Sybase ASE to Microsoft Azure SQL Database: Automated Cloud Migration for Financial Services

Client profile

The client is a leading UK financial services provider operating in Europe and North America.

Objective

The company decided to migrate to Microsoft Azure SQL Database. It's a fully managed cloud database service that offers:

• Automated backups and updates
• High availability and disaster recovery
• Easy integration with AI-driven analytics

They just wanted a faster system, lower tech costs, and to keep being the top choice for customers.

Challenge

Switching from Sybase ASE to Microsoft Azure SQL Database was, indeed, challenging. They ran into a few issues:

• Differences in schema structures and data types needed careful mapping to maintain data integrity.
• Sybase-specific T-SQL syntax required code adaptation for Azure SQL Database compatibility.
• Transferring large datasets demanded strategies with high consistency and minimized downtime.

To keep things easier, they opted for an automated migration with SQLWays and Ispirer team support.

Solution

SQLWays, a tool for automated database migration, already had a path from Sybase ASE to Azure SQL with in-built mapping and syntax conversion. To make things even faster, our team fine-tuned the migration plan for this customer:

Stored procedure optimization

The stored procedures needed to be adjusted to match Azure SQL’s T-SQL syntax.

Data type mapping refinements

Certain Sybase ASE data types needed restructuring for better compatibility with Azure SQL and fewer fixes later on.

These tweaks were aimed at increasing automation levels and minimizing manual work so that the customer could wrap up the project in the shortest amount of time.

The entire conversion process went in four steps:

1. Analysis. The InsightWays database migration assessment tool evaluated the source Sybase ASE database so the requirements for Azure SQL could be set.
2. Customization. The customization plan addressed specific migration challenges.
3. Automated conversion. Database schema and data were transferred with SQLWays.
4. Testing. After migration, thorough testing was conducted to check functionality and performance in Azure SQL.

As part of the ongoing support, the client also needed to optimize cloud efficiency. Unnecessary schema dependencies were removed, which boosted both performance and scalability for the customer in the cloud.

Benefits and Results

With an 85% automated process by SQLWays, the migration was finished on time and with minimal risk. Overall, 420,000 lines of code were converted in five months. Efficient migration set the stage for further growth, as the customer reported:

Faster processing & improved performance

Transaction speeds jumped 3x, which meant the company could roll out real-time financial analytics.

50% lower operational costs

Shifting to a fully managed Azure environment cut out on-prem hardware expenses and maintenance costs.

Let SQLWays handle the heavy lifting of your database migration, too. Book a demo today and take the first step toward a faster, smarter, and more scalable data infrastructure!