Microsoft Access is an outstanding database management solution that allows you to store structured data on your local computer. MS Access’s attractive interface and simple-to-use software development tools make it the best option for creating databases with a large number of users. Unfortunately, the device has several constraints that limit the database’s scalability, like a 2GB file size limit, 255 concurrent users (Microsoft recommends 100), and so on. This explains why many organizations switch from MS Access to MySQL. However, the data transfer technique requires considerable effort to prepare and verify the results.
Thus, anybody contemplating such a migration should ask themselves if it is really required to transfer the database to the MySQL server. On the one hand, MySQL has a number of advantages over MS Access, including cross-platform support, fast performance, multiple user access, and a robust security mechanism. On the other hand, if MS Access is used as a single-user data store and the data volume is not enormous, there is no incentive to migrating to MySQL.
Migrating a repository from MS Access to MySQL entails the following steps:
Export Microsoft Access table and constraint definitions as DDL SQL statements, convert them to MySQL format, and then load them into the target MySQL server.
(a) Export MS Access data to comma separated values documents (one file per table), convert each.csv file to the appropriate format, and import it into MySQL databases.
(b) Convert all Microsoft Access queries to SQL statements, convert them all to MySQL format, then import them into the target database.
Several of these stages may be automated to eliminate the danger of data loss or other issues caused by a human component.
For example, Microsoft Access may convert data to a variety of other kinds, including an abstract ODBC resource. This functionality enables the following transfer of MS Access tables to MySQL using the proper Connector/ODBC driver:
- In MS Access, open the database and click on the table to export.
- Next step is to select ‘Export’ item from the ‘File’ menu.
- In the ‘Export Object Type’ dialog box, choose ‘ODBC Database’.
Following these procedures, the data from Microsoft Access will be imported into the MySQL database. It is important to note that the technique does not transform queries or specific limits.
Another option for migrating databases from MS Access to MySQL is to employ specialized software solutions. One of such tools is the Intelligent Converters MS Access to MySQL conversion application. This application is compatible with all versions of Microsoft Access and MySQL, including MariaDB and Percona. Similarly, using the converter’s command collection version, it is able to automate, manage, and schedule the transformation process.
The MySQL converter combines an easy-to-use interface with the necessary tools for migrating big and complicated MS Access directories (average performance is 2k records per second on the modern platform). The application intelligently manages Microsoft Access types and properties, performing all required adjustments. It takes care of all table crawls and relationships, supports Unicode, and converts MS Access queries to MySQL views.
MySQL converter access includes unlimited support and a one-year subscription for updates. Each buyer will almost certainly get free updates to the product during the first year of purchase.
