New Azure Arc Tool Speeds Up SQL Server Migration with Less Downtime

Microsoft has rolled out a new streamlined migration experience to help Azure Arc customers simplify and speed up SQL Server migrations. This capability, which is available in preview, is powered by Azure Database Migration Service.

According to Microsoft, this new experience introduces end-to-end migration capabilities in SQL Server enabled by Azure Arc. These include simplified provisioning, continuous migration assessments, and real-time database replication.

“Once you’ve assessed the Azure readiness of your SQL Server instances, you can now select or provision your Azure targets such as Azure SQL Managed Instance, without jumping between various tools or places in the Azure portal. This streamlined workflow eliminates context switching and simplifies provisioning,” explained Debbi Lyons, Director, Product Marketing, Azure Databases.

Two flexible migration methods to choose from

This new migration experience offers two methods. The Azure SQL Managed Instance link enables near real-time database replication using distributed availability groups, with seamless failback support for SQL Server 2022 and later. It’s also compatible with SQL Server 2016 and above on any supported Windows Server edition.

Meanwhile, the Log Replay Service uses SQL Server’s log-shipping technology and requires only a brief, planned cutover. It supports SQL Server 2008 and later on any supported edition of Windows Server.

Microsoft noted that IT admins can validate the target Azure instance as a read-only replica before the final cutover. They can also access a client connection summary to see which clients are connected to each instance. This process eliminates the need for manual tracing of application connections.

Overall, this new connected experience is designed to speed up the migration process with less downtime, lower overhead, and more confidence. You can learn more about the migration experience in Azure Arc on this support page.