Ingres Database Migration
Move Ingres databases and the applications built on them to PostgreSQL, SQL Server or the cloud, with Ingres supported by the same team until you switch.
Why organisations move off Ingres
Ingres, now part of Actian, has powered public-sector, healthcare and industrial systems for decades, often with applications built in Ingres tools such as ABF and OpenROAD. Many of those systems still work well, but specialist skills are scarce and it is increasingly hard to integrate them with modern platforms and the cloud.
- Skills risk: fewer engineers know Ingres and its 4GL tools each year.
- Integration: modern reporting, analytics and cloud services connect more easily to mainstream databases.
- Cost and control: consolidate onto a database your team already runs.
- Planned, not forced: move on your timetable rather than after a failure or an unsupported upgrade.
Choosing a target
PostgreSQL is a natural fit for many Ingres databases, and both have their roots in database research at the University of California, Berkeley. SQL Server suits organisations already standardised on Microsoft. We recommend a target based on your applications, skills and hosting plans, not on a preferred product.
What changes when you move
| Ingres | Target (PostgreSQL / SQL Server) | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| ingresdate (absolute dates and intervals) | timestamp and interval / datetime2 | Columns holding both kinds of value are analysed and split correctly. |
| money | numeric / decimal | Mapped with matching precision. |
| Storage structures (btree, hash, isam, heap) and MODIFY | Indexes and table design | Access paths are redesigned for the target’s optimiser. |
| Database procedures and rules | Functions, procedures and triggers | Converted and tested one by one. |
| ABF and OpenROAD applications | Reconnected, re-platformed or replaced | Usually the biggest decision; assessed early in discovery. |
| Embedded SQL (ESQL/C, ESQL/COBOL) | Target drivers or precompilers | Connection and SQL dialect changes are made and regression-tested. |
How ONQU delivers an Ingres 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.
Keep Ingres supported until cut-over
ONQU provides specialist Ingres support, so your current system stays stable while the migration is planned and delivered, and remains available read-only afterwards if you need it for records.
Frequently asked questions
What should we migrate Ingres to?
PostgreSQL is a common choice and shares Ingres's Berkeley origins; SQL Server suits organisations standardised on Microsoft. ONQU recommends a target based on your applications, skills and hosting plans.
What happens to our ABF or OpenROAD applications?
They are assessed in discovery. Depending on their future, they can be reconnected to the new database, re-platformed onto a modern framework, or replaced by a new system with the data migrated across.
How long does an Ingres migration take?
It depends mostly on the applications. A database behind a simple application can move in weeks; systems with extensive 4GL applications are usually phased over several months.
Can our Ingres data be migrated without losing history?
Yes. All data, including historic records, is migrated and reconciled table by table with row counts, checksums and business-level checks, and the old system can remain available read-only.
Can ONQU support Ingres in the meantime?
Yes. ONQU provides specialist Ingres support so the existing system stays stable until cut-over.
Get in touch
Please contact ONQU Support for a free, no obligation assessment.
