June 30, 2025

Azure SQL Edge to Retire in Sept 2025; Limited Migration Options

Andrew analyzes and writes about Microsoft's data management, business intelligence, and machine learning solutions, as well as aspects of licensing... more

Azure SQL Edge, a special edition of SQL Server for low-powered devices and edge servers running alongside IoT devices, is retiring in Sept. 2025. Microsoft claims the retirement allows it to focus on enhancing other offerings, likely meaning SQL Edge did not get enough adoption to make it worth further Microsoft investment.

What Is SQL Edge?

What makes SQL Edge interesting is that it includes the SQL Server database engine with Enterprise edition features, a streaming data engine from Stream Analytics, and a local machine learning component from Open Neural Network Exchange (ONNX) combined in a small footprint that can be deployed on devices with only one GB of memory. It also supports Linux containers, which are often used in edge scenarios and has a connected mode allowing it to share and process data through Azure services, such as Azure Event Hubs, and store data in Azure data services.

Migration

Recommended migration options are limited to SQL Server offerings, but there are no prebuilt solutions that provide the same capabilities as SQL Edge.

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