Microsoft SQL Server is a relational database management system. The purpose of the system is to manage and store information. Various business intelligence, analytics, and transaction processing operations are supported by the system.
Oracle is a computer technology company known for its Java-based software and services. Oracle sells cloud-engineering services and systems as well as database management systems through its four main business segments: cloud and license, hardware, and services.
This article discusses the different steps to link SQL Server to Oracle database extensively. In addition to that, it also describes SQL Server and Oracle briefly.
What is Microsoft SQL Server?
Image Source
Developed in 1989, SQL Server is a Relational Database Management System (RDBMS) developed by Microsoft. SQL Server is based on SQL, a widely-used programming language for working with relational databases. SQL Server has been available on Linux since 2016, but it has previously only been available on Windows operating systems.
The SQL Server consists of a core component called a Database Engine. This Database engine consists of a relational engine to process queries and a storage engine to manage databases, files, pages, indexes, and more. Database objects such as stored procedures, views, and triggers are also executed by the Database engine.
Key Features of Microsoft SQL Server
- Analytics Support: Organizations seek insights into stored and managed data to make better decisions. With Microsoft SQL, you can analyze your stored data using integration with Microsoft SQL Server Analysis (SSAS) which is an online analytical processing tool.
- Multiple Integrations: SQL enables users to perform various tasks like Data Extraction, Transformation, Data Migration, Data Loading, and more on their stored data using Microsoft SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS). In short, SSIS is a platform for enterprise-level data integration and transformation solutions.
- High Performance: SQL Server is a database programming language that allows you to build highly transactional databases. With SQL queries, you can describe your data analytically.
- High Availability: SQL Server is compatible with MySQL, Oracle database, Microsoft Access, IBM DB2, and more.
- High Security: Tables, views, stored procedures, and other SQL Server objects can all have permissions assigned to them. Therefore, SQL Server provides security to your database.
What is Oracle?
Image Source
Oracle is a Relational Database System(RDBMS) developed by Oracle Corporation on 16 June 1977. Oracle is the most famous among all the relational databases, sometimes also called Oracle DB. Oracle is the RDBMS that implements object-oriented features like user-defined types, inheritance, and polymorphism, so it is also called an Object-Relational Database Management System (ORDBMS). SQL queries are used to access data from Oracle.
Oracle Corporation, headquartered in Austin, Texas, is an American multinational computer technology corporation. Oracle was the world’s second-largest software company by revenue and market capitalization in 2020. Enterprise software products include Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software, Human Capital Management (HCM) software, Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software (also known as customer experience), Enterprise Performance Management (EPM) software, and Supply Chain Management (SCM) software, among others.
Oracle keeps an eye on the enterprise’s needs and keeps on updating technological developments and Oracle products are always updated with new features. Recently, the Oracle database is also available on Oracle Cloud. The next-generation Oracle cloud is designed to run any application, faster and more securely, with less investment.
Key Features of Oracle
- Reliability: The main reason for choosing Oracle is its reliability. OracleDB provides the most secured and private database services to its clients. Oracle’s advanced security features have a mechanism for controlling and accessing the database to prevent unauthorized access. Oracle has some other security features like Oracle Database Vault and Oracle Label Security that regulate user privileges.
- Availability: The OracleDB is never offline or out of service. It offers and maintains the 24*7 availability of the database. OracleDB’s high availability is because of Oracle Data Guard functionality. Oracle DB is also highly available because of its Real Application Cluster(RAC) mode. In RAC, one cluster node is a primary database and the second node is a secondary database which is a copy of the primary database. During any failure, data is available on another cluster node which makes it highly available and the system is always up and running.
- Scalability and Performance: Oracle has features like Real Application Clustering and Portability which make it highly scalable. Oracle is a multiuser database, and it provides top-notch performance with control data consistency and concurrency.
- Portability: The Oracle database can be ported over 100 different hardware platforms and around 20 networking protocols. It is way more than any other competitor offers. Oracle applications can be easily written securely by switching the platform and OS.
- Backup and Recovery: Oracle has features to recover data from any kind of failure. It is designed as RAC, as a result, all data and processes have backup and can be recovered in case of any failure scenario.
- Analytics Solutions: OracleDB provides solutions for analytical calculations on business data by implementing OLAP (Oracle Analytic Processing) and Oracle Advanced Analytics.
Benefits of connecting SQL Server to Oracle
A few Benefits of connecting SQL Server to Oracle are:
- You get access to data stored in Oracle right from the SQL server without the need for coding.
- You can perform different actions on data stored in Oracle from SQL Server, such as distributed queries.
- You can address data stored in Oracle the same way you would SQL Server.
Steps for Connecting SQL Server to Oracle
SQL Server to Oracle: Creating the mwrep User
This is the first step to connecting SQL Server to Oracle. Perform the following actions to create a new database user:
It should be noted that you can skip these steps if you already have a system orcl connection and a mwrep user.
- Step 1: Use the desktop icon to launch Oracle SQL Developer.
- Step 2: Select the Connections option under View.
Image Source
- Step 3: Right-click Connections in the Connections tab and choose New Connection. You’ll see a window asking you to choose a new database connection.
Image Source
- Step 4: In the Connection Name field, type system orcl (or any other name that helps you identify your connection). In the Username and Password fields, type system and your password, respectively. By checking the Save Password box. In the Hostname field, type hostname>, and in the SID field, type orcl. Select Test.
Image Source
- Step 5: Verify the connection’s status on the bottom left side (above the Help button). Success should be written there. Click Connect to keep the connection. Close the window.
Image Source
- Step 6: The connection has been saved, and the Connections tab shows it listed under Connections.
Image Source
- Step 7: Extend the system orcl connection. It should be noted that a SQL Worksheet automatically opens when a connection is established. You can run SQL queries against the connection you just created using the SQL Worksheet.
Image Source
- Step 8: Create a user for the migration repository by entering the code below in the SQL Worksheet.
CREATE USER MWREP
IDENTIFIED BY mwrep
DEFAULT TABLESPACE USERS
TEMPORARY TABLESPACE TEMP;
GRANT CONNECT, RESOURCE, CREATE SESSION, CREATE VIEW TO MWREP;
Image Source
- Step 9: Use the “Run Script (F5)” icon to execute the script.
Image Source
- Step 10: The mwrep user was successfully created.
Image Source
Providing a high-quality ETL solution can be a difficult task if you have a large volume of data. Hevo’s automated, No-code platform empowers you with everything you need to have for a smooth data replication experience.
Check out what makes Hevo amazing:
- Fully Managed: Hevo requires no management and maintenance as it is a fully automated platform.
- Data Transformation: Hevo provides a simple interface to perfect, modify, and enrich the data you want to transfer.
- Faster Insight Generation: Hevo offers near real-time data replication so you have access to real-time insight generation and faster decision-making.
- Schema Management: Hevo can automatically detect the schema of the incoming data and map it to the destination schema.
- Scalable Infrastructure: Hevo has in-built integrations for 150+ sources (with 50+ free sources) that can help you scale your data infrastructure as required.
- Live Support: Hevo team is available round the clock to extend exceptional support to its customers through chat, email, and support calls.
Sign up here for a 14-day free trial!
SQL Server to Oracle: Creating the Migration Repository
You must set up a repository to house the necessary repository tables and PL/SQL packages before you can convert Microsoft SQL Server to Oracle. Follow these steps to achieve this:
You can skip these steps if you already have a migration repository and a mwrep orcl connection.
- Step 1: You must establish a connection with the mwrep user before you can create the repository. Right-click Connections in the Connections tab and choose New Connection. You’ll see a window asking you to choose a new database connection. Note that you must choose View > Connections to make this tab visible.
Image Source
- Step 2: Put mwrep orcl (or any other name that describes your connection) in the Connection Name field, and use mwrep for the Username and Password fields. By checking the Save Password box. In the Hostname field, type hostname>, and in the SID field, type orcl. Select Test.
Image Source
- Step 3: Verify the connection’s status on the bottom left side (above the Help button). Success should be written there. Click Connect to keep the connection. Close the window.
Image Source
- Step 4: The connection has been saved, and the Connections tab shows it listed under Connections.
Image Source
- Step 5: You can choose Migration Repository > Associate Migration Repository by right-clicking the mwrep orcl connection.
Image Source
- Step 6: A window showing progress appears.
Image Source
- Step 7: Click Close once the installation is finished.
Image Source
Image Source
SQL Server to Oracle: Capturing the Microsoft SQL Server Exported Files
Follow these steps to import the scripts from the captured Microsoft SQL Server to Oracle SQL Developer:
- Step 1: In the Migration menu, choose Third-Party Database Offline Capture > Load Database Capture Script Output.
Image Source
- Step 2: Sqlserver2005.ocp can be found by browsing the Capture directory.
Image Source
- Step 3: Capture of the items is occurring. Click Close once you’re done.
Image Source
- Step 4: The Captured Models tab displays SQLServer2005. Expand SQLServer2005.
Image Source
- Step 5: To view the list of captured objects, expand dbo.
Image Source
SQL Server to Oracle: Checking Conversion Preferences
Reviewing the conversion preferences at this time is crucial. Follow these steps to accomplish this:
- Step 1: To access Preferences, choose Tools.
Image Source
- Step 2: Select Identifier Options after expanding Migration.
Image Source
- Step 3: Verify that Is Quoted Identifier On is chosen. Select OK.
Image Source
SQL Server to Oracle: Converting to the Oracle Model
Follow these steps to transform the captured model into the Oracle model:
- Step 1: Convert to Oracle Model can be chosen by right-clicking the captured model SQLServer2005.
Image Source
- Step 2: The Source Data Type and what it will be converted to in the Oracle Model is displayed in the Set Data Map window, which appears. Select Apply.
Image Source
- Step 3: The conversion takes place. Click Close when finished.
Image Source
- Step 4: In the Converted Models tab, expand Converted:SQLServer2005.
Image Source
- Step 5: The converted objects can be seen by expanding dbo Northwind.
Image Source
SQL Server to Oracle: Generating and Executing the Script to Create the Oracle Database Objects
Follow these steps to create the SQL script with DDL statements that will be used to create the objects in an Oracle Database:
- Step 1: Select Generate from the context menu by selecting Converted:SQLServer2005.
Image Source
- Step 2: Oracle SQL is currently being created. Click “Close” when finished.
Image Source
- Step 3: The script’s SQL is displayed. From the drop-down menu next to the right icon, choose system orcl.
Image Source
- Step 4: Select “Run Script” (F5).
Image Source
- Step 5: The outcomes of the script execution are shown.
Image Source
- Step 6: You can now establish a connection for the dbo Northwind user after your scripts have completed running successfully. New Connection can be chosen by right-clicking Connection.
Image Source
- Step 7: Put dbo northwind-migrated orcl (or any other name that describes your connection) in the Connection Name field, and dbo Northwind in the Username and Password fields. By checking the Save Password box. In the Hostname field, type hostname>, and in the SID field, type orcl. Select Test.
Image Source
- Step 8: Verify the connection’s status on the bottom left side (above the Help button). Success should be written there. Click Connect to keep the connection. Close the window.
Image Source
- Step 9: The connection to dbo Northwind-migrated orcl should be expanded.
Image Source
Image Source
- Step 11: The converted Oracle database tables are listed below. Choosing the EMPLOYEES table.
Image Source
- Step 12: Choosing the Data tab. Notice that the table is empty at the moment. Later on in this tutorial, you will migrate the data.
Image Source
SQL Server to Oracle: Checking Offline Data Move Preferences
For the Offline Data Move scripts, particularly the Oracle SQL*Loader control files, to reference the correct format, a date format mask can be specified in the preferences. Follow these steps to accomplish this:
- Step 1: To access Preferences, choose Tools.
Image Source
- Step 2: Select Data Move Options after expanding Migration.
Image Source
- Step 3: Check that the Date Mask format is the same as what is listed below.
Mon dd yyyy HH:mi:ssAM
Image Source
- Step 4: Make sure the Timestamp Mask is the same as what is listed below.
Mon dd yyyy HH:mi:ss:ff3AM
Select OK.
Image Source
SQL Server to Oracle: Analysis and Estimation
It may be simple to switch from Microsoft SQL Server to Oracle database. However, it is important to note that not all objects and syntax are migrated automatically. Consequently, manual intervention is needed.
The estimated time needed for manual tasks can be determined by analyzing the Capture Model and determining the quantity, kind, and complexity of objects.
You can use the reports below to estimate your tasks and projects.
- Migration Reports> Migration Summary
- Migration Reports> Migration Details
- Migration Reports> Automatic Name Changes
Time estimate for:
- Manually fix each object that couldn’t be converted.
- Verify and evaluate each item.
- Application modifications brought on by name changes
SQL Server to Oracle: Migrating the Data
Follow these steps to import the data using the provided scripts:
- Step 1: Run the following commands at a DOS command prompt:
<prompt> cd <location where files are>
<prompt> oracle_ctl
You unzipped the files, and they are now in the Data directory. A bat file called oracle ctl contains instructions for loading the data. The data is loaded using sqlldr.
Image Source
- Step 2: The command is successfully carried out.
Image Source
- Step 3: Use Oracle SQL Developer instead, then retry the connection.
Image Source
- Step 4: The table’s data has been successfully loaded.
Image Source
- Step 5: Click on the CATEGORIES table.
Image Source
- Step 6: The first cell in the PICTURE column should be double-clicked and click …
Image Source
- Step 7: Click OK after selecting the Image checkbox.
Image Source
SQL Server to Oracle: Testing and Deployment
Depending on how complex the database to be migrated is, testing may account for a sizeable portion of the migration project. Oracle does not currently offer the tools required to automatically validate a migrated database. This stage needs to be planned for and taken into account before the migration begins.
Your project plan needs to include the following:
- Verify Database Structure
- Verify Database Security
- Verify Data
- Verify the Logical Correctness of Views
- Test Application
Hevo Data, a Fully-managed Data Pipeline platform, can help you automate, simplify & enrich your data replication process in a few clicks. With Hevo’s wide variety of connectors and blazing-fast Data Pipelines, you can extract & load data from 150+ Sources straight into your Data Warehouse or any Databases. To further streamline and prepare your data for analysis, you can process and enrich raw granular data using Hevo’s robust & built-in Transformation Layer without writing a single line of code!
GET STARTED WITH HEVO FOR FREE
Hevo is the fastest, easiest, and most reliable data replication platform that will save your engineering bandwidth and time multifold. Try our 14-day full-access free trial today to experience an automated, hassle-free Data Replication!
Conclusion
This article explains how to connect SQL Server to Oracle using a few steps. It also gives an overview of Oracle and SQL Server.
visit our website to explore hevo
Hevo Data, a No-code Data Pipeline provides you with a consistent and reliable solution to manage data transfer between a variety of sources and a wide variety of Desired Destinations, with a few clicks. Hevo Data with its strong integration with 150+ sources (including 50+ free sources) allows you to not only export data from your desired data sources & load it to the destination of your choice but also transform & enrich your data to make it analysis-ready so that you can focus on your key business needs and perform insightful analysis using BI tools.
Want to take Hevo for a spin?
Sign Up for a 14-day free trial and experience the feature-rich Hevo suite firsthand. You can also have a look at the unbeatable pricing that will help you choose the right plan for your business needs.
Harshita is a data analysis enthusiast with a keen interest for data, software architecture, and writing technical content. Her passion towards contributing to the field drives her in creating in-depth articles on diverse topics related to the data industry.