Managed Instance Link: SQL Server Replication to Azure

• Managed Instance link provides simplified database replication from SQL Server to Azure SQL Managed Instance.
• It creates read-only replicas in any Azure region to place data closer to users or other Azure services.
• The capability provides controlled migration that can reduce risk and help optimize deployments.
• Link is not a solution for disaster recovery, and it has database size, edition, and compatibility limits.

Azure SQL Managed Instance is previewing Managed Instance link, a feature that allows select SQL Server versions (from on-premises or cloud-hosted VMs) to use SQL Managed Instance as a destination for read-only database replicas. It could help organizations replicate data closer to users, meet regulatory compliance for off-site storage, and ease migration to the cloud service. However, replication only works from SQL Server to SQL Managed Instance, compatible SQL Server databases are limited, and parts of migration must be set up manually.

Managed Instance Overview

SQL Managed Instance is a PaaS database management offering based on SQL Server’s database engine. It is designed for organizations seeking a cloud platform with the ability to control, manage, and deploy dedicated SQL Server instances as they would on-premises. This approach provides a practical way to migrate SQL Server applications with complex database requirements, such as the need to group a collection of databases in one location, have shared security controls, or to use Always On availability groups for failover. Managed Instance also provides instance-level features, like cross-database queries and access to the resource governor, and security features like network isolation and private IP addresses that are often requirements for enterprises.