Sybase to SQL Server Migration
Move SAP Sybase ASE and SQL Anywhere databases to Microsoft SQL Server or Azure SQL, with converted code, validated data and a rehearsed cut-over.
Why move from Sybase to SQL Server
SAP Adaptive Server Enterprise (ASE), formerly Sybase, and Microsoft SQL Server share the same origins, and both use Transact-SQL. That shared heritage makes SQL Server the most natural destination for Sybase estates, and many organisations already run SQL Server elsewhere, with the skills in-house to support it.
- Consolidation: one database platform, one set of skills and tools.
- Skills: SQL Server administrators and developers are far easier to find than Sybase specialists.
- Cloud: a clear route to Azure SQL Managed Instance or SQL Server on Azure, AWS or on premises.
- Roadmap certainty: move before end-of-support dates for your Sybase version force a rushed project.
What changes when you move
Because both dialects are Transact-SQL, much of the code carries over. Microsoft’s SQL Server Migration Assistant (SSMA) for SAP ASE automates a large share of the schema and code conversion; the remaining differences need engineering judgement:
| Sybase ASE | SQL Server | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| unichar, univarchar, unitext | nchar, nvarchar, nvarchar(max) | Unicode types mapped to SQL Server equivalents. |
| text, image | varchar(max), varbinary(max) | Deprecated large-object types are replaced as data moves. |
| datetime, bigdatetime | datetime2 | Mapped to preserve precision. |
| Legacy *= and =* outer joins | ANSI LEFT / RIGHT JOIN | Not supported in SQL Server, so affected queries are rewritten. |
| Chained transaction mode | Implicit transactions or explicit BEGIN TRAN | Procedures that depend on chained mode are reviewed. |
| Locking schemes (allpages, datarows) | Row-level locking and isolation levels | Concurrency is tested under realistic load. |
| Open Client / CT-Library applications | ODBC, OLE DB, ADO.NET or JDBC drivers | Connection code and drivers are updated and tested. |
| Replication Server | Transactional replication or Always On availability groups | Replication and high-availability designs are rebuilt on SQL Server features. |
Sybase SQL Anywhere
SQL Anywhere is often embedded in field, remote and mobile applications. ONQU can support SQL Anywhere as it runs today, or convert and migrate it to SQL Server or another platform as part of the same programme.
How ONQU delivers a Sybase migration
- Discovery Audit. We inventory databases, schemas, stored code, interfaces, batch jobs and the applications that connect to them, and size the effort and risk before you commit.
- Schema and code conversion. Tables, indexes, constraints and stored procedures are converted with automated tooling, then reviewed and corrected by our engineers where the tools fall short.
- Scalable Proof of Concept. We migrate a real, representative slice of your data and application first, so performance, behaviour and the plan are proven early.
- Data migration and validation. Full data loads with row counts, checksums and business-level reconciliation reports, so every table is signed off with evidence.
- Parallel running and cut-over. Rehearsed cut-overs, a tested rollback plan and, where needed, change-data capture to keep downtime to a planned window.
- Support after go-live. We support the new platform, and can keep supporting the old one until it is safely decommissioned.
How long does it take?
With Transact-SQL on both sides, straightforward databases can move quickly; the time goes on complex stored procedures, replication and the applications that connect to the database. A Discovery Audit sizes all of this up front.
Frequently asked questions
How hard is it to migrate from Sybase ASE to SQL Server?
Easier than most database migrations, because both use Transact-SQL. Tools such as Microsoft's SQL Server Migration Assistant for SAP ASE automate much of the conversion. The effort sits in legacy outer-join syntax, chained transactions, data types, replication and the applications that connect to the database.
Can we move Sybase straight to Azure?
Yes. Azure SQL Managed Instance and SQL Server on Azure virtual machines are both common targets, as are SQL Server on AWS and on premises.
Do our applications need to change?
Usually a little. Connection drivers change from Sybase Open Client to SQL Server drivers, and any SQL embedded in the application is checked for Sybase-specific syntax.
What about Sybase Replication Server?
Replication and high availability are redesigned using SQL Server features such as transactional replication or Always On availability groups.
Can ONQU migrate Sybase SQL Anywhere too?
Yes. ONQU supports SQL Anywhere and can convert or migrate it to SQL Server or another platform.
Can Sybase be supported while we migrate?
Yes. ONQU can support the existing Sybase environment until cut-over, so one team is responsible for both sides of the move.
Get in touch
Please contact ONQU Support for a free, no obligation assessment.
