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Come to SQL: SQL Server Migration Assistant Updated

Microsoft offers new SQL Server migration tools for MySQL and updated tools for Access, Oracle and Sybase.

• By Kurt Mackie
• September 01, 2010

Microsoft updated some of its free tools to help users move to Microsoft SQL Server and released a new Oracle MySQL migration tool.

The new SQL Server Migration Assistant for MySQL v1.0 tool, a free download, purportedly facilitates moving files from the open source MySQL relational database management system (RDBMS) through version 4.1. The tool is designed to help with migrations to Microsoft SQL Server 2005, SQL Server 2008, SQL Server 2008 R2 or SQL Azure, the Microsoft database in the cloud.

The new tool converts or migrates MySQL control statements, cursors, Data Manipulation Language (DML) statements, stored functions, stored procedures, tables, transactions, triggers and views, according to the Microsoft announcement.

At the same time in mid-August, Microsoft updated its SQL Server Migration Assistant for Access tool by releasing version 4.2, which is also available for download at no cost. This tool helps users migrate from Microsoft Access (97 and later versions) to SQL Server 2005, SQL Server 2008, SQL Server 2008 R2 or SQL Azure.

This last part -- migrating to the Microsoft cloud-based SQL Azure -- is a new feature in this Access migration tool. Microsoft is claiming that Access users can continue to use their existing applications built on Access while tapping into SQL Azure, which offers far greater capacity and scale-up potential.

"You can also link Access tables to SQL Server tables so that you can continue to use your existing Access front-end applications with SQL Server or SQL Azure," Microsoft explains in its overview release note for the tool.

A Microsoft blog explains that "Access 2010 can connect transparently to SQL Azure data, opening up opportunities for Access users and technology providers to create rich experiences (using the familiar Access application environment they already use) while leveraging the benefits of the cloud on a 'pay as you grow' elastic basis."

For those wanting to move off Oracle 7.3 (or later), Microsoft rolled out a new release of its SQL Server Migration Assistant for Oracle. The new version 4.2 of this tool (free download as well) helps with Migrations to SQL Server 2005, SQL Server 2008 or SQL Server 2008 R2. Apparently, there's no SQL Azure migration with this tool.

Finally, Microsoft released SQL Server Migration Assistant for Sybase v4.2, which is also free.