Copying the data is the easy part. Keeping orders, reports, security and recovery working is the real migration challenge.

In this TechExplained whiteboard session, Linda Bujitu walks through an end-to-end move from on-premises SQL Server to Azure and Microsoft Fabric. Follow the architecture decisions from discovery and destination selection to reconciliation, cutover, rollback, hypercare and retiring the old estate.

You will learn how to:
Separate operational database migration from analytical modernization.
Compare Azure SQL options, SQL database in Fabric, Warehouse and Lakehouse.
Design identity, connectivity, gateway boundaries and controlled data movement.
Use Mirroring for the right problem without confusing replication with application cutover.
Reconcile a consistent business boundary and rehearse recovery after new target writes.
Plan realistic capacity, dual-running costs and evidence-based retirement.

For data engineers, architects, DBAs, platform teams and technical leaders planning a real migration.

CHAPTERS:
00:00 BUSINESS BEFORE THE COPY BUTTON
02:41 SUCCESS AND ACCEPTABLE FAILURE
05:46 DISCOVER THE REAL PLATFORM
08:40 COMPATIBILITY AND RISK
11:36 MOVE, CHANGE, RETAIN OR RETIRE
14:30 DESTINATIONS BY WORKLOAD
17:24 AZURE AND FABRIC FOUNDATIONS
20:33 IDENTITY, PERMISSIONS AND GOVERNANCE
23:31 CONNECTIVITY AND GATEWAY BOUNDARIES
26:24 CAPACITY AND FULL MIGRATION COST
29:19 MIGRATION WAVES AND THE PILOT
32:11 SCHEMAS AND BUSINESS LOGIC
35:11 INTEGRATION WITHOUT LOST BEHAVIOR
38:09 INITIAL LOAD AND CHANGE BOUNDARY
41:04 MIRRORING FOR THE RIGHT PROBLEM
44:02 BULK MOVEMENT AND SOURCE PROTECTION
46:58 ANALYTICAL LAYERS AND CONTROLLED COPIES
49:48 REPORTS AND BUSINESS MEANING
52:47 RECONCILIATION AT A SHARED BOUNDARY
55:44 PERFORMANCE, FAILURE AND RECOVERY
58:42 REPRODUCIBLE AND CONTROLLED CHANGE
1:01:38 REHEARSE THE CUTOVER
1:04:31 ROLLBACK AFTER NEW WRITES
1:07:25 HYPERCARE AND OPERATION
1:10:23 RETIREMENT AND EVIDENCE-LED MODERNIZATION
1:13:17 THE COMPLETE MIGRATION DESIGN

Northstar Retail, its numbers, architecture choices and runbooks are fictional teaching examples, not a Microsoft customer case or a universal reference architecture. Check current support, limitations and exact source-to-target procedures before implementation. The RTO/RPO targets and transfer-time calculation are examples, not service guarantees.

MICROSOFT LEARN
Migration planning:
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azu...
Fabric data-store decisions:
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/fab...
SQL Server Mirroring limitations:
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/fab...

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