Proseware must migrate a 4 TB SQL Server 2022 database to Azure SQL Managed Instance. Cutover downtime must be a few minutes, the source must stay fully writable until cutover, and the team wants to keep the source instance available to fail back to for a week afterwards. Which migration approach should you choose?
- A.
Export the database to a BACPAC file in Azure Blob Storage and import it into the managed instance
- B.
Use the Log Replay Service to restore full, differential and log backups that you copy to Azure Blob Storage, keeping the database in RESTORING mode until you run the cutover command
- C.
Take a full backup to a URL and restore it to the managed instance with RESTORE DATABASE FROM URL
- D.
Configure a Managed Instance link between the SQL Server instance and the managed instance, then fail over when the replica is synchronized
Show answer
Answer: D
Only the Managed Instance link keeps a continuously replicated, near-real-time copy that can be failed over in minutes and can also replicate back to SQL Server for fallback.
- A. A BACPAC export is an offline operation; the source must be quiesced and a 4 TB export and import far exceeds a few minutes.
- B. The Log Replay Service does give a low-downtime cutover, but the target database stays in RESTORING mode and is unusable until cutover, the chain can be interrupted by managed instance updates or failovers, and it offers no fail-back path to the source instance afterwards.
- C. A single full backup and restore is an offline migration; every change made after the backup would be lost at cutover.
- D. The Managed Instance link replicates the log continuously and fails over in minutes, and it can replicate back to SQL Server for fallback.