Migrate to Azure SQL Database using BACPAC

  • 5 minutes

A SQL Server database can be imported into an Azure SQL database using a .bacpac file.

A .bacpac file is a compressed file containing the metadata and data from the database. The data can be imported from the Azure Blob Storage or from a local storage in an on-premises environment.

For optimal scale and performance in production environments, it's recommended to use the SQLPackage utility. Running multiple SqlPackage commands in parallel for subsets of tables can significantly accelerate import/export operations.

Import from a BACPAC file in the Azure portal

You can follow these steps to import a .bacpac file in Azure SQL Database.

  1. To import from a BACPAC file into a new single database using the Azure portal, open the appropriate database server page and then, on the toolbar, select Import database.
  2. Select the storage account and container for the BACPAC file, and then select the BACPAC file from which to import.
  3. Specify the new database size (usually the same as the origin) and provide the destination SQL Server credentials, and then select OK.
  4. To monitor an import's progress, open the database server page and, under Settings, select Import/Export history. When successful, the import has a Completed status.

Additionally, you can also use SqlPackage to import a BACPAC file as it's faster than using the Azure portal. The following command imports the AdventureWorks2019 database from local storage to an Azure SQL Database server called mynewserver20230103. It creates a new database called myMigratedDatabase with a Premium service tier and a P6 service objective.

Change these values as appropriate for your environment.

SqlPackage.exe /a:import /tcs:"Data Source=mynewserver20230103.database.windows.net;Initial Catalog=myMigratedDatabase;User Id=<your_server_admin_account_user_id>;Password=<your_server_admin_account_password>" /sf:AdventureWorks2019.bacpac /p:DatabaseEdition=Premium /p:DatabaseServiceObjective=P6

Tip

To increase the speed of the import process, you can scale your database to a higher service tier and compute size, providing more and faster resources. Once the import is complete, you can scale down to your desired service tier and compute size.