Access to SQL Server: The Upsizing Wizard

  • Comments posted to this topic are about the content posted at http://www.sqlservercentral.com/columnists/kKellenberger/accesstosqlservertheupsizingwizard.asp

    Aunt Kathi Data Platform MVP
    Author of Expert T-SQL Window Functions
    Simple-Talk Editor

  • Today, your article was one of the featured articles with the newsletter.

    Since your filed the article in 2005, things have changed.

    Now you have the SQL Server Migration Assistant for Access (SSMA_for_Access_1_1_618.msi) free downloadeble at Microsoft.

    http://www.microsoft.com/sql/solutions/migration/default.mspx

    Things can only get better.

    Johan

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  • I look forward to seeing articles about linking SQL Server 2005 tables with an Access 2007 front-end.

  • Hi Kathi,

    the upsize wizard has been a great tool for me also, but I like to give a tip before you use it:

    Be sure all tables have a primary key otherwise they won't be updatable after the upsize while in Access they were.

    DAO still works fine with linked SQLServer or Oracle tables except for recordsets of type dbOpenTable they are not allowed, you can use dbOpenDynaset in stead. In fact using linked tables means you use DAO.

    Thanks

    Jan

  • Yes, this is an old article.  I'm not planning on doing any more Access / SQL Server apps.  Any new applications that I work on, and that is very few, will be in ASP.net.

    Aunt Kathi Data Platform MVP
    Author of Expert T-SQL Window Functions
    Simple-Talk Editor

  •   I am Group Leader of the Adelaide Dot Net Users Group http://www.adnug.com based In Adelaide South Australia.

     
     One of our members, Steve Koop, has created a tool "2SQL" that does 80-90% of the migration of Access to SQL Server.
     
    The current Wizards and SSMA only do 10% as they only migrate tables, whereas prize-winning  2SQL processes forms, queries, modules, VBA. as well..
     

    Steve gave a presentation on the Access/SQL migration problem at Microsoft TechEd2006 in Sydney last August. If members would like the slides and notes (500K) for an in depth analysis of scope of a migration project, please email me at secretary@adnug.com. for a copy.

     

    .As Group Leader I like to promote the achievements of our members.  2SQL is an exceptional product.
     
    PG
     
  • Peter,

    2SQL certainly sounds a very useful solution. We are currently using Access 2000, but our main database has reached the limits in terms of query and table size within Access, so I am in the process of designing a replacement in SQL Server 2005 - the original database having been designed in Lotus Approach and converted to Access 97 before updating to Access 2000, there are a number of basic design flaws that I feel need addressing by a total redesign.

    Whilst table design in SQL Server 2005 is quite straightforward, I have found that forms and reports are much less simple, being used to the relatively easy approach provided by Access 2000, so my intention is to upgrade to Access 2007 and design these elements in a more familiar environment for linking (as an Access Project) to SQL Server.

    However, if I encounter serious difficulties I shall certainly consider using 2SQL to migrate the original database to SQL Server.

  • This product sounds pretty cool.  The one thing I caution is that many Access applications are designed poorly and porting them to SQL Server as is will not solve any problems.  In fact, it might make things worse.

    Steve, you are smart to recognize that the existing application has desgin flaws and are willing to address those before moving to SQL Server.

     

    Aunt Kathi Data Platform MVP
    Author of Expert T-SQL Window Functions
    Simple-Talk Editor

  • Kathi/Steve,

    Garbage in/Garbage out is always a possiblity, however 2sql statistics will help to identify problem objects.

    If nothing else, 2sql provides a detail report on the status of the Access Database identifying problem areas and the ability to accurately estimate scope of project.

    2sql works in 2 modes, report and update.

    Run your database through 2sql for a report which summarise  "errors" by type (Ansi89/Jet syntax, DAO to ADO, upsize queries to view, Referential Integrity are some of the 17 categories on the report I am looking at),  click on a category then Detail to view the errors in that category in detail. The detail shows the line number, the line and whether 2sql can repair it.

    On the report I have in front of me, 2sql identified 1690 errors advising that it was able to repair 1671 of them.

    The remaining 19 need to be repaired manually.

    This report allows preprocessing of problem areas before the migration.

    This may require running reports a number of times after attending to premigration problems that need attention,

    When Access application is clean, run 2sql in update mode to complete the process.

    PG 

     

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