# Importing data from Db2 to Amazon RDS for Db2 with the INGEST utility
<a name="db2-native-db2-tools-ingest"></a>

You can use the `INGEST` utility to continually stream data from files and pipes on a client machine to a target Amazon RDS for Db2 DB instance. The `INGEST` utility supports `INSERT` and `MERGE` operations. For more information, see [Ingest utility](https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/db2/11.1?topic=reference-ingest-utility) in the IBM Db2 documentation.

Because the `INGEST` utility supports nicknames, you can use the utility to transfer data from your self-managed Db2 database to an RDS for Db2 database. This approach works as long as network connectivity exists between the two databases. 

**Important**  
The `INGEST` utility doesn't support large objects (LOBs). Use the [`IMPORT` command](db2-native-db2-tools-import.md) instead. 

To use the `RESTARTABLE` feature of the `INGEST` utility, run the following command on the RDS for Db2 database.

```
db2 "call sysproc.sysinstallobjects(‘INGEST’,‘C’,NULL,NULL)"
```