Microsoft SQL Server Migration Assistant v7.7 for Access now includes 32bit version!

MVP

Great news everyone! Via Klaus Oberdalhoff today I learned that version 7.7 now includes TWO versions to download, the 64 bit and 32 bit!

 

This is a major improvement, before it only included the 64 bit version, requiring additional steps to migrate your Access 32bit database to Azure or a SQL Server. 

 

To learn more about SSMA and how to use it with your projects please watch this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PvlL_WZKkcw

 

If you wish to learn more about the Access Lunch Time Group please visit: https://accessusergroups.org/lunch/register-for-lunchtime-access-user-group/

12 Replies

Juan,

 

While this is great news, it is still not necessarily easy to know which version to choose.  I have a 64-bit computer, but a Click to Run (Office 365) version of Access 32-bit.  I found the best fit in this environment was to install the 32-bit version of SQL Server Migration Assistant (even though my machine was 64-bit) - in other words, install the same version of SSMA as you have of Office.  I also had to install 32-bit runtime for Access 2013 (the trick here is to go one version lower than your current version of Access) to get the database engine which does not come as part of the Click to Run application.  I actually had lots more trouble than that but I think it was because I made the wrong choices initially.  I would like to write or see a nice article on when to install what and why from someone in the near future!

Thanks for the heads up, Juan, and good news!

 

Bringing back 32-bit support for the SQL Server Migration Assistant will be definitely make it more practical to use in many cases.

 

Any idea of why SSMA ended up 64-bit only in the first place, considering how often 32-bit version of Microsoft Office is installed?

Doesn't that seem strange, considering that, even for Windows 64-bit, the 32-bit version of Office is recommended during install (in order to ensure compatibility with most Office Add-ins)?

 


@Juan Soto wrote:

Great news everyone! Via Klaus Oberdalhoff today I learned that version 7.7 now includes TWO versions to download, the 64 bit and 32 bit!

 

This is a major improvement, before it only included the 64 bit version, requiring additional steps to migrate your Access 32bit database to Azure or a SQL Server.





I agree it really has dumbfounded me as well... the only thing I could conclude is that the SSMA team are not MS Access Developers.


@DanMoorehead_PowerWeb5AI wrote:

Thanks for the heads up, Juan, and good news!

 

Bringing back 32-bit support for the SQL Server Migration Assistant will be definitely make it more practical to use in many cases.

 

Doesn't it seem strange that SSMA ended up 64-bit only in the first place, considering how often 32-bit version of Microsoft Office is installed (as is even recommended, for maximum add-in compatibility)?

Any idea of what that was the case?

 


@Juan Soto wrote:

Great news everyone! Via Klaus Oberdalhoff today I learned that version 7.7 now includes TWO versions to download, the 64 bit and 32 bit!

 

This is a major improvement, before it only included the 64 bit version, requiring additional steps to migrate your Access 32bit database to Azure or a SQL Server.






 

Anthony,

I suppose you may be right. From a non-Office developer standpoint, 64-bit seems the way to go, with most Windows installs being 64-bit these days – if otherwise unfamiliar with how most Office installs are 32-bit.

Hi Anthony,

> the only thing I could conclude is that the SSMA team are not MS Access Developers.

Iirc, you're right. It was a sperate company which MS bought to get the SSMA (especially for Oracle at that time) and all the other SSMA products are just "cross-compiled" (from Java ?)  from that source ...

But that's ancient history ...

mfg Klaus

 

Hi Klaus,

 

I don't know the actual reasons that have lead to the decision by the SSMA team to support 32 bit again. We've reported the problem several times at MS but maybe that did nothing and there was e.g. just an intervention by a big client that moved things.

 

In any case, your blog has always been our most up-to-date information source and reference on this, in addition that you've kept Juan, me and others informed by PM when there's been a new development. So I want to take this opportunity to publicly thank you for your persistent work on this important matter for the Access community.

 

Karl

**********

http://www.AccessDevCon.com

http://www.donkarl.com

Hi Karl,
thanks for the 'flowers' <g>

mfg Klaus

@Klaus Oberdalhoff,

Thanks for the article about the Microsoft major re-org.

Why do you think that it might relate to us finally getting a 32-bit SSMA?

Do you, or does anyone else, think this re-org spells good news or is concerning when it comes to the future of Microsoft Access?


I provided a summary of the major Microsoft reorg and notes on possible implications - what the divisions are now, and which products fall under which, and some possible concerns about how they are split up - in my follow-up to the Future of Microsoft Access thread here (which also sums up recent and upcoming Access updates), if anyone is interested.

 

I'd welcome and appreciate there any thoughts on implications of the re-org and other questions and suggestions you might have regarding the future of Microsoft Access and suggested integrations (Cloud, PowerApps, Common Data Service, Graph) and updates (VSTO and beyond).

The download link for the TWO versions of SSMA 7.7 is here. It kind of exciting to see both the 32 bit and 64 bit msi files.

 

Note that someone mentioned Windows as well as Office in talking about the SSMA.

 

You need to match the bitness of Access, not Windows and not SQL Server.

 

In other words, regardless of whether you have 64 bit Windows or 32 bit Windows, you need to use the same bitness of SSMA 7.7 as your Office installation: 32 to 32, 64 to 64. And, of course, the bitness of the target SQL Server is not relevant either. Only the two applications, Access and SSMA, are of concern.

Great news on two fronts. Obviously, it's good in and of itself, but it also a good example of the wheels at Microsoft eventually grinding out the proper response as a result of feedback from customers. Patience and persistence pay off.

Hi George,

The only context Windows was mentioned in was in stating that you need 32-bit SSMA for 32-bit Office, and how it didn't make sense that only 64-bit SSMA was available before because it needs to match the version of office, which is usually 32-bit Office - with 32-bit Office being the default install even for 64-bit Windows.

 

But thanks for the download links. The availability of both versions now certainly is good news.