Does it make sense to migrate databases from Microsoft SQL Server to Snowflake? What benefits does this action bring to the table? What is the process of this form of database migration? All these questions and more will be answered in this post, along with the attributes of MS SQL Server and Snowflake as standalone entities.
One of the factors that sets modern business management apart from traditional models is processing massive amounts of data in daily transactions. The data, from internal and external sources, are quickly processed so that they can be analyzed for making fast business decisions to stay ahead of the competition.
Among the most opted-for strategies to increase operating efficiency is to migrate databases to the cloud. If you have SQL Server as the IT infrastructure platform, it surely makes sense to migrate the database from SQL Server to Snowflake.
Before going into the benefits of moving to the cloud, let us take an overview of Microsoft SQL Server and Snowflake individually.
Microsoft SQL Server
The MS SQL Server operates on the SQL programming language and is an integral component of the comprehensive Microsoft ecosystem. Hence, all applications that are a part of the MS environment are supported by the SQL Server, regardless of whether it is a local area network or any other standalone system.
SQL Server is a Relational Database Management System (RDBMS) available out of the box within the .NET network of Microsoft. Not only is it a leading database technology at par with Oracle and DB2 from IBM, but it also supports most business operations and a wide range of analytics.
Snowflake
Snowflake is a data warehousing system that is based in the cloud. Users get the benefits of the cutting-edge features that are typically available in a cloud ecosystem. Even though this platform has been recently launched, its services have become very popular, leading to organizations preferring to migrate databases from SQL Server to Snowflake.
Let us now go through the features of Snowflake and evaluate why this platform is so preferred by most organizations around the world.
Benefits of Migrating Databases From SQL Server to Snowflake
There are several benefits of moving databases from SQL Server to cloud-based Snowflake. We will now analyze each of them in detail.
- Snowflake offers high computing power, a critical attribute in the present business digital environment where huge volumes of data are processed daily. There is no drop in database performance or speed lag, even when multiple users carry out simultaneous intricate queries. This is an important reason for organizations to migrate databases from SQL Server to Snowflake.
- Users get unlimited storage space on Snowflake. The benefit here is that Snowflake charges only for the storage volume used and not a flat rate like SQL Server where a license fee is paid for fixed storage, regardless of whether it is used or not. Hence, being on Snowflake is cost-effective too. Whenever additional storage is required by Snowflake users, it can be downloaded in minutes and payment made proportionally.
- Unlike SQL Server, Snowflake provides storage and computing facilities in separate silos, and each can be accounted for. This helps businesses to know how much they have used for each of them and can tweak any one if required to meet their IT infrastructure financial goals and minimize costs.
- A very critical attribute of Snowflake is that users can input data in its native form without having to process or format it. This includes structured, unstructured, or semi-structured data. On the other hand, data that is compatible only with the architecture of SQL Server can be input into it. Hence, working on the Snowflake platform saves time as extra data formatting processes are done away with. Additionally, Snowflake gives comprehensive support to JSON, Avro, XML, and Parquet data.
- Users do not need special skill sets or expertise to work on Snowflake. This cloud-based data warehousing solution is compatible with a wide range of cloud vendors. Hence, their previous working experience with other cloud vendors will be applicable to Snowflake too.
- With Snowflake, before clustering data for computing and encoding of columns, users do not have to define indexes since it is a cloud-based platform. However, clustering keys must be manually used for co-locating table data for very large tables.
These are the critical benefits that give Snowflake an edge, reasons enough for businesses wanting to migrate databases from SQL Server to Snowflake.
Database Replication Feature of Snowflake
Another benefit of Snowflake that deserves special mention is the recently-launched Data Replication feature. Businesses can now sync their primary databases with other secondary servers in remote locations, regions, or across cloud providers, ensuring data and business continuity even in the event of a crash or outage.
Here is how this feature works on Snowflake. Suppose there is a crash or outage in the primary server. Now, the secondary servers with replicated data from the primary server are triggered automatically, and work goes on without a break or downtime. After the outrage is resolved, the entire process works in the reverse direction. The secondary servers now update the primary server with data generated during the outage.
This feature is a critical reason for moving databases from SQL Server to Snowflake.
How to Migrate Databases From SQL Server to Snowflake
There are 4 steps to migrate data from SQL Server to Snowflake.
- Use queries for extraction and select statements to extract data from the SQL Server.
- Process and format the data to match a data structure compatible with Snowflake.
- Keep the data in a temporary external or internal staging area.
- Load the data from the staging area to Snowflake.
This is how to move databases from SQL Server to Snowflake.
