How to migrate from Azure SQL Database to Azure SQL Managed Instance

Question

How to migrate from Azure SQL Database to Azure SQL Managed Instance

Georg Sieber 5

We have a around 100 databases in Azure SQL database on one logical sql server in one elastic pool. The database range from ~5GB to 400GB in size.

We want to migrate all databases to Azure SQL Managed Instance due to reasons like better cross-database support, SQL Server agent etc.

While there is a ton of resources how to migrate eg. from on-prem SQL server to Azure SQL, there is nothing apart from (dump to bacpac and import again).

What is the recommended way to perform such a migration?

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Answer 1

Pilladi Padma Sai Manisha 3,875 Microsoft External Staff Moderator

Hi Georg Sieber,
Thankyou for reaching microsoft Q&A!
Moving from Azure SQL Database in an elastic pool to Azure SQL Managed Instance is a pretty common scenario for customers who need things like cross‑database queries, SQL Server Agent, or other instance‑level capabilities that aren’t available in Azure SQL Database. The challenge is that the two services run on different architectures, so the usual migration methods people use elsewhere native backup and restore, log shipping, transactional replication, Always On, or even most Azure Database Migration Service options aren’t supported for this specific path.

Because of that, the supported approach for moving both schema and data from Azure SQL Database to Managed Instance is still BACPAC. In practice, this means exporting each database to a BACPAC file using SqlPackage or the Data‑tier Application wizard in SSMS. For larger databases, teams typically run SqlPackage from an Azure VM or any host with good local storage so the export is faster, and they automate or parallelize the exports to handle dozens of databases efficiently.

Once the BACPACs are generated, they’re imported into the Managed Instance as new databases. After the imports finish, you recreate your logins, permissions, SQL Agent jobs, and whatever other server‑level objects you need. At that point, the only remaining step is to update your application connection strings to point to Managed Instance instead of the old Azure SQL Database server.

Since BACPAC is a point‑in‑time export, there’s going to be a downtime window during the final export and import where the source databases shouldn’t be modified. Most customers handle this by scripting the whole process, doing test runs on a smaller subset of databases, and scheduling a maintenance window for the full cutover especially in cases like yours with around 100 databases ranging from a few gigabytes to a few hundred.

If reducing downtime even further is a requirement, you can build something more custom using tools like Azure Data Factory or SSIS to pre‑copy data and then only migrate the final deltas during cutover. This doesn’t replace the BACPAC process, but it helps in scenarios where the application can be adapted to support that sort of staged migration.

Overall, as of today, the supported and reliable method to migrate from Azure SQL Database to Azure SQL Managed Instance is BACPAC export and import, combined with automation and staged testing to manage scale and downtime.
References:
Migrate to Azure SQL Managed Instance

Azure Database Migration Service

How to migrate Azure SQL Database to Azure SQL Managed Instanc

Pilladi Padma Sai Manisha 3,875 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-02-04T17:10:19.6066667+00:00

Hi Georg Sieber,
I hope you had a chance to review the information shared earlier, and I hope this information has been helpful! If you still have questions, please let us know what is needed in the comments so the question can be answered.
VRISHABHANATH PATIL 5,250 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-02-09T04:49:41.95+00:00

Hi Georg Sieber,

It appears the provided solution did not fully meet your requirements; could you please share a few additional details so we can assist further?

Additionally, please share your availability so we can connect and better understand the issue.
Pilladi Padma Sai Manisha 3,875 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-02-11T07:03:40.66+00:00

Hi Georg Sieber,
I completely understand why you’re looking for an alternative approach here especially with around 100 databases and some of them being quite large. Since both the source and target are Azure SQL services, it’s natural to expect an online or low-downtime migration experience similar to SQL Server–based scenarios.

For this specific path Azure SQL Database (including elastic pools) to Azure SQL Managed Instance the migration options are more limited due to how Azure SQL Database is designed. Azure SQL Database is a fully managed PaaS service and does not expose native full backups (.bak) or transaction log backups. Because of this, migration methods that rely on backup/restore, transaction log replay, or availability groups , such as log shipping, Always On–based migrations, Azure Database Migration Service online mode, or Managed Instance link are not supported when Azure SQL Database is the source.

As a result, BACPAC export and import remains the supported and recommended approach for moving both schema and data to Managed Instance. BACPAC works at a logical level, is portable across Azure SQL platforms, and handles compatibility conversions automatically. While it is a point-in-time operation that requires a maintenance window, customers performing migrations at scale typically automate the process using SqlPackage/DACFx, run exports in parallel, and migrate databases in batches to keep execution predictable.

In cases where downtime needs to be minimized, some teams pre-copy data using tools like Azure Data Factory or SSIS and then perform the final BACPAC export/import during cutover. This doesn’t replace BACPAC, but it can help reduce the read-only window.

the reason there isn’t an alternative online migration option here isn’t a tooling gap it’s due to platform constraints such as the lack of transaction log access and native backup restore capabilities in Azure SQL Database. Because of these technical limitations, BACPAC combined with automation and staged testing remains the reliable and supported way to perform this migration today.
Pilladi Padma Sai Manisha 3,875 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-02-12T17:24:41.96+00:00

Hi Georg Sieber,
I hope you had a chance to review the information shared earlier, and I hope this information has been helpful! If you still have questions, please let us know what is needed in the comments so the question can be answered.

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How to migrate from Azure SQL Database to Azure SQL Managed Instance

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