Migration Dashboard for SQL Server enabled by Azure Arc
Overview We are excited to announce the new Migration Dashboard feature in the Azure portal. SQL Server enabled by Azure Arc, automatically produces an assessment for migration to Azure. This assessment plays a vital role in the success of your cloud migration and modernization journey. This dashboard provides visibility into the assessment coverage and migration readiness across all your SQL Server instances enabled by Azure Arc. How to view the Migration Dashboard Using this feature is simple. Navigate to the Azure portal and search for Azure Arc. Click through into the Azure Arc center. Under Data Services, click on SQL Server Instances. You will be presented with the list of SQL Server instances enabled by Azure Arc. Switch to the Migration Dashboard tab in the right pane to get the at-scale summary of your instances, the migration assessment coverage and migration readiness of your SQL Server enabled by Azure Arc. Understand the Migration Dashboard The dashboard: Provides an overview of SQL Server instances and databases discovered. Provides an overview of the SQL Server instances which have assessments generated. Provides migration readiness summary for each of the Azure SQL offerings. Provides rich filtering capabilities enabling you to tailor the view to your needs. The first section of the migration dashboard presents an overview of all SQL Server instances and databases accessible to you. You can also see the distribution of the instances by version and edition. The next section provides you with an overview of the migration assessment and migration readiness of the instances of SQL Server enabled by Azure Arc. You can see how many instances have assessments available. The migration readiness for each Azure SQL offering is separately shown. Call to Action We encourage you to use the Migration Dashboard to: Track Migration Assessment coverage across your SQL Server instances enabled by Azure Arc. Understand your migration readiness to the Azure SQL offerings. Here are a few steps to get started: Explore the Feature: Visit the Azure portal and take some time to familiarize yourself with the dashboard and the insights it provides. Join the Community: Share your experiences and insights with the Azure Arc community. Join our forums and participate in discussions to learn how others are leveraging this feature to optimize their server environments. Stay Informed: Keep up with the latest updates and best practices for SQL Server enabled by Azure Arc by following our blog and subscribing to our newsletter. We regularly share tips, tutorials, and success stories from our users. We are confident that the Migration Dashboard will be a valuable addition to your SQL Server migration journey to Azure. We look forward to your feedback and success stories as you begin to explore this new feature.
DMS - Support for Managed Identity for Azure SQL Managed Instance migration
Azure Database Migration Service (DMS) has introduced a new feature that supports the use of Managed Identity for migrating to Azure SQL Managed Instance. This enhancement simplifies the migration process and ensures secure and seamless integration with Azure Database Migration services. In this blog post, we will dive into the prerequisites, permissions or role(s) required, and how to use this associated Managed identity for migrating to Azure SQL Managed Instance. Currently, this feature is supported through Azure Portal, PowerShell, and Az cmdlets. Prerequisites Before you begin the migration to Azure SQL Managed Instance using Managed identity, ensure that following prerequisites are in place: 1. The Target Azure SQL Managed Instance's associated Managed Identity: Azure Database Migration Service only supports Managed Identity that is associated with the target Azure SQL Managed Instance. How to identify the associated Managed Identity? Once you start the migration to Azure SQL Managed Instance using Azure Database Migration Service and on second page, select the target Azure SQL Managed instance, its associated Managed Identity will be displayed if "Use Managed Identity" is selected (default), as highlighted below. Alternatively, you can follow these steps: a) Go to the target Azure SQL Managed Instance's home page. b) On the left menu, under Security > Identity: If User-assigned Managed Identity is present, the associated Managed Identity will be same as selected under the Primary Identity. If there is no User-assigned Managed Identity and only System-assigned Managed Identity is enabled, the associated Managed Identity will be System-assigned Managed Identity and have the same name as the Azure SQL Managed Instance's name. For example, for ABCSQLMI - Azure SQL Managed Instance the System-assigned Managed Identity will be "ABCSQLMI". 2) Permissions: Assign the "Storage Blob Data Reader" role on the storage account to the target instance's associated Managed Identity. Steps to Assign Permissions In the Azure portal, go to the storage account that will be used in migration for keeping the backup files. On the left menu under Access Control (IAM), click on "+Add" > Add role assignment Select or search for builtin role "Storage Blob Data Reader", click Next. Assing this role access to Managed Identity by selecting the associated Managed Identity identified in the previous step as the member. Note: When migrating to Azure SQL Managed Instance or Azure SQL Virtual Machine via Azure portal make sure the signed in user has Storage Blob Data Reader access on the Blob container that contains the backup files. This permission is needed to list folders and files in the blob container during migration setup via Azure portal only. How to use associated Managed identity for migration? Upon initiating the migration to Azure SQL Managed Instance using Azure Database Migration Service, navigate to the second page and select the target Azure SQL Managed Instance. If the "Use Managed Identity" option is selected (default), the associated Managed Identity will be displayed and used for the migration (as shown in the first image above). Once Managed identity is used for the migration, DMS will utilize this Managed identity for reading the backup files on the Azure blob storage and thus removing the need for SAS keys. Limitations: Azure Database Migration Service supports Managed Identity that is associated with the target Azure SQL Managed Instance only. It can be either User assigned, or System assigned Managed identity. Currently, this feature is supported through Azure Portal only. Ensure that the storage account has the "Allow storage account key access" enabled. Benefits of using Managed Identity: Using Managed Identity for Azure SQL Managed Instance migrations offers several security benefits: Enhanced Security: Managed identities eliminate the need to use SAS key, reducing the risk of SAS key token exposure. Simplified Management: As associated Managed Identity of the target Azure SQL MI is used, it allows for seamless integration with Azure Database Migration services, making it easier to manage access permissions and roles. Improved Efficiency: The streamlined authentication process speeds up migrations and reduces the complexity of managing SAS keys. Improved Compliance: By using Managed Identity, user can ensure that they adhere to security best practices and compliance requirements, as it is managed securely by Azure. All the above benefits make Managed Identity better than SAS key token. Learn more. Conclusion The new feature supporting Managed Identity in Azure Database Migration Service for Azure SQL Managed Instance migrations offers a secure and efficient way to manage permissions during the migration process. By following the steps outlined above and leveraging the security benefits of Managed Identity, you can ensure a smooth and secure migration to Azure SQL Managed Instance.
A quick way to generate Azure SQL migration assessments
Overview Azure Migrate doesn’t allow users to import the SQL Server Inventory and discovery information from sources other than Azure Migrate appliance as of today. As a result, users who cannot deploy Azure Migrate appliance to discover their SQL Server estate for technical, business or compliance reasons or have already discovered their SQL Server estate using tools like rvtools and want a quick and approximate way to check readiness and total cost savings by moving to Azure, cannot leverage the rich capabilities SQL assessment and business case capabilities that Azure Migrate offers. To help customers quickly get migration readiness and cost savings by migrating to Azure, we are introducing “Import SQL Server Discovery data as CSV” feature in Azure Migrate that allows users to import the SQL Server inventory as a CSV file and use the discovery data to generate assessments and business cases. This feature is launched in private preview. In this blog post, we will do a deep dive on how to use this feature to generate quick assessments for your off-Azure SQL Server estate. Here are the high-level steps for importing your off-Azure SQL Server inventory as a CSV: 1) Step-1: Identify the SQL Server Instances and extract the discovery data into a CSV file. 2) Step-2: Validate and upload the inventory data to Azure Migrate 3) Step-3: Generate and view Assessments Pre-requisites: Import SQL Discovery data as a CSV feature is built on top of the new Azure Migrate experience which is also in Private Preview phase. To use Import SQL Discovery data as CSV feature, you must onboard to the private preview of new Azure Migrate experience and here is the form to sign up for Private preview: Azure Migrate Private Preview Sign-Up Survey. We will share the instructions to onboard via the contact details you provided. Make sure you have the credentials to connect to the SQL Server Instances of interest Make sure you have the requisite roles and privileges on each SQL Server Instance to access and extract the required metadata from Dynamic Management Views. To generate a login with required privileges, please run the scripts listed here: Configure custom login for SQL Server Discovery An Azure Subscription. Please note you don't need to deploy an Azure Migrate appliance to use the SQL import CSV feature. Step-1: Identify and extract the discovery data of SQL Server Instances you intend to migrate to Azure SQL into a CSV file Identify the list of all off-Azure SQL Server Instances you intend to migrate to Azure SQL from either on-premises infrastructure or other cloud platforms like Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud Platform (GCP). To extract the discovery data, please run the SQL Script below against the SQL Server Instance which you would like to import into Azure Migrate via CSV and store the output into a CSV file. /* PLEASE ENTER THE FULLY QUALIFIED DOMAIN NAME OF THE HOST IN THE LINE BELOW BEFORE RUNNING THE QUERY */ Declare @FullyQualifiedDomainName varchar(200) = ''; With ServerCores AS( SELECT cpu_count AS [Logical CPU Count], hyperthread_ratio AS [Hyperthread Ratio], cpu_count/hyperthread_ratio AS [Physical CPU Count], sqlserver_start_time FROM sys.dm_os_sys_info ), Config AS( SELECT value_in_use AS [Max Server Memory(MB) In Use] FROM sys.configurations WHERE name = 'max server memory (MB)'), UserCount AS( SELECT count(database_id) AS [Number User Databases] FROM sys.databases WHERE database_id > 4 ), DbSize AS( SELECT SUM(CAST(Size AS bigint))*8/1024 AS [Max server memory (in MB)] FROM sys.master_files WHERE database_id > 4 ), TempDbSize AS ( SELECT SUM(CAST(Size AS bigint))*8/1024 AS [TempDb Size (In MB)] FROM sys.master_files WHERE db_name(database_id) = 'tempdb' ), Logins AS (Select count(name) AS [NumOfLogins] from sys.syslogins), Properties AS ( select db.name as database_name, db.database_id as database_id, cast(db.compatibility_level as int) as database_compatibility_level, db.collation_name as database_collation, db.is_broker_enabled as is_service_broker_enabled, '0' as [Number of Nics], SERVERPROPERTY ('servername') as instance_name, SERVERPROPERTY ('productversion') as instance_version, SERVERPROPERTY ('edition') as instance_edition, SERVERPROPERTY ('productlevel') as instance_level, SERVERPROPERTY ('IsHadrEnabled') as is_hadr_enabled, SERVERPROPERTY ('collation') as server_collation, CASE WHEN SERVERPROPERTY ('IsClustered') = 1 THEN 'TRUE' ELSE 'FALSE' END as is_failover_clustered, COALESCE(SERVERPROPERTY ('IsIntegratedSecurityOnly'), 0) as is_integrated_security_only, COALESCE(SERVERPROPERTY ('IsPolyBaseInstalled'), 0) as is_polybase_installed, CASE WHEN 'A' = 'a' THEN 0 ELSE 1 END as is_server_case_sensitive, /* '' + @host_platform + '' as host_platform,*/ db.state as database_state, /* db.is_auto_close_on as is_auto_close_on,'+ CASE when @check_cdc = 1 THEN 'db.is_cdc_enabled' else '0' END + ' as is_cdc_enabled,*/ CASE when db.user_access = 0 THEN 1 ELSE 0 END as is_multi_user, CASE when db.recovery_model = 0 THEN 0 ELSE 1 END as is_full_recovery_model, db.is_read_only as is_read_only, case when source_database_id IS NULL THEN 0 ELSE 1 end as is_snapshot, case when is_published = 1 OR is_subscribed = 1 OR is_merge_published = 1 or is_distributor = 1 THEN 1 ELSE 0 end as is_replication_enabled, db.is_encrypted from sys.databases db where db.name not in ('master', 'tempdb', 'model', 'msdb') and is_distributor <> 1), EachDbSize AS( SELECT database_name = DB_NAME(database_id), CAST(SUM(CAST(size AS bigint)) * 8. / 1024 AS DECIMAL(12,2)) AS [Database size (in MB)], convert(varchar(12),CAST((sum(case when physical_name like '%ldf'then 0 else size end)*8.0)/1024.0 AS numeric(8,2))) AS [Data file size (in MB)], convert(varchar(12),CAST((sum(case when physical_name like '%ldf'then size else 0 end)*8.0)/1024.0 AS numeric(8,2))) AS [Log file size (in MB)] FROM sys.master_files WHERE database_id > 4 GROUP BY database_id) select @FullyQualifiedDomainName as [Fully qualified domain name], instance_name as [Instance Name], p.database_name as [Database Name], database_state as [Database Status], instance_edition [SQL Edition], instance_version as [SQL Version], [Logical CPU Count], [Hyperthread Ratio], [Physical CPU Count], [TempDb size (in MB)], is_failover_clustered as [Is FCI Enabled], '' as [Failover cluster name], '' as [Failover cluster instance role], '' as [Failover cluster shared disk count], '' as [Is failover cluster multi subnet], [Max server memory (in MB)], [Number of Nics], instance_level as [Service pack], '' as [ESU status], 'FALSE' as [IS AG enabled], instance_level as [Build version], 'Online' as [Service status], 'FALSE' as [Is database highly available], 'FALSE' as [Is part of distributed availability group], [Database size (in MB)], [Data file size (in MB)], [Log file size (in MB)], database_compatibility_level as [Compatibility level], '' as [Availability group ID], '' as [Availability group name], '' as [Availability group type], '' as [Availability replica ID], '' as [Availability replica name], '' as [Commit mode], '' as [Replica type], '' as [Replica state], 'FALSE' as [Is AG multi subnet], '' as [AG replica sync status], '' as [AG replica seed mode], '' as [AG replica read mode] from ServerCores, Config, UserCount, DbSize, TempDbSize,Logins, Properties p LEFT JOIN EachDbSize s on p.database_name = s.database_name order by p.database_name Collate the output of all SQL Server Instances of interest into a single file. Step-2: Validate and upload the CSV file To validate and upload the generated CSV file with SQL Server discovery data: 1) Go to the Azure Migrate experience link you would have received from Microsoft after you signed up for the private preview of this feature. Click on “Create Project” to create a new Project (if not done already): 2) Fill in the required fields in create project wizard 3) Click on the created project and select “Using custom Import” option under “Start Discovery” button. 4) In the Discover page, select “File Type” as “SQL Server inventory (CSV)” 5) (Optional) Click on “Download” button under Step 1: Download template to view and understand the template expected by Azure Migrate. Optionally, you can skip this step as the CSV file generated by SQL script shared above confirms to the template. 6) Browse and select the inventory file in Step-2 and click on Validate to validate the uploaded SQL Inventory data. 7) If the uploaded doesn’t contain any warnings or error messages, it will show validation completed successfully with 0 errors and warnings. If there are any errors or warnings Azure Migrate will show a count of warning and error messages. To view and resolve the warnings or errors (if any) with the imported file, click on Download ErroDetails.csv, which displays errors/warning messages corresponding to each database along with remedial action. Please note warnings are non-blocking messages, i.e., user can still go ahead and complete the Import operation. Whereas errors are blocking in nature i.e. users will not be allowed to import unless the error messages are resolved. 8) Once the validation phase is completed, click on Import button to complete the import operation. Step-3: Create Assessments using imported SQL Discovery Data SQL Server Instances and the databases uploaded via CSV import route are treated at par with the SQL Server instances that are discovered by Azure Migrate appliance. You can view the SQL Server Instance properties like Version details, Number of databases, Support status and all other properties uploaded via CSV file. The quality of property details and the assessments generated is directly dependent on the quality of data uploaded via CSV. To create SQL assessments for the uploaded SQL Server Instances, go to the Azure Migrate project's resource page and click on Create Assessments button: Give a name for the assessment and click on Add workloads to add the imported and appliance discovered workloads: In the following page, select the SQL Server instances that have value “Import” for Discovery Source column. You can also create assessments on a combination of workloads that are imported and appliance discovered. Click Add button to add the workloads and click on Review + Create Assessments to create assessment. For imported SQL Server instances, the quality of assessments is only as good as the data uploaded via CSV, please ensure that the data uploaded via CSV accurately depicts the metadata of the SQL Server instance. Like regular SQL assessments, you will have all the assessment configuration options like choosing Sizing criteria (performance-based vs as on-premises), migration strategy (optimizing cost vs migration to PaaS), comfort factor etc. By default, Azure Migrate will try to create a performance-based incase the performance-metrics are not available, it defaults to As-on-premises assessment. Assessment created on the imported SQL Servers will help you know which SQL Server Instances are ready for migration to Azure SQL, the recommended Azure SQL Target type. Linking and Rediscovery Linking If the host where the imported SQL Instance currently hosted is discovered via import of VM Servers or via appliance, the SQL Server Instance will be automatically associated with that host. SQL Server Instance will be rolled up under that VM Server in the discovery view. The SQL Server instance will be uniquely identified based on the FQDN and the SQL Server Instance name. The combination of attributes is used for conflict resolution as well. Rediscovery and precedence rules 1) If the SQL Server instance is originally imported via CSV and is reuploaded again via CSV, upload operation will rewrite all the properties. 2) If the SQL server instance is first imported via CSV and then discovered via Azure Migrate appliance and the user has provided credentials to do deep discovery via Azure Migrate appliance, then the appliance discovered data will override the data imported via CSV. 3) If the SQL server instance is first imported via CSV and then discovered via Azure Migrate appliance and the user has not provided SQL Server credentials to do deep discovery, then the appliance discovered data will only update the additional data that appliance discovered. 4) If the SQL Server Instance is first discovered via the Azure Migrate appliance and is deep discovered (correct SQL Server credentials are provided), and if the SQL Server is imported via CSV, data imported via CSV will be discarded. 5) If the SQL Server Instance is first discovered via the Azure Migrate appliance and is only inventoried (correct SQL Server credentials are not provided), and if the SQL Server is later imported via CSV, upload operation will completely overwrite the appliance discovered details. How to onboard to Private Preview To onboard Preview of SQL Inventory import as CSV, please fill the Signup form for Private preview What’s Next 1) In the next release will ship out capabilities to create Business case for SQL Servers imported via CSV. 2) We will also build support for Availability Groups and Failover cluster Instances for the SQL Server instances imported via CSV.SQL Migration assessments now include Next-gen General Purpose Azure SQL MI
Announcing the inclusion of the Next-gen General Purpose service tier in migration assessments for SQL Server migration to Azure SQL Managed Instance. All database migration tooling includes this capability now. This service tier is more customizable, allowing the configuration to be tailored more closely to the resource requirements.Release: Azure SQL Migration extension for Azure Data Studio v1.5.6
We're delighted to announce the release of the latest version of the Azure SQL Migration extension for Azure Data Studio, v1.5.6. This release provides you with Azure Database Migration Service’s new features like: 1) Support for Next-gen General Purpose service tier for Azure SQL Managed Instance. 2) Target Provisioning based upon SKU recommendation (using ARM templates) - Public Preview. 3) Enhanced login migration experience - Public Preview. What is new in Azure SQL Migration extension v1.5.6? 1) Support for Next-gen General Purpose service tier for Azure SQL Managed Instance: The Next-gen General Purpose service tier is an architectural upgrade to the existing General Purpose service tier that can be used for new and existing instances. Now, the Azure Data Studio extension for Azure Database migration service – Azure SQL Migration support Next-gen General Purpose as SKU recommendation for Azure SQL Managed Instance. For details, refer here. This service tier provides better performance, throughput, greater storage capacity and support more than 100 databases on a single instance. 2) Target Provisioning based upon SKU recommendation (using ARM templates) - Public Preview: With Azure SQL Migration v1.5.6, now users can generate ARM templates directly based upon the SKU recommendation generated using performance data collected from the source. User can use these ARM templates for all the Azure SQL offerings – Azure SQL VM, Azure SQL MI and Azure SQL DB and easily create the Azure SQL Target for the migrations. To create and deploy the Azure SQL Target, users have two options: a) Copy or save the ARM template in JSON and use Azure CLI, PowerShell and other deployment operations. b) Using Deploy-to-Azure button, then provide the Azure blob storage account details to store the template and deploying it though the Azure Portal. This feature is in Public Preview and will help you to streamline the Azure SQL target creation using ARM templates, can automate deployments and use the practice of infrastructure as code, deploy them quickly and CI/CD integration. 3) Enhanced login migration experience - Public Preview: After completing the data migration, the next critical step is to setup the authentication and authorization for the databases and thus login migration becomes the critical step in the migration journey. Azure SQL Migration extension supports Login migration (Public Preview) and now we have enhanced its experience by adding Pre-requisites validation checks to ensure all the requirements are in place for successful login migrations. Currently, only Azure SQL Managed Instance and SQL Server on Azure Virtual Machines targets are supported. Resources For more information about the extension and Azure Database Migration Service, see the following resources. Azure Database Migration Service documentation Migrate databases using the Azure SQL Migration extension One-click SQL Migration PoC environment Architecture of Azure Database Migration Service | Microsoft Community HubClient Connection Summary for SQL Server enabled by Azure Arc
Overview We are excited to announce our new SQL Server client connection summary feature for SQL Server enabled by Azure Arc. This addition provides visibility to the clients connecting to your SQL Server instances, helping to simplify monitoring, security and management. Customers wanting to determine the clients that are connecting to their SQL Server instances need to poll the sys.dm_exec_sessions dynamic management view to identify these connections and track activity. With this feature in SQL Server enabled by Azure Arc, the agent is able to capture this information, providing visibility into which clients are connecting to your SQL Server instances. The system automatically polls the DMV at hourly intervals and aggregates these connections for you, enabling more informed decision-making and streamlined operations. How does it work? With this new feature: Hourly Data Collection: The monitoring agent collects client connection data at hourly intervals using the sys.dm_exec_sessions dynamic view. 30-Day Data Storage: The data is stored in telemetry for 30 days. This allows for extended analysis. Data Summarization: The unique client connections are summarized over a time period of your choice within the past 30 days. How to Use the Client Connection Summary Using this feature is simple. Follow these steps: Step 1: Enable the Client Connection Feature Navigate to the Azure portal and select your SQL Server enabled by Azure Arc instance. Under the "Monitoring" tab, navigate to the SQL Server Connections view. Ensure that the feature is enabled. If it is not, click the button to enable data collection. This initiates the task for collecting data at hourly intervals. Step 2: Access the Client Connection Summary Once enabled, you will soon start seeing an overview of client connections. Step 3: Analyze the Data Filter for specific program name values of interest. You can also change the Time Range as required and examine the data to understand connection patterns. Call to Action We encourage you to use the Client Connection Summary feature of SQL Server enabled by Azure Arc. Here are a few steps to get started: Explore the Feature: Visit the Azure portal and enable client connection tracking on your SQL Server instances. Take some time to familiarize yourself with the view and the insights it provides. Join the Community: Share your experiences and insights with the Azure Arc community. Join our forums and participate in discussions to learn how others are leveraging this feature to optimize their server environments. Stay Informed: Keep up with the latest updates and best practices for SQL Server enabled by Azure Arc by following our blog and subscribing to our newsletter. We regularly share tips, tutorials, and success stories from our users. We are confident that the Client Connection summary will be a valuable addition to your SQL Server management toolkit. We look forward to your feedback and success stories as you begin to explore this new feature.SQL Server migration in Azure Arc – Generally Available
We’re excited to announce General Availability of the SQL Server migration in Azure Arc. This experience is designed to simplify and accelerate SQL Server migration journey to Azure SQL Managed Instance offering a unified, end-to-end workflow directly within the Azure portal. About the solution SQL Server migration in Azur Arc integrates existing Azure Database Migration Service capabilities into Azure Arc by enabling the entire end to end migration journey with the following capabilities: Continuous database migration assessments with Azure SQL target recommendations and cost estimates. Seamless provisioning of Azure SQL Managed Instance as destination target, also with an option of free instance evaluation. Option to choose between two built-in migration methods: real-time database replication using Distributed Availability Groups (powered by MI link feature), or log shipping via backup and restore (powered by Log Replay Service feature). Unified interface that eliminates the need to use multiple tools or to jump between various places in Azure portal. Microsoft Copilot is integrated to assist you at select points during the migration journey. Learn more about SQL Server Migration in Azure Arc. Benefits of the solution Traditionally, migrating SQL Server workloads to Azure required juggling between multiple tools, various places in portal, and some manual steps. This new experience changes that by: Providing a single pane of glass in the Azure portal for the entire migration journey. Reducing migration timelines from months to days. Offering a choice of two migration methods – real-time replication or log-shipping Enabling validation of target environments using read-only replicas before cutover for real-time replication. Automatically capturing application client connection data to simplify mapping between applications and databases. Optional failback from Azure SQL Managed Instancy with configured upgrade policy for SQL Server 2022 and SQL Server 2025 with external tooling. Providing intelligent step-by-step guidance with Microsoft Copilot at select points of the migration journey, helping you make informed decisions. Start Your Migration Journey Today In case your SQL Server is Arc enabled, you could proceed right away to Azure portal. If you need to enable it, then onboard your SQL Server to Azure Arc today. In the portal, navigate to Arc enabled SQL Server resource, and on the left-hand side select Migration, then Database Migration. This is where you will navigate to the new database migration experience. Shown below is illustrated experience of the database migration experience you are expected to see. From the main screen, you can navigate through each stage of the migration journey - starting with the database migration readiness assessment, followed by selecting or provisioning an Azure SQL Managed Instance as the target destination, choosing the appropriate migration method, monitoring progress, and performing the final cutover. By selecting the Azure SQL Benefits tab, you’ll gain insights into the advantages of Azure SQL - helping you make well-informed decisions about your migration. By selecting the Tutorials tab, you will access information helping you getting started with the solution. We've also integrated Microsoft Copilot at select points in the journey for any guidance and support you might need to ensure confident and informed decision-making. For next steps, click on the button below: Get started with SQL Server Migration in Azure Arc today. Feedback We love hearing from our customers! Any feedback or suggestions for the product group, use the following online form to let us know: Provide feedback to the product group We hope that you will enjoy our solution, and we look forward to your feedback as you embark on your migration journey to Azure.
Removing barriers to migrating databases to Azure with Striim’s Unlimited Database Migration program
Alok Pareek, co-founder and Executive Vice President of Product and Engineering at Striim Shireesh Thota, Corporate Vice President of Databases at Microsoft Every modernization strategy starts with data. It’s what enables advanced analytics and AI agents today, and prepares enterprises for what’s to come in the future. But before services like Microsoft Fabric, Azure AI Foundry, or Copilot can create that value, the underlying data needs to move into Microsoft’s cloud platforms. It’s within that first step, database migration, where the real complexity often lies. To simplify the process, Microsoft has expanded its investment in the Striim partnership. Striim continuously replicates data from existing databases into Azure in real time, enabling online migrations with zero downtime. Through this partnership, we have collaborated to enable modernization and migration into Azure at no additional cost to our customers. We’ve designed this Unlimited Database Migration program to accelerate adoption by making migrations easier to start, easier to scale, and easier to complete, all without disrupting business operations. Since launch, this joint program has already driven significant growth in customer adoption, indicating the demand for faster, more seamless modernization. And with Microsoft’s continued investment in this partnership, enterprises now have a proven, repeatable path to modernize their databases and prepare their data for the AI era. Watch or listen to our recent podcast episode (Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube) to learn more. Striim’s Unlimited Migration Program Striim’s Unlimited Database Migration Program was designed to make modernization as straightforward as possible for Microsoft customers. Through this initiative, enterprises gain unlimited Striim licenses to migrate as many databases as they need at no additional cost. Highlights and benefits of the program include: Zero-downtime, zero-data-loss migrations. Supported sources include SQL Server, MongoDB, Oracle, MySQL, PostgreSQL, and Sybase. Supported targets include Azure Database for MySQL, Azure Database for PostgreSQL, Azure Cosmos DB, and Azure SQL. Mission-critical, heterogeneous workloads supported. Applies for SQL, Oracle, NoSQL, OSS. Drives faster AI adoption. Once migrated, data is ready for analytics & AI. Access is streamlined through Microsoft’s Cloud Factory Accelerator team, which manages program enrollment and coordinates the distribution of licenses. Once onboarded, customers receive installation walkthroughs, an enablement kit, and direct support from Striim architects. Cutover support, hands-on labs, and escalation paths are all built in to help migrations run smoothly from start to finish. Enterprises can start migrations quickly, scale across business units, and keep projects moving without slowing down for procurement hurdles. Now, migrations can begin when the business is ready, not when budgets or contracts catch up. How Striim Powers Online Migrations Within Striim’s database migrations, schema changes and metadata evolution are automatically detected and applied, preserving data accuracy and referential integrity. As the migration progresses, Striim automatically coordinates both the initial bulk load of historical data and the ongoing synchronization of live transactions. This ongoing synchronization keeps source and target systems in sync for as long as needed to actively test the target applications with real data before doing the cutoff, thereby minimizing risk. However, the foundation of Striim’s approach is log-based Change Data Capture (CDC), which streams database changes in real time from source to target with sub-second latency. This helps migrations avoid just moving the static snapshot of a database. Rather, they continuously replicate every update as it happens, so both environments remain aligned with minimal impact on operational systems throughout the process. While the snapshot (initial load) is being applied to the target system, Striim captures all the changes that occur. Once the initial load process is complete, Striim applies the changes using CDC, and from this point on, the source and target systems are in sync. This eliminates the need for shutting down the source system during the initial load process and enables customers to complete their migrations without any downtime of the source database. Striim is also designed to work across hybrid and multi-cloud architectures. It can seamlessly move workloads from on-premises databases, SaaS applications, or other clouds into Microsoft databases. By maintaining exactly-once delivery and ensuring downstream systems stay in sync, Striim can reduce risk and accelerates the path to modernization. Striim is available in the Azure Marketplace, giving customers a native, supported way to integrate it directly into their Azure environment. This means migrations can be deployed quickly, governed centrally, and scaled as business needs evolve, all while still aligning with Azure’s security and compliance standards. From Migration to Value With workloads fully landed in Azure, enterprises can immediately take advantage of the broader Microsoft data ecosystem. Fabric, Azure AI Foundry, and Copilot become available as extensions of the database foundation, allowing teams to analyze, visualize, and enrich data without delay. Enterprises can begin adopting Microsoft AI services with data that is current, trusted, and governed. Instead of treating migration as an isolated project, customers gain an integrated pathway to analytics and AI, creating value as soon as databases go live in Azure. How Enterprises Are Using the Program Today Across industries, we’re already seeing how this program changes the way enterprises approach modernization. Financial Services Moving from Oracle to Azure SQL, one global bank used Striim to keep systems in sync throughout the migration. With transactions flowing in real time, they stood up a modern fraud detection pipeline on Azure that identifies risks as they happen. Logistics For a logistics provider, shifting package-tracking data from MongoDB to Azure Cosmos DB meant customers could monitor shipments in real time. Striim’s continuous replication kept data consistent throughout the cutover, so the company didn’t have to trade accuracy for speed. Healthcare A provider modernizing electronic medical records from Sybase to Azure SQL relied on Striim to ensure clinicians never lost access. With data now in Azure, they can meet compliance requirements while building analytics that improve patient care. Technology InfoCert, a leading provider of digital trust services specializing in secure digital identity solutions, opted to migrate its critical Legalmail Enterprise application from Oracle to Azure Database for PostgreSQL. Using Striim and Microsoft, they successfully migrated 2 TB of data across 12 databases and completed the project within a six-month timeframe, lowering licensing costs, enhancing scalability, and improving security. What unites these stories is a common thread: once data is in Azure, it becomes part of a foundation that’s ready for analytics and AI. Accelerate Your Path to Azure Now, instead of database migration being the bottleneck for modernization, it’s the starting point for what comes next. With the Unlimited Database Migration Program, Microsoft and Striim have created a path that removes friction and clears the way for innovation. Most customers can simply reach out to their Microsoft account team or seller to begin the process. Your Microsoft representative will validate that your migration scenario is supported by Striim, and Striim will allocate the licenses, provide installation guidance, and deliver ongoing support. If you’re unsure who your Microsoft contact is, you can connect directly with Striim, and we’ll coordinate with Microsoft on your behalf. There’s no lengthy procurement cycle or complex setup to navigate. With Microsoft and Striim jointly coordinating the program, enterprises can begin migrations as soon as they’re ready, with confidence that support is in place from start to finish. Simplify your migration and move forward with confidence. Talk to your Microsoft representative or book a call with Striim team today to take advantage of the Unlimited Database Migration Program and start realizing the value of Azure sooner. Or if you’re attending Microsoft Ignite, visit Striim at booth 6244 to learn more, ask questions, and see how Striim and Microsoft can help accelerate your modernization journey together.
General Availability - DMS's PowerShell, Azure CLI, and Python SDK
We’re excited to announce the General Availability (GA) of DMS client tools - PowerShell, Azure CLI, Python SDK and more. This milestone unlocks efficient, stable, and scalable automation options for database migration workflows—making it easier than ever to integrate DMS into your DevOps pipelines and enterprise migration strategies. 💡Introduction: With the general availability of DMS client tools - PowerShell, Azure CLI, Python SDK, users can now use stable release of: PowerShell module 1.0.0 (https://www.powershellgallery.com/packages/Az.DataMigration/1.0.0) Azure CLI extension 1.0.0 (https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/cli/azure/datamigration?view=azure-cli-latest) DMS V2 APIs (version 2025-06-30) SDKs for multiple languages (listed below) SDKs Releases: Language GA Package / Link .Net https://www.nuget.org/packages/Azure.ResourceManager.DataMigration/1.0.0 Java https://central.sonatype.com/artifact/com.azure.resourcemanager/azure-resourcemanager-datamigration/1.1.0 Go https://pkg.go.dev/github.com/Azure/azure-sdk-for-go/sdk/resourcemanager/datamigration/armdatamigration/v2 Python azure-mgmt-datamigration · PyPI JavaScript https://www.npmjs.com/package/@azure/arm-datamigration/v/3.0.0 🔧 What’s New? Three new commands have been introduced in the latest releases of the SDK, PowerShell module, and CLI extension, as outlined below: New CLI Commands: az datamigration sql-db retry - Retry the failed SQL DB migrations. az datamigration sql-managed-instance delete - Delete Azure SQL MI’s Database Migration resource. az datamigration sql-vm delete - Delete Azure SQL VM’s Database Migration resource. New PowerShell Commands: Invoke-AzDataMigrationRetryToSqlDb - Retry the failed SQL DB migrations. Remove-AzDataMigrationToSqlManagedInstance - Delete Azure SQL MI’s Database Migration resource. Remove-AzDataMigrationToSqlVM - Delete Azure SQL VM’s Database Migration resource. 🚀Conclusion: With this GA / stable release, users can now: Use them to configure and execute migrations with full control. Automate migrations: DevOps teams can embed migration steps into CI/CD pipelines. Integrate into custom applications and orchestration tools. These support all the DMS migration scenarios—from simple lift-and-shift operations to complex logical migrations—while ensuring stability, and repeatability. For more details, refer: Documentation: Migrate databases at scale using Azure PowerShell / CLI PowerShell: Az.DataMigration Module Azure CLI: az datamigration Python SDK: azure-mgmt-datamigration · PyPI
