MySQL to Oracle Migration: Easy Steps 101

As data volumes grow exponentially, companies often migrate from MySQL to Oracle to enable more robust analytics. While MySQL is a popular open source relational database, Oracle offers enterprise-grade capabilities to handle massive datasets.

This article explains the rationale behind migrating from MySQL to Oracle and outlines prerequisites to ensure a smooth transition. It will guide you through straightforward steps to transfer your data from MySQL and set up within the Oracle data warehouse. By following this process, you can unlock more scalable data warehousing and analytics on top of your existing MySQL databases.

Overview of MySQL

MySQL is an open-source, prominent relational database management system. MySQL data is organized into tables with rows and columns. MySQL runs on various operating systems, including Microsoft Windows, Oracle Solaris, AIX, Symbian, Linux, and macOS. 

SQL instructions can be used to obtain, edit, or add data to MySQL tables. SQL can also be used to create the table schema and even the database’s relationships between tables. 

Overview of Oracle Database

Oracle is a relational database management system. It is a popular enterprise application. It is known as Oracle database, OracleDB, and Oracle. It provides a logical and physical structure to your data. Oracle offers recovery in case of failure, portability on all platforms, high security, etc.

Migrating data from MySQL to Oracle Database: Prerequisites

The prerequisites for setting up MySQL to Oracle Database migration are as follows:

• Before setting up MySQL to Oracle migration, ensure that your environment complies with the requirements of your system.
• Download and install Oracle SQL Developer.
• Configure MySQL server to the client computer.
• Download MySQL Java Database Connectivity Java Archive (JDBC JAR) for the required MySQL server version.
• Make sure that the Oracle user account has the required privileges to create, update, delete, and manage permissions on tables.

Oracle SQL Developer

Oracle SQL Developer is a full-scale integrated development environment for Oracle Database, meant for simplifying database development activities like querying, modeling, and administration. It provides an interface with features such as an SQL worksheet, schema browser, data modeling tools, and PL/SQL debugger. Oracle SQL Developer is free; thus, it is full of features for any developer and database administrator working in Oracle Database environments.

Steps followed to Migrate data from MySQL to Oracle

The steps followed to migrate your database from MySQL to Oracle are as follows:

• Step 1: Open MySQL server. Now, backup the MySQL server database that you want to migrate.
• Step 2: Now, you can open the Oracle server. And backup the Oracle database.
• Step 3: Then, you can start the Oracle SQL Developer.

• Step 4: From the menu bar, click on the “Tools” option. Then, select the “Preferences” option.

• Step 5: Navigate the tree view and click on the “Data ModelerThird Party JDBC Drivers” option.
• Step 6: You can specify the full path name of the MySQL JAR file location.
• Step 7: Restart the Oracle SQL Developer.
• Step 8: Now, you can create a connection to the MySQL database:
  • Navigate to the Connections tree view. Right-click on the root node. Select the “New Connection” option.
  • Click the “MySQL” tab. Specify all the access details of the MySQL server database.
  • Click on the “Test” button to ensure that the connection is successful.
  • Click on the “Save” button.
• Step 9: Now, you can create a connection to the new Oracle database:
  • Navigate to the Connections tree view. Right-click on the root node. Select the “New Connection” option.
  • Click the “Oracle” tab. Specify all the access details of the Oracle server (including a superuser and database SID).
  • Click on the “Test” button to ensure that the connection is successful.
  • Click on the “Connect” button.
  • Navigate the “Connections” tree view to the list of database tables for the new Oracle connection. Delete all the existing tables and indexes so that all the tables are clean before the connection is established.
• Step 10: In the SQL developer, go to the menu bar, and click on the “Tools” option. Now, select the “Migration” option. Then click the “Migrate” option.

• Step 11: Now, a wizard will be displayed. Go to the Repository page, and you can follow the steps to create a connection to the MySQL server.
  • Click on the “+” icon to create a new connection.
  • You can specify the access details for the MySQL server (including a superuser and SID).
  • Click on the “Test” button to ensure a successful connection.
  • Click on the “Save” button. Then, click on the “Next” option.
• Step 12: On the Project page, specify the access details and click on the “Next” button.
• Step 13: Navigate to the Source Database page and select the “Online” Mode. Select the “MySQL connection” you created as the source database connection. 
• Step 14: Then click on the “Next” button.
• Step 15: Navigate to the Capture page. Select the MySQL database. Then it will appear in the list on the right. Click on the “Next” button.
• Step 16: Next, on the Convert page that appears, you can accept default settings by clicking on the “Next” button.
• Step 17: On the Target Database page that appears, set the Mode to “Online”.
• Step 18: Select the Oracle connection you created for the newer product version as the target database connection. 
• Step 19: Clear the “drop target objects” checkbox. Then, click on the “Next” button.
• Step 20: On the Move Data page that appears, select the “MySQL Connection” of the older version as the source database connection. Then, click on the “Next” button.
• Step 21: On the Summary page that appears, you can verify all the details and click on the “Finish” button.
• Step 22: You can modify the names of the indexes in the database according to your need:
  • In the Connections tree view, you can navigate to the Oracle connection. Select the “open SQL worksheet” option.
  • You can rename the indexes with truncated names.
  • You can set the default value for each column for each table in the database.

Why Migrate from MySQL to Oracle Database?

The reasons for migrating from MySQL to Oracle database are as follows:

• MySQL databases are only flexible for small and large businesses. This is why many users want to migrate from MySQL to Oracle SQL database.
• The MySQL database does not support integration with other email services. At the same time, the Oracle database supports numerous email service integrations. As a result, in many cases, it is necessary to migrate from MySQL to the Oracle database.
• MySQL’s storage space is very low compared to the Oracle SQL database.  Oracle enables you to handle complex and large volumes of data with ease. You can convert MySQL to Oracle to achieve this. For example, handling data of big enterprises.
• People generally transfer their database from MySQL to Oracle since Oracle reduces the operations costs by a considerable amount.
• In an Oracle database, all data types are maintained or stored in a single database.
• Compared to MySQL, the Oracle SQL database provides better identity management and user control; hence, many users opt for MySQL to Oracle migration.
• Financial Applications: Oracle’s features, such as high security and reliability, can ensure data regulation. This can be useful in financial applications.

Limitations of MySQL to Oracle Migration

• While Oracle is designed to be a commercial product, MySQL is a simple relational database management system. 
• Both large and small enterprises can use MySQL for data management. But Oracle is made to handle large volumes of data. 
• MySQL is open-source software, while Oracle license is quite expensive.

Read more about migrating data from SQL Server to Oracle to seamlessly work with your SQL Server data by loading it into your Oracle Database.

Conclusion

In this article, you learned about MySQL to Oracle Database migration. This article also focused on the need for migrating database from MySQL to Oracle, and the prerequisites and steps followed to set up the MySQL to Oracle database migration.  It also informs you of the limitations if you convert MySQL query to Oracle online. 

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