Assessment rules for SQL Server to Azure SQL Database migration
Applies to: 
Azure SQL Database
Migration tools validate your source SQL Server instance by running several assessment rules to identify issues that must be addressed before migrating your SQL Server database to Azure SQL Database.
This article provides a list of the rules used to assess the feasibility of migrating your SQL Server database to Azure SQL Database.
Rules Summary
BULK INSERT
Title: BULK INSERT with non-Azure blob data source isn't supported in Azure SQL Database.
Category: Issue
Description
Azure SQL Database can't access file shares or Windows folders. See the "Affected Objects" section for the specific uses of BULK INSERT statements that don't reference an Azure blob. Objects with BULK INSERT where the source isn't Azure Blob Storage doesn't work after migrating to Azure SQL Database.
Recommendation
You need to convert BULK INSERT statements that use local files or file shares to use files from Azure Blob Storage instead, when migrating to Azure SQL Database. Alternatively, migrate to SQL Server on Azure Virtual Machine.
COMPUTE clause
Title: COMPUTE clause is no longer supported and has been removed.
Category: Warning
Description
The COMPUTE clause generates totals that appear as additional summary columns at the end of the result set. However, this clause is no longer supported in Azure SQL Database.
Recommendation
The T-SQL module needs to be rewritten using the ROLLUP operator instead. The code below demonstrates how COMPUTE can be replaced with ROLLUP:
USE AdventureWorks2022;GO;
SELECT SalesOrderID,
UnitPrice,
UnitPriceDiscount
FROM Sales.SalesOrderDetail
ORDER BY SalesOrderID COMPUTE SUM(UnitPrice),
SUM(UnitPriceDiscount) BY SalesOrderID GO;
SELECT SalesOrderID,
UnitPrice,
UnitPriceDiscount,
SUM(UnitPrice) AS UnitPrice,
SUM(UnitPriceDiscount) AS UnitPriceDiscount
FROM Sales.SalesOrderDetail
GROUP BY SalesOrderID,
UnitPrice,
UnitPriceDiscount
WITH ROLLUP;
More information: Discontinued Database Engine functionality in SQL Server
CLR assemblies
Title: SQL CLR assemblies aren't supported in Azure SQL Database
Category: Issue
Description
Azure SQL Database doesn't support SQL CLR assemblies.
Recommendation
Currently, there is no way to achieve this in Azure SQL Database. The recommended alternative solutions require application code and database changes to use only assemblies supported by Azure SQL Database. Alternatively migrate to Azure SQL Managed Instance or SQL Server on Azure Virtual Machine.
More information: Unsupported Transact-SQL differences in SQL Database
Cryptographic provider
Title: A use of CREATE CRYPTOGRAPHIC PROVIDER or ALTER CRYPTOGRAPHIC PROVIDER was found, which isn't supported in Azure SQL Database
Category: Issue
Description
Azure SQL Database doesn't support CRYPTOGRAPHIC PROVIDER statements because it can't access files. See the Affected Objects section for the specific uses of CRYPTOGRAPHIC PROVIDER statements. Objects with CREATE CRYPTOGRAPHIC PROVIDER or ALTER CRYPTOGRAPHIC PROVIDER doesn't work correctly after migrating to Azure SQL Database.
Recommendation
Review objects with CREATE CRYPTOGRAPHIC PROVIDER or ALTER CRYPTOGRAPHIC PROVIDER. In any such objects that are required, remove the uses of these features. Alternatively, migrate to SQL Server on Azure Virtual Machine.
Cross database references
Title: Cross-database queries aren't supported in Azure SQL Database
Category: Issue
Description
Databases on this server use cross-database queries, which aren't supported in Azure SQL Database.
Recommendation
Azure SQL Database doesn't support cross-database queries. The following actions are recommended:
- Migrate the dependent databases to Azure SQL Database, and use Elastic Database Query (currently in preview) functionality, to query across Azure SQL databases.
- Move the dependent datasets from other databases into the database that is being migrated.
- Migrate to Azure SQL Managed Instance.
- Migrate to SQL Server on Azure Virtual Machine.
More information: Check Azure SQL Database elastic database query (Preview)
Database compatibility
Title: Azure SQL Database doesn't support compatibility levels below 100.
Category: Warning
Description
Database compatibility level is a valuable tool to help with database modernization, by allowing the SQL Server Database Engine to be upgraded, while keeping connecting applications functional status by maintaining the same pre-upgrade database compatibility level. Azure SQL Database doesn't support compatibility levels below 100.
Recommendation
Evaluate if the application functionality is intact when the database compatibility level is upgraded to 100 on Azure SQL Managed Instance. Alternatively, migrate to SQL Server on Azure Virtual Machine.
Database Mail
Title: Database Mail isn't supported in Azure SQL Database.
Category: Warning
Description
This server uses the Database Mail feature, which isn't supported in Azure SQL Database.
Recommendation
Consider migrating to Azure SQL Managed Instance that supports Database Mail. Alternatively, consider using Azure functions and SendGrid to accomplish mail functionality on Azure SQL Database.
Database principal alias
Title: SYS.DATABASE_PRINCIPAL_ALIASES is no longer supported and has been removed.
Category: Issue
Description
SYS.DATABASE_PRINCIPAL_ALIASES is no longer supported and has been removed in Azure SQL Database.
Recommendation
Use roles instead of aliases.
More information: Discontinued Database Engine functionality in SQL Server
DISABLE_DEF_CNST_CHK option
Title: SET option DISABLE_DEF_CNST_CHK is discontinued and has been removed.
Category: Issue
Description
SET option DISABLE_DEF_CNST_CHK is discontinued and has been removed in Azure SQL Database.
More information: Discontinued Database Engine functionality in SQL Server
FASTFIRSTROW hint
Title: FASTFIRSTROW query hint is no longer supported and has been removed.
Category: Warning
Description
FASTFIRSTROW query hint is no longer supported and has been removed in Azure SQL Database.
Recommendation
Instead of FASTFIRSTROW query hint use OPTION (FAST n).
More information: Discontinued Database Engine functionality in SQL Server
FILESTREAM
Title: FILESTREAM isn't supported in Azure SQL Database
Category: Issue
Description
The FILESTREAM feature, which allows you to store unstructured data such as text documents, images, and videos in NTFS file system, isn't supported in Azure SQL Database.
Recommendation
Upload the unstructured files to Azure Blob storage and store metadata related to these files (name, type, URL location, storage key etc.) in Azure SQL Database. You may have to re-engineer your application to enable streaming blobs to and from Azure SQL Database. Alternatively, migrate to SQL Server on Azure Virtual Machine.
More information: Streaming blobs to and from Azure SQL blog
Linked server
Title: Linked server functionality isn't supported in Azure SQL Database
Category: Issue
Description
Linked servers enable the SQL Server Database Engine to execute commands against OLE DB data sources outside of the instance of SQL Server.
Recommendation
Azure SQL Database doesn't support linked server functionality. The following actions are recommended to eliminate the need for linked servers:
- Identify the dependent datasets from remote SQL servers and consider moving these into the database being migrated.
- Migrate the dependent databases to Azure and use Elastic Database Query (preview) functionality to query across databases in Azure SQL Database.
More information: Check Azure SQL Database elastic query (Preview).
MS DTC
Title: BEGIN DISTRIBUTED TRANSACTION isn't supported in Azure SQL Database.
Category: Issue
Description
Distributed transaction started by Transact SQL BEGIN DISTRIBUTED TRANSACTION and managed by Microsoft Distributed Transaction Coordinator (MS DTC) isn't supported in Azure SQL Database.
Recommendation
Review affected objects section in Azure Migrate to see all objects using BEGIN DISTRUBUTED TRANSACTION. Consider migrating the participant databases to Azure SQL Managed Instance where distributed transactions across multiple instances are supported. For more information, see Transactions across multiple servers for Azure SQL Managed Instance.
Alternatively, migrate to SQL Server on Azure Virtual Machine.
OPENROWSET (bulk)
Title: OpenRowSet used in bulk operation with non-Azure blob storage data source isn't supported in Azure SQL Database.
Category: Issue
Description OPENROWSET supports bulk operations through a built-in BULK provider that enables data from a file to be read and returned as a rowset. OPENROWSET with non-Azure blob storage data source isn't supported in Azure SQL Database.
Recommendation
Azure SQL Database can't access file shares and Windows folders, so the files must be imported from Azure Blob Storage. Therefore, only blob type DATASOURCE is supported in OPENROWSET function. Alternatively, migrate to SQL Server on Azure Virtual Machine
More information: Resolving Transact-SQL differences during migration to SQL Database
OPENROWSET (provider)
Title: OpenRowSet with SQL or non-SQL provider isn't supported in Azure SQL Database.
Category: Issue
Description
OpenRowSet with SQL or non-SQL provider is an alternative to accessing tables in a linked server and is a one-time, ad hoc method of connecting and accessing remote data by using OLE DB. OpenRowSet with SQL or non-SQL provider isn't supported in Azure SQL Database.
Recommendation
Azure SQL Database supports OPENROWSET only to import from Azure Blob Storage. Alternatively, migrate to SQL Server on Azure Virtual Machine.
More information: Resolving Transact-SQL differences during migration to SQL Database
Non-ANSI left outer join
Title: Non-ANSI style left outer join is no longer supported and has been removed.
Category: Warning
Description
Non-ANSI style left outer join is no longer supported and has been removed in Azure SQL Database.
Recommendation
Use ANSI join syntax.
More information: Discontinued Database Engine functionality in SQL Server
Non-ANSI right outer join
Title: Non-ANSI style right outer join is no longer supported and has been removed.
Category: Warning
Description
Non-ANSI style right outer join is no longer supported and has been removed in Azure SQL Database.
Recommendation
Use ANSI join syntax.
More information: Discontinued Database Engine functionality in SQL Server
Next column
Title: Tables and Columns named NEXT will lead to an error In Azure SQL Database.
Category: Issue
Description
Tables or columns named NEXT were detected. Sequences, introduced in Microsoft SQL Server, use the ANSI standard NEXT VALUE FOR function. If a table or a column is named NEXT and the column is aliased as VALUE, and if the ANSI standard AS is omitted, the resulting statement can cause an error.
Recommendation
Rewrite statements to include the ANSI standard AS keyword when aliasing a table or column. For example, when a column is named NEXT and that column is aliased as VALUE, the query SELECT NEXT VALUE FROM TABLE causes an error, and should be rewritten as SELECT NEXT AS VALUE FROM TABLE. Similarly, when a table is named NEXT and that table is aliased as VALUE, the query SELECT Col1 FROM NEXT VALUE causes an error, and should be rewritten as SELECT Col1 FROM NEXT AS VALUE.
RAISERROR
Title: Legacy style RAISERROR calls should be replaced with modern equivalents.
Category: Warning
Description
RAISERROR calls like the below example are termed as legacy-style because they don't include the commas and the parenthesis. RAISERROR 50001 'this is a test'. This method of calling RAISERROR is no longer supported and removed in Azure SQL Database.
Recommendation
Rewrite the statement using the current RAISERROR syntax, or evaluate if the modern approach of BEGIN TRY { } END TRY BEGIN CATCH { THROW; } END CATCH is feasible.
More information: Discontinued Database Engine functionality in SQL Server
Server audits
Title: Use Azure SQL Database audit features to replace Server Audits
Category: Warning
Description
Server Audits isn't supported in Azure SQL Database.
Recommendation
Consider Azure SQL Database audit features to replace Server Audits. Azure SQL supports audit and the features are richer than SQL Server. Azure SQL Database can audit various database actions and events, including: Access to data, Schema changes (DDL), Data changes (DML), Accounts, roles, and permissions (DCL, Security exceptions. Azure SQL Database Auditing increases an organization's ability to gain deep insight into events and changes that occur within their database, including updates and queries against the data. Alternatively migrate to Azure SQL Managed Instance or SQL Server on Azure Virtual Machine.
More information: Auditing for Azure SQL Database
Server credentials
Title: Server scoped credential isn't supported in Azure SQL Database
Category: Warning
Description
A credential is a record that contains the authentication information (credentials) required to connect to a resource outside SQL Server. Azure SQL Database supports database credentials, but not the ones created at the SQL Server scope.
Recommendation
Azure SQL Database supports database scoped credentials. Convert server scoped credentials to database scoped credentials. Alternatively migrate to Azure SQL Managed Instance or SQL Server on Azure Virtual Machine.
More information: Creating database scoped credential
Service Broker
Title: Service Broker feature isn't supported in Azure SQL Database
Category: Issue
Description
SQL Server Service Broker provides native support for messaging and queuing applications in the SQL Server Database Engine. Service Broker feature isn't supported in Azure SQL Database.
Recommendation
Service Broker feature isn't supported in Azure SQL Database. Consider migrating to Azure SQL Managed Instance that supports service broker within the same instance. Alternatively, migrate to SQL Server on Azure Virtual Machine.
Server-scoped triggers
Title: Server-scoped trigger isn't supported in Azure SQL Database
Category: Warning
Description
A trigger is a special type of stored procedure that executes in response to certain action on a table like insertion, deletion, or updating of data. Server-scoped triggers aren't supported in Azure SQL Database. Azure SQL Database doesn't support the following options for triggers: FOR LOGON, ENCRYPTION, WITH APPEND, NOT FOR REPLICATION, EXTERNAL NAME option (there is no external method support), ALL SERVER Option (DDL Trigger), Trigger on a LOGON event (Logon Trigger), Azure SQL Database doesn't support CLR-triggers.
Recommendation
Use database level trigger instead. Alternatively migrate to Azure SQL Managed Instance or SQL Server on Azure Virtual Machine.
More information: Resolving Transact-SQL differences during migration to SQL Database
SQL Agent jobs
Title: SQL Server Agent jobs aren't available in Azure SQL Database
Category: Warning
Description
SQL Server Agent is a Microsoft Windows service that executes scheduled administrative tasks, which are called jobs in SQL Server. SQL Server Agent jobs aren't available in Azure SQL Database.
Recommendation
Use elastic jobs (preview), which are the replacement for SQL Server Agent jobs in Azure SQL Database. Elastic Database jobs for Azure SQL Database allow you to reliably execute T-SQL scripts that span multiple databases while automatically retrying and providing eventual completion guarantees. Alternatively consider migrating to Azure SQL Managed Instance or SQL Server on Azure Virtual Machines.
More information: Getting started with Elastic Database jobs (Preview)
SQL Database size
Title: Azure SQL Database does not support database size greater than 100 TB.
Category: Issue
Description
The size of the database is greater than the maximum supported size of 100 TB.
Recommendation
Evaluate if the data can be archived or compressed or sharded into multiple databases. Alternatively, migrate to SQL Server on Azure Virtual Machine.
More information: vCore resource limits
SQL Mail
Title: SQL Mail has been discontinued.
Category: Warning
Description
SQL Mail has been discontinued and removed in Azure SQL Database.
Recommendation
Consider migrating to Azure SQL Managed Instance or SQL Server on Azure Virtual Machines and use Database Mail.
More information: Discontinued Database Engine functionality in SQL Server
SystemProcedures110
Title: Detected statements that reference removed system stored procedures that aren't available in Azure SQL Database.
Category: Warning
Description
Following unsupported system and extended stored procedures can't be used in Azure SQL Database - sp_dboption, sp_addserver, sp_dropalias,sp_activedirectory_obj, sp_activedirectory_scp, sp_activedirectory_start.
Recommendation
Remove references to unsupported system procedures that have been removed in Azure SQL Database.
More information: Discontinued Database Engine functionality in SQL Server
Trace flags
Title: Azure SQL Database does not support trace flags
Category: Warning
Description
Trace flags are used to temporarily set specific server characteristics or to switch off a particular behavior. Trace flags are frequently used to diagnose performance issues or to debug stored procedures or complex computer systems. Azure SQL Database doesn't support trace flags.
Recommendation
Review affected objects section in Azure Migrate to see all trace flags that aren't supported in Azure SQL Database and evaluate if they can be removed. Alternatively, migrate to Azure SQL Managed Instance, which supports limited number of global trace flags or SQL Server on Azure Virtual Machine.
More information: Resolving Transact-SQL differences during migration to SQL Database
Windows authentication
Title: Database users mapped with Windows authentication (integrated security) aren't supported in Azure SQL Database.
Category: Warning
Description
Azure SQL Database supports two types of authentication:
- SQL Authentication: uses a username and password
- Microsoft Entra authentication: uses identities managed by Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure Active Directory) and is supported for managed and integrated domains.
Database users mapped with Windows authentication (integrated security) aren't supported in Azure SQL Database.
Recommendation
Federate the local Active Directory with Microsoft Entra ID. The Windows identity can then be replaced with the equivalent Microsoft Entra identities. Alternatively, migrate to SQL Server on Azure Virtual Machine.
More information: SQL Database security capabilities
XP_cmdshell
Title: xp_cmdshell isn't supported in Azure SQL Database.
Category: Issue
Description
xp_cmdshell, which spawns a Windows command shell and passes in a string for execution, isn't supported in Azure SQL Database.
Recommendation
Review affected objects section in Azure Migrate to see all objects using xp_cmdshell and evaluate if the reference to xp_cmdshell or the affected object can be removed. Also consider exploring Azure Automation that delivers cloud-based automation and configuration service. Alternatively, migrate to SQL Server on Azure Virtual Machine.
Related content
- Migration guide: SQL Server to Azure SQL Database
- Service and tools for data migration
- What is Azure SQL Database?
- Azure total Cost of Ownership Calculator
- Cloud Adoption Framework for Azure
- Best practices for costing and sizing workloads migrate to Azure
- Data Access Migration Toolkit (Preview)
- Database Experimentation Assistant
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