Enterprises are modernizing their IT infrastructure with managed cloud services to boost reliability, security, and cost-effectiveness. Cloud SQL for SQL Server, a fully managed database offering native SQL Server features as well as  AI-powered Google Cloud innovations, is a popular choice for such modernization projects. So today, we are excited to announce that SQL Server migrations from on-premises and other clouds to Cloud SQL for SQL Server are now generally available as part of Database Migration Service (DMS).

Database migrations are often challenging and require scarce expertise. Since we announced SQL Server migrations in Database Migration Service in April, we have received positive feedback from customers who have leveraged Database Migration Service to migrate their SQL Server workloads to Cloud SQL for SQL Server. Database Migration Service uses continuous native backup and restore technologies to minimize the complexity associated with database migrations, providing high fidelity while minimizing downtime, so your critical SQL Server databases can remain operational during the migration process.

Database Migration Service’s unique approach brings the following benefits to your SQL Server database migrations:

• Minimal downtime and system overhead: Leverage continuous native backup and restore technology to keep your source databases running while the migration progresses.

• Serverless simplicity: Eliminate the need to manage infrastructure, allowing your teams to focus on strategic initiatives.

• Security at the forefront: Support for encrypted SQL Server backups ensures robust protection throughout the migration.

• No additional charge: Available at no extra cost, making cloud migration even more accessible.

For gaming company Plarium Global Ltd, Database Migration Service’s SQL Server migration capabilities have helped it easily migrate to Google Cloud. 

“We needed a migration solution for our large, active SQL Server instances that prioritized business continuity and ease of use. DMS was the answer, enabling high-speed, low-downtime migrations with an intuitive interface that simplified advanced configurations such as combining different backup types for improved migration performance. It was the perfect fit for our needs.” - Omer Niv, CTO, Plarium

Getting started with Database Migration Service

Here’s how to start migrating your SQL Server workloads today using Database Migration Service:

1. Navigate to the Database Migration area of the Google Cloud console, under Databases, and create a Connection Profile pointing to a Cloud Storage bucket to which your SQL Server backup files will be uploaded.

2. Similarly, create another Connection Profile pointing to your chosen Cloud SQL for SQL Server instance. 

3. Create a migration job to connect both connection profiles and choose which databases you’d like to migrate.

4. Test your migration job and make sure the test was successful as displayed below. Then start the job whenever you're ready.

5. Upload a full backup and continuously upload transaction log backups for each database to the Cloud Storage bucket at your desired frequency.

6. Once the full backups have been restored, the migration phase changes from “Initial Load” to “Incremental Load”. Database Migration Service keeps looking for new transaction log backup files and continuously restores them.

7. Monitor the progress of your migration jobs using the built-in metrics and logs to assess the right moment to complete the migration.

8. When ready to complete the migration, click “Promote” for Database Migration Service to recover the databases, making them available and completing the migration.

That’s it! Your new Cloud SQL for SQL Server database is ready to go.

Start your SQL Server migration today

With Database Migration Service’s simplicity, security, and minimal downtime capabilities, get ready to modernize your SQL Server database infrastructure and unlock the full potential of the cloud. To learn more, check out Database Migration Service.