database called `sequin_playground` with a sample dataset in the `public.products` table.
Let's take a look:
In the Sequin web console, click **Databases** in the sidebar.
Click on the pre-configured `sequin-playground` database:
The database "Health" should be green.
Let's get a sense of what's in the `products` table. Run the following command:
```bash theme={null}
docker exec -i sequin-sequin_postgres-1 \
psql -U postgres -d sequin_playground -c \
"select id, name, price from products;"
```
This command connects to the running Postgres container and runs a `psql` command.
You should see a list of the rows in the `products` table:
```
id | name | price
----+-----------------------+-------
1 | Avocados (3 pack) | 5.99
2 | Flank Steak (1 lb) | 8.99
3 | Salmon Fillet (12 oz) | 14.99
4 | Baby Spinach (16 oz) | 4.99
5 | Sourdough Bread | 6.99
6 | Blueberries (6 oz) | 3.99
(6 rows)
```
We'll make modifications to this table in a bit.
With the playground database connected, create a [sink](/reference/sinks/overview) that will send changes to your Kinesis stream:
Click "Sinks" in the sidebar navigation, then click "Create Sink".
Select "Amazon Kinesis" as the sink type and click "Continue".
In the "Source" card, note that the `sequin-playground` database is selected and all schemas and tables are included. Leave these defaults:
In the `Inital backfill` card, select the `public.products` table to initate a backfill when the sink is created.
In the Kinesis configuration card, enter:
* **Stream ARN**: The ARN you noted from Step 1 (e.g., `arn:aws:kinesis:us-east-1:123456789012:stream/sequin-quickstart`)
* **AWS Access Key ID**: The `AccessKeyId` from Step 1
* **AWS Secret Access Key**: The `SecretAccessKey` from Step 1
* **AWS Region**: The region where you created your stream (e.g., `us-east-1`)
Click "Create Sink" to finish setting up your Kinesis sink.
On the new sink's overview page, you should see the "Health" status turn green, indicating data is flowing to your stream.
Click the "Messages" tab to see recently delivered messages.
You can also verify data is flowing by checking your Kinesis stream in the AWS Console or using the CLI:
```bash theme={null}
aws kinesis get-records \
--shard-iterator $(aws kinesis get-shard-iterator \
--stream-name sequin-quickstart \
--shard-id shardId-000000000000 \
--shard-iterator-type TRIM_HORIZON \
--query 'ShardIterator' --output text) \
--query 'Records[0].Data' --output text | base64 -d
```
Great work!
You've successfully:
* Created a Kinesis stream with the AWS CLI
* Set up an IAM user with minimal required permissions
* Connected Sequin to stream Postgres changes to Kinesis
* Loaded existing data through a backfill
* Verified changes are flowing to your Kinesis stream
## Clean up (optional)
If you want to clean up the AWS resources created in this quickstart:
```bash theme={null}
# Delete the Kinesis stream
aws kinesis delete-stream --stream-name sequin-quickstart
# Detach policy from user
aws iam detach-user-policy \
--user-name sequin-kinesis-user \
--policy-arn arn:aws:iam::YOUR_ACCOUNT_ID:policy/SequinKinesisPolicy
# Delete access key (replace with your actual access key ID)
aws iam delete-access-key \
--user-name sequin-kinesis-user \
--access-key-id YOUR_ACCESS_KEY_ID
# Delete user and policy
aws iam delete-user --user-name sequin-kinesis-user
aws iam delete-policy --policy-arn arn:aws:iam::YOUR_ACCOUNT_ID:policy/SequinKinesisPolicy
```
## Ready to stream
Now you're ready to connect your own database to Sequin and start streaming changes:
Connect your Postgres database to Sequin.
Setup a Kinesis sink to send changes to your stream.