Announcement

As part of our ongoing commitment to deliver streamlined and modern migration solutions, Microsoft regularly evaluates its tools and services to ensure they meet evolving customer needs. In line with this effort, we are announcing the retirement of the Microsoft Data Migration Assistant (DMA) tool, effective July 16, 2025.

After this date, the DMA tool will no longer be available for download from the Microsoft Download Center.

Important Dates

• Announcement date: June 16, 2025


• Retirement date: July 16, 2025

Alternative Options for Migration and Assessment

As DMA reaches the end of its lifecycle, customers are encouraged to leverage alternative tools and features for assessment and data migration. Below, we outline the alternatives:

Upgrade to higher version of SQL Server

If you are seeking to upgrade to higher versions of SQL Server you can now use the new Migration component integrated into SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS). For detailed steps please see documentation for version upgrade using SSMS here: https://learn.microsoft.com/ssms/migrate-sql-server-component

Migration to Azure SQL

If you relied on DMA for assessments and migration to Azure SQL you have several options:

SQL Server enabled by Azure Arc (Assessments)

In addition to all the core benefits of enabling Azure Arc, SQL Server enabled by Azure Arc also provides automatic migration assessments that are continuously updated on a weekly schedule by default. See more details of the continuous Migration Assessment in SQL Server enabled by Azure Arc here : https://learn.microsoft.com/sql/sql-server/azure-arc/migration-assessment

Azure Database Migration Service (DMS) automation using Azure Powershell and Azure CLI

You can use the datamigration module in Azure PowerShell and Azure CLI to perform assessments and migration. The ability to script and automate enables migration factory pattern approaches. See the documentation for automating assessments and migrations here : https://learn.microsoft.com/ azure/dms/migration-dms-powershell-cli.

You can also find more information and sample scripts here: https://github.com/Azure-Samples/data-migration-sql

Azure Portal

Azure Migrate (Assessments)

For large scale assessments such as datacenter exit scenarios, the Azure Migrate provides SQL Assessment at scale. Deploying the Azure Migrate appliance facilitates discovery, assessment, and business case evaluation at large scale for not just SQL Server but many other workloads as well. Learn more about SQL assessments in Azure Migrate here: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/migrate/how-to-create-azure-sql-assessment

Azure Database Migration Service (Migration)

For SQL Server migration to Azure SQL offerings, you can use the Azure Database Migration Service (DMS). This service supports migration to all Azure SQL offerings. For example, see how you can migrate to Azure SQL DB using DMS portal here : https://learn.microsoft.com/data-migration/sql-server/database/database-migration-service?tabs=portal.

Additional Information

Azure Data Studio is on the deprecation path and we are building the replacement assessment and migration experiences in SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS)¹. Till then, for smaller scale scenarios, you can continue to use the Azure SQL Migration extension in Azure Data Studio (ADS) for assessment and migration to Azure SQL. Learn more about Azure SQL Assessment and Migration in Azure Data Studio here: https://learn.microsoft.com/azure-data-studio/extensions/azure-sql-migration-extension

For more details and detailed migration guides, refer to the Azure SQL Migration Guide here: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/data-migration/sql-server/overview

Next Steps

We encourage you to begin transitioning to alternative migration tools and solutions well ahead of the DMA tool’s retirement date (July 16, 2025). This will ensure smooth continuity in your migration and assessment workflows.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation during this transition.

Disclaimer

1. The information provided in this announcement is for general informational purposes only and reflects Microsoft’s current plans as of the announcement date. All product features, timelines, and retirement schedules are subject to change without notice. Users are responsible for verifying the accuracy of product capabilities and ensuring that all migration activities are conducted in accordance with applicable technical documentation and licensing terms. Microsoft does not guarantee the performance or availability of any third-party tools or scripts referenced herein. For the most up-to-date guidance, please refer to official Microsoft documentation and support channels.

References

Version upgrade assessment in SSMS: https://learn.microsoft.com/ssms/migrate-sql-server-component

General Availability of SQL Server Migration Component in SSMS: General Availability of SQL Server Migration Component in SSMS 21 | Microsoft Community Hub   

Azure SQL Assessment and Migration in ADS: https://learn.microsoft.com/azure-data-studio/extensions/azure-sql-migration-extension

Continuous Migration Assessment in SQL Server enabled by Azure Arc: https://learn.microsoft.com/sql/sql-server/azure-arc/migration-assessment

Automate assessment and migration using datamigration modules: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/migrate/how-to-create-azure-sql-assessment

Sample scripts for Azure SQL Assessment and Migration using Azure Powershell and CLI: https://github.com/Azure-Samples/data-migration-sql

SQL Assessment in Azure Migrate: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/migrate/how-to-create-azure-sql-assessment

Migration to Azure SQL Database using Azure Database Migration Service Portal: https://learn.microsoft.com/data-migration/sql-server/database/database-migration-service?tabs=portal

Azure SQL Migration Guide: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/data-migration/sql-server/overview