There are several reasons why organizations in the present business environment want to opt for Oracle to SQL Server migration. This is not to doubt the efficiency of the Oracle database. It is the high licensing costs that bother companies as profitability is a major concern for all. This is more evident when there is a need to upgrade and modernize existing IT infrastructure as the licensing costs of the additional database software can be quite high.
Further, though most businesses are still using the traditional on-premises databases, there is always a need for more computing power and higher storage repositories as data usage grows exponentially, adding to the costs of data. Hence, the most optimized way to get around this problem is database Oracle to SQL Server migration, either on-premises or to the cloud (Microsoft Azure).
Benefits of Oracle to SQL Server Migration
There are several advantages of migrating databases from Oracle to Microsoft SQL Server.
- The license cost of Oracle is significantly higher than that of SQL Server. On the other hand, costs can be kept under control for SQL Server through database consolidation, compression of data, and virtualizing servers. Also, SQL Server is easier to handle and user-friendly and does not need DBAs for regular operations, further reducing recurring costs of operation.
- SQL Server offers high data safety and security through a network of impenetrable, complex, and encrypted algorithms.
- SQL Server does not require command-line configuration. It can be easily installed with a Setup wizard with updates being downloaded automatically.
- SQL Server has built-in and transparent data compression that enhances database performance. Sensitive data too is protected with tools for permission management and strict monitoring of user access.
- A very critical reason for organizations to prefer Oracle to SQL Server migration is that SQL Server offers several editions to match user profiles. The Enterprise SQL Server edition is mainly for large organizations whereas the Standard SQL Server edition is ideal for mid-sized businesses. The Express SQL Server edition has fewer features but is free. The Developer SQL Server edition, somewhat similar to the Enterprise SQL edition is mainly meant for developers who want to test their applications on the SQL Server.
- Advanced cutting-edge capabilities enable SQL Server to recover and restore lost and damaged data that get back complete databases if required. The main module of the SQL Server database engine helps in data storage and running queries of users including indexes, files, and transactions. The advantage is that in SQL Server, log records are entered on the disk even before a transaction commit. If an operating system, database engine instance, or server hardware fails, transaction logs are used by the instance after the restart to roll back incomplete and cut-off transactions to the point where the crash occurred.
- The security levels and benchmark of SQL Server are very high and are one of the key reasons for Oracle to SQL Server migration. Several complex encrypted algorithms and security features provide robust safety layers, making the SQL Server immune to any external attacks or hacking.
- Running and maintenance costs of SQL Server is significantly less than Oracle database with data mining and partitioning being among the more affordable features. The tools meant for data storage and data maintenance are also more cost-effective than the Oracle database.
These are some of the benefits of the SQL Server that make Oracle to SQL Server migration an economically viable option.
Challenges Faced in Oracle to SQL Server Migration
Even though the cutting-edge features of SQL Server suggest a smooth Oracle to SQL Server migration, it is not entirely so and there are several challenges to be faced during and after the process that DBAs have to be particularly vigilant about.
- Before migration, verify the database volume, key metrics, and frequency of peak workloads. Implement a mechanism such as the SQL Server Distributed Replay feature that replays the workload on the load harness. This tracks the pressure created on the CPU, IO Operations, Memory, and network traffic. After migration, check the performance of the database.
- Although an index appears to be another object in the source database, there is a wide difference in how it is placed in the Oracle database and the SQL Server. Design an optimized indexing strategy by evaluating the logical layout of the tables and the links to focus better on the use cases and the business needs.
- An important aspect of Oracle to SQL Server migration is optimizing licensing costs. Generally, the SQL Server Standard edition is enough for migration, but sometimes the features of the Enterprise edition like availability, manageability, workload performance evaluation, and security might be required.
- Users have a choice of conversion from Oracle to SQL Server. Either each schema can be migrated to a unique database or a single database can be converted with multiple schemas. Attention should be given to the security aspect too for isolating schemas.
- The QA team has to test, review, and verify the converted code from Oracle to SQL Server to make sure the data format is compatible with that used in the organization.
After completion of Oracle to SQL Server migration, check that data type differences and mismatches are not present. Also, verify that the numeric and date/time values are not stored in dissimilar precision and scale.