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SSMA for Access: Frequently Asked Questions

Published: June 12, 2006

Learn more about using SQL Server Migration Assistant (SSMA) for Access by reading this frequently asked questions page.

Q.What is SSMA for Access?

A.

SSMA for Access is a tool that migrates Microsoft Access databases to SQL Server 2005.

Q.What Access and SQL Server versions are supported?
A.

Access 97 through Access 2003 and SQL Server 2005.

Q.Can I use my existing Access applications with databases that are migrated to SQL Server 2005?
A.

Yes. Most people use one of the following options:

•

Link the Access tables to the SQL Server tables. You can do this using SSMA for Access.

•

Use an Access project (ADP), which is an Access data file that provides access to a Microsoft SQL Server database through the OLE DB component architecture.

•

Rewrite the Access application in Microsoft Visual Studio 2005.

Q.Why should I use SSMA for Access instead of the Office Upsizing Wizard?
A.

SSMA for Access offers a richer set of features, such as network scanning, conversion assessment reports, and more. SSMA for Access also fixes many issues currently not handled correctly by the Office Upsizing Wizard.

Q.What are the migration steps?
A.

The basic migration steps are as follows:

•

Create a new SSMA for Access project.

•

Add one or more Access database files to the project.

•

Connect to the target instance of SQL Server 2005.

•

Convert the Access database schema to SQL Server 2005 syntax.

•

Load the converted objects into SQL Server.

•

Migrate data to SQL Server.

•

If you want your Access applications to use the data in SQL Server, link the Access tables to the SQL Server tables.

Q.Does SSMA for Access convert the Access application front-end to a Visual Studio 2005 application?
A.

No. The application front-end remains in Access. If you want to convert your applications to Visual Studio 2005 applications, you can still use SSMA for Access to convert and upload the database schema and then migrate data to SQL Server 2005; however, you must convert your applications manually.

Q.Will my application continue to work after the migration?
A.

After linking the tables to SQL Server 2005, most Access applications will continue to work correctly. However, you might need to make some manual changes and tune performance.

Q.How do I get support?
A.

Send your questions to accssma@microsoft.com or post it on Access to SQL Migration newsgroup.

Q.What is the difference between SSMA for Access version 1.2 and SSMA for Access version 4?
A.

SSMA for Office Access version 4 can work with Microsoft Office Access 2007 as a source and SQL Server 2008 as a target database.

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