Why It’s Time to Migrate from System.Data.SqlClient to Microsoft.Data.SqlClient
Are you still using System.Data.SqlClient in your .NET applications? If so, it’s time to plan your move to Microsoft.Data.SqlClient — the official, modern SQL Server driver designed for today’s platforms and tomorrow’s innovations. We get it: you’ve got legacy projects, tight deadlines, and a long list of reasons not to touch something that already “just works.” But let us show you why switching to Microsoft.Data.SqlClient is worth it - and how we’re trying to make that easier. The Quick TL;DR Microsoft.Data.SqlClient is the only actively developed SQL driver for .NET from Microsoft. System.Data.SqlClient (SDS in .NET Framework) is in maintenance mode and will not receive future feature updates. System.Data.SqlClient (SDS NuGet package from .NET Core) will be deprecated with .NET 9 and will not support .NET 10 moving forward. Announcement: System.Data.SqlClient package is now deprecated | Microsoft Community Hub Microsoft.Data.SqlClient unlocks new capabilities — including AI features like vector search, enhanced performance, secure by default, and cross-platform support. We’re asking System.Data.SqlClient users to take a short survey: https://aka.ms/sds-to-mds-survey to help us understand what’s blocking migration and how we can help. Why Migrate? 1. Security First Security is a top priority for most organizations — and Microsoft.Data.SqlClient was built with that in mind. Features like TLS encryption enabled by default ensure your connections are more secure from day one, helping meet compliance and internal audit standards with less configuration. By contrast, System.Data.SqlClient leaves many of these safeguards to the developer — increasing the risk of misconfigurations in production. 2. Performance Improvements With each release, Microsoft.Data.SqlClient introduces targeted optimizations that benefit real-world workloads. In internal benchmarks, we’ve seen performance improvements for high-throughput, concurrent workloads. If your systems process high volumes of queries, switching to Microsoft.Data.SqlClient could deliver immediate value — with zero SQL refactoring required. 3. AI-Ready (Vector Support) With the rise of AI and semantic search, SQL Server is adding support for vector-based queries (.NET/C# Native Vector Search Samples) — and Microsoft.Data.SqlClient is your path to integrating those features into .NET applications. This is more than a new capability — it's a shift in how modern apps handle intelligent data retrieval. System.Data.SqlClient does not support these features and will not be updated to do so. 4. Cross-Platform & Cloud-Native Ready Microsoft.Data.SqlClient was designed to work seamlessly across Windows, Linux, macOS, and containers — unlocking true portability for your .NET applications. Whether you're migrating to .NET 6+, containerizing workloads, or deploying cross-platform services, Microsoft.Data.SqlClient is built to support your modern architecture. 5. Reduced Maintenance & Operational Risk System.Data.SqlClient is no longer receiving active development. Using it in production today means: Increasing risk of encountering unresolved bugs and security vulnerabilities Missing out on new SQL Server feature support Dealing with outdated NuGet metadata and sparse documentation Longer support and onboarding time for new engineers unfamiliar with legacy patterns By contrast, Microsoft.Data.SqlClient has a dedicated roadmap, documentation, and community, with consistent investments from Microsoft engineering. Are you still using System.Data.SqlClient? We’ve asked ourselves the same question — and now we want to ask you directly. We’re asking System.Data.SqlClient users to take a short survey: https://aka.ms/sds-to-mds-survey to help us understand what’s blocking migration and how we can help. Help us understand what’s holding you back from migrating. Your feedback will directly inform our documentation, tooling, and product roadmap. The survey takes less than 5 minutes and is intended for developers, architects, and tech leads. Have you already migrated? - Tell us what helped, what was painful, and what would’ve saved you time. We want to make it easier for the next team. How to migrate? Add the NuGet package to your project, then update your references and using statements. Our porting cheat sheet provides a step-by-step set of changes you may need to make. Update your project references: Replace references to System.Data.SqlClient with Microsoft.Data.SqlClient. Modify your using statements: Update your using statements in your code files from System.Data.SqlClient to Microsoft.Data.SqlClient. Test your application: Thoroughly test your application to ensure that it works as expected after the migration. We also plan to support semi-automatic migration via .NET Upgrade Assistant. Resources Frequently Asked Questions - dotnet/SqlClient Wiki - GitHub Introduction to Microsoft.Data.SqlClient namespace SQL Server and ADO.NET (Microsoft.Data.SqlClient) Microsoft.Data.SqlClient API Browser Let’s move forward together. The Microsoft SQL Drivers TeamODBC Driver 18.5 for SQL Server Released
Version 18.5 of the Microsoft ODBC Driver 18 for SQL Server has been released. Version 18.5 brings some minor changes and fixes to the driver. Added Expose the Packet Size as a connection string option Some authentication options leverage a new DLL, mssql-auth.dll, now included with the driver installation Added support for 3 new languages Czech, Polish, and Turkish Modify the installer to install both features (Core and SDK) by default. This addresses installation issues when the driver is installed by another product that redistributes the driver, installing all features, after the driver has already been installed without all features. Fixed Fix connection recovery to obtain the active primary node when a server moves Fix crashes under low-memory conditions Fix some error messages Next steps For Windows installations, you can directly download the Microsoft ODBC Driver 18 for SQL Server. Linux and macOS packages are also available. For installation details see the online instructions. David EngelJDBC Driver 12.10 for SQL Server Released
Version 12.10 of the Microsoft JDBC Driver for SQL Server has been released. Version 12.10.0 brings several added features, changes, and fixed issues over the previous production release. Added Added provision to set SQLServerBulkCopy options in PreparedStatement Changed Changed the scope of BULK_COPY_OPERATION_CACHE to connection Added "requireSecret" exclude tag for tests which require adding a secret to app registration Added com.ibm.security.auth.module and com.sun.security.auth.module as option import Updated driver dependency versions Fixed issues 10 bug fixes detailed in the release notes Getting the latest release The latest bits are available to download from Microsoft, from the GitHub repository, and via Maven Central. Add the JDBC 12.10 RTW driver to your Maven project by adding the following code to your POM file to include it as a dependency in your project (choose .jre8 for Java 8/1.8 or .jre11 for Java 11 and up). <dependency> <groupId>com.microsoft.sqlserver</groupId> <artifactId>mssql-jdbc</artifactId> <version>12.10.0.jre11</version> </dependency> Help us improve the JDBC Driver by filing issues on GitHub or contributing to the project. David EngelIntroducing mssql-python alpha
We’re thrilled to announce the alpha release of our new open-source Python driver for Microsoft SQL Server and the Azure SQL family, now available on GitHub: mssql-python. Built from the ground up, this driver offers Python developers a robust, efficient, and fully open-source solution for connecting to SQL Server and Azure SQL. Whether you're building data-driven applications, automating workflows, or leveraging advanced analytics, mssql-python is designed to provide a seamless and high-performance experience. This is just the beginning—we’re excited to build this driver together with the community and would love your feedback! Documentation | Release Notes | Roadmap Join us in shaping the future of Python connectivity with SQL Server! Key Features Supported Platforms: Windows only (macOS and Linux support is coming soon) Support for Microsoft Entra ID Authentication Fully compliant with the DB API 2.0 specification. Key aspects include: Connection Objects: Establishing and managing connections to the database. Cursor Objects: Executing SQL commands and retrieving results. Transaction Management: Supporting commit and rollback operations to ensure data integrity. Error Handling: Providing a consistent set of exceptions for handling database errors. Parameter Substitution: Allowing the use of placeholders in SQL queries to prevent SQL injection attacks. What's Next? We’re committed to continuously enhancing the mssql-python driver and value feedback from the community. Here's what the team is working on next: Cross-Platform Support: MacOS and Linux Distributions We are committed to providing cross-platform support for our Python driver. In the next few months, we will release versions compatible with MacOS and various Linux distributions. Support for macOS (Issue #11) Support for major Linux distributions (Issue #10) Asynchronous Query Execution Execute queries without blocking the main thread, perfect for applications requiring high concurrency and low latency. True async query execution (Issue #9) Connection Pooling Improve performance by reusing existing connections rather than establishing new ones for every query. Async built-in connection pool (Issue #8) Try It and Share Your Feedback! As this is an alpha release, your feedback is crucial. We invite you to: Try it out: Check-out the mssql-python driver and integrate it into your projects. Share your thoughts: Open issues, suggest features, and contribute to the project. Join the conversation: GitHub Discussions | SQL Server Tech Community. We look forward to your feedback and collaboration!
