Modernizing SQL Server 2014 to Open-Source Databases On-premises or in the Cloud

SQL Server 2014 is reaching end of support (EOS), and organizations are exploring potential solutions for handling this situation. One approach for upgrading SQL Server 2014 is by modernizing your databases to an open-source database.

 
SQL Server 2014 EOS provides an excellent opportunity to reevaluate whether SQL Server is the best data platform for your workloads. Some organizations look at open-source database options, such as MySQL or PostgreSQL, as a way to eliminate the costly licensing fees they pay with SQL Server. If you opt for these database engines in the cloud, you may also be able to replicate features such as high availability and disaster recovery without paying for commercial database licenses.

Moving to a new database engine requires the biggest resource investment of any of your SQL Server 2014 EOL options. The refactoring process requires re-architecting the database, and possibly the applications, which is more involved than a homogenous database migration.

In addition to running open-source databases on-premises, you have the following options available in the cloud:

AWS

• Amazon RDS for MySQL
• Amazon RDS for MariaDB
• Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL
• Amazon Aurora MySQL
• Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL

Azure

• Azure Database for PostgreSQL
• Azure Database for MySQL
• Azure Cosmos DB (supporting PostgreSQL, MongoDB, Cassandra)

 
Azure and AWS have schema conversion and database migration tools that can automate part of the process, as well as flagging areas that require manual refactoring. Additionally, Amazon Aurora offers Babelfish, a translation layer for PostgreSQL to understand T-SQL.

Migrating from SQL Server 2014 to open-source databases, whether on-premises or in the cloud, can provide substantial benefits in terms of cost savings, scalability, and flexibility. While the transition requires a significant investment of resources and careful planning, the long-term advantages can make it a worthwhile endeavor. Get more tips in “Planning Your SQL Server 2014 Retirement Party” to learn about other options for SQL Server 2014 end of support.