How to Migrate from SQLServer to MariaDB

How do I migrate a database from SQL Server to MariaDB?

Move schemas and data from Microsoft SQL Server to MariaDB using dump, convert, and import steps.

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Description

What are the core steps?

Extract SQL Server schema & data, convert T-SQL objects to MariaDB-compatible SQL, then import into MariaDB and validate.

How do I export from SQL Server?

Run sqlcmd or the SQL Server Export Wizard to script tables, indexes, constraints, and INSERT statements for tables like Customers and Orders. Keep IDENTITY and DEFAULT clauses.

How do I convert data types?

Map VARCHAR(MAX) to TEXT, DATETIME2 to DATETIME(6), and MONEY to DECIMAL(19,4).Replace GETDATE() with CURRENT_TIMESTAMP.

How do I import into MariaDB?

Pipe the converted script into the MariaDB client: mysql -u root -p ecommerce < migrated.sql.Use SET foreign_key_checks=0 during load for faster inserts.

How can I migrate in chunks?

For very large tables, export to CSV using bcp, then bulk-load with MariaDB’s LOAD DATA INFILE while setting FIELDS TERMINATED BY ','.

How do I verify the migration?

Run row-count checks: SELECT COUNT(*) FROM Customers on both systems, and compare sums of numeric columns such as total_amount in Orders.

What performance tweaks help?

Create equivalent indexes after data load, enable innodb_buffer_pool_size to at least 70% of RAM, and analyze tables with ANALYZE TABLE.

Why How to Migrate from SQLServer to MariaDB is important

How to Migrate from SQLServer to MariaDB Example Usage


-- Verify migrated revenue per customer after import
SELECT c.name,
       SUM(o.total_amount) AS lifetime_value
FROM Customers c
JOIN Orders o ON o.customer_id = c.id
GROUP BY c.name
ORDER BY lifetime_value DESC
LIMIT 10;

How to Migrate from SQLServer to MariaDB Syntax


# 1. Export schema & data from SQL Server
sqlcmd -S localhost -d ecommerce -E -Q "SET NOCOUNT ON; EXEC sp_msforeachtable 'SELECT * FROM ?'" -o ecommerce_dump.sql

# 2. Convert T-SQL to MariaDB (manual or with tools like sqlserver2mysql)
#    Examples for ecommerce tables
-- SQL Server
CREATE TABLE Customers (
    id INT IDENTITY PRIMARY KEY,
    name NVARCHAR(255),
    email NVARCHAR(255) UNIQUE,
    created_at DATETIME2 DEFAULT GETDATE()
);
-- MariaDB
CREATE TABLE Customers (
    id INT AUTO_INCREMENT PRIMARY KEY,
    name VARCHAR(255),
    email VARCHAR(255) UNIQUE,
    created_at DATETIME(6) DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP(6)
) ENGINE=InnoDB;

# 3. Import into MariaDB
mysql -u root -p ecommerce < ecommerce_converted.sql

# 4. Validate counts
SELECT COUNT(*) FROM Customers;

Common Mistakes

Ignoring data-type differences leads to import errors. Always map SQL Server types (e.g., NVARCHAR(MAX)) to valid MariaDB types (e.g., LONGTEXT).
Leaving foreign keys enabled during bulk import slows down migration. Disable with SET foreign_key_checks=0 before load and re-enable afterward.