Database conversion from MySQL to SQL Server implies migrating data and schema from a MySQL database to a SQL Server database. This process typically includes transferring tables, views, stored procedures, and other database objects while ensuring data integrity and compatibility with the target SQL Server environment.
This article explains the fundamental differences between MySQL and SQL Server and outlines potential issues that might occur during the migration process. The article also provides a step-by-step guide to migrate data from a MySQL table to SQL Server using ODBC driver for MySQL and Data Pump for SQL Server.
You may also find the following articles useful to explore how to transfer data between different servers.
- How to convert a Microsoft Access database to a SQL Server database
- How to migrate data from Oracle to MySQL: step-by-step guide
- How to convert MySQL data to PostgreSQL
- How to easily convert your MS Access data to MySQL
- How to migrate from MySQL to Oracle: a comprehensive guide
- Migrating data from Oracle to PostgreSQL
- Automating bulk data import from MS Access to SQL Server
Contents
- MySQL vs. SQL Server: understanding the key distinctions
- Key issues in the MySQL-to-MS SQL migration process
- Prerequisites
- Introduction to ODBC drivers
- Install and configure ODBC driver for MySQL
- Overview of Data Pump for SQL Server
- Convert your data from MySQL to SQL Server effortlessly
MySQL vs. SQL Server: Understanding the key distinctions
MySQL and SQL Server are popular relational database management systems, and it’s important to understand their differences because knowing the distinctions helps anticipate and address compatibility issues during the migration process.
MySQL is an open-source, simple, and scalable database for managing and organizing data. Though it is free, users can get premium support services through a commercial license. MySQL runs on most operating systems, including Linux, Windows, and macOS.
On the other hand, SQL Server is a commercial product with multiple editions having advanced features for efficient storage, management, and data retrieval. Designed primarily for Windows, the product is well-known for its scalability, security, and integration with other Microsoft products.
Key issues in the MySQL-to-MS SQL migration process
Migrating data from MySQL to SQL Server may be a complex process, so you should keep in mind some challenges that might appear, including compatibility issues, data integrity concerns, and performance implications.
- Compatibility: Remember about syntax variations, data type differences, and supported features between MySQL and SQL Server to identify potential compatibility issues.
- Data Integrity: Review and adjust foreign key constraints, data types, and sequence of data migration. Ensure dependencies are appropriately maintained.
- Performance Optimization: Evaluate and optimize indexes and queries for the target database. Examine the current MySQL database to identify what should be improved and then implement suitable strategies within the SQL Server environment.
Prerequisites
For data conversion, we’ll download and install the following tools:
- Data Pump for SQL Server, a robust tool for easy and quick data export and import between different servers and instances.
- Devart ODBC Driver for MySQL, a reliable and easy-to-use tool to access MySQL databases from ODBC-compatible tools on 32-bit and 64-bit Windows, macOS, and Linux. In addition, the ODBC driver for MySQL allows you to access live MySQL data directly from SQL Server Management Studio.
Introduction to ODBC drivers
Before we start, let’s find out what ODBC drivers are what their role in data conversion is.
ODBC (Open Database Connectivity) drivers serve as a bridge between a source and a target database, establishing a connection to transfer data between them. The Devart ODBC drivers support a wide range of databases, including Oracle, MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQL Server, and SQLite.
ODBC drivers help migration tools access data, send SQL queries to the source database, retrieve the results, and then insert or update the data with the mapped data types in the target database.
Install and configure ODBC driver for MySQL
For data conversion from a MySQL database to a SQL Server database, first, download the ODBC Driver for MySQL on the computer where you want to perform data migration.
Once done, go to the Downloads folder and double-click the DevartODBCMySQL.exe setup file to install the driver on your computer. In the Setup wizard, go through all the installation steps and click Finish to close the wizard.
Next, you must set up a data source name (DSN) for the ODBC driver. To do this, open the ODBC Data Source Administrator utility by typing ODBC Data Sources in the search bar. Select the 32-bit or 64-bit version of the ODBC Data Source Administrator utility, depending on your machine.
In the ODBC Data Source Administrator window, you can create a User DSN, which means the DSN will be accessible to the user who created it in the system, or a System DSN, meaning the DSN will be accessible to anyone logged in.
To proceed, on the User DSN or System DSN tab, click Add to create a new data source. In the dialog that opens, select Devart ODBC Driver for MySQL and click Finish.
This will open the Devart ODBC Driver for MySQL Configuration dialog, where you need to specify the required details, including the data source name, MySQL server, username, password, and target database. The default port number is 3306. You can change it in the corresponding field. Note that the data source name you specify will subsequently appear in the list of data source names in dbForge Data Pump for SQL Server.
If you click Test Connection, you can verify that the connection has been properly configured. If the configuration is correct, the notification window will appear. Click OK to close it. To save the DSN settings, click OK.
The driver you’ve installed will appear on the corresponding DSN tab. Click OK to save the changes and close the dialog.
Overview of Data Pump for SQL Server
For data migration from MySQL to SQL Server, we’ll use dbForge Data Pump for SQL Server, which is a part of the SQL Tools pack. Data Pump is a SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) add-in aimed to facilitate data migration from third-party databases to SQL Server. The tool also supports data import/export in popular data formats, including Excel, CSV, XML, JSON, Text, MS Access, etc. Data Pump allows saving templates for repetitive export scenarios or automating and scheduling export tasks using the command line.
Convert your data from MySQL to SQL Server effortlessly
Everything has been prepared, so that we can start with data conversion from MySQL to SQL Server.
First, let’s see the data we want to transfer from a MySQL table to a SQL server table.
Now, open SSMS, and in Object Explorer, right-click the required database and select Data Pump > Import Data to open the Data Import wizard.
On the Source file page of the wizard, select the ODBC source file format and click Next.
On the ODBC options page, specify the configured ODBC data provider options for imported data:
- Under Data source specification, select ODBC Driver for MySQL from the Use system or user data source name dropdown list.
- Under Login information, enter the username and password to the MySQL server to which the ODBC driver is connected.
- Click Test Connection to verify that the connection has been successfully established. Then, click OK to close the pop-up window.
On the Destination page, select a target table for data import:
- Under Source, you can view all the tables located on the sakila database of the connected MySQL server.
- Under Target, you can view the preselected SQL Server connection, a database, a schema, and a table to which the data can be imported.
In our example, we select sakila.customer as a source table and import its data into a new table with the same name on the target server. You could also import data into an existing table.
Switch to the Mapping page, where you can see the columns with the assigned data types in the upper grid and the preview mode in the lower grid. You can also change the data type for the selected column by clicking Edit on the toolbar.
To proceed, click Next. The Modes page displays the import modes. Only Append mode becomes available if you migrate data to a new table. However, if you transfer data into an existing table – all modes will be available, allowing you to choose the most suitable option based on your specific requirements.
On the Output page, the Import data directly to the database option is selected by default, and we leave it as is. You can also save the file for further use or open it in the internal editor to make changes.
Finally, specify the error processing behavior and logging options and click Import.
When the data import process has been finished, you will see the following result:
Click Finish to close the wizard.
Let’s now refresh Object Explorer to check that the data from the MySQL table has been imported to the SQL table. Then, in Object Explorer, expand the sakila database and retrieve data from the imported dbo.sakila.customer table.
Great! The MySQL table data has been successfully transferred to the SQL Server table.
Conclusion
In the article, we have covered the fundamentals of the data conversion process between MySQL and SQL Server. We have also delved into the main differences between these databases, explored potential issues that might happen during data migration, and provided a detailed, step-by-step guide for efficiently transferring data from a MySQL table to a SQL Server table. The Devart ODBC Driver for MySQL and Data Pump for SQL Server for data migration ensure a quick, easy, and efficient data migration experience.
Gain access to a 30-day free trial of the SQL Tools pack to experience the full range of powerful tools, including dbForge Data Pump for SQL Server.
