SQL Data Sync’s Retirement Highlights the Future of Azure SQL Offerings

• Azure SQL Data Sync is retiring in Sept. 2027 with no explanation or straightforward migration options.
• Replacing SQL Data Sync will likely require using complex traditional tools requiring more direct management or third-party solutions.
• The retirement shows that even established, mature Microsoft offerings are not immune to being shut down.

Azure SQL Data Sync is a cloud hub service for synchronizing data across multiple SQL Server databases. The service, released in 2018, is scheduled for retirement in Sept. 2027. There are no automated migration tools, and with the complexity of synchronizing data to multiple locations, customers should plan on a significant replacement project, probably involving traditional SQL Server data replication technologies or third-party tools. The best choice could be to revert to the solution that was used before adopting SQL Data Sync.

What This Says About Microsoft’s Willingness to Kill Products

It should be no surprise that Microsoft’s current strategy focuses primarily on AI-related products, as is evident with the company’s emphasis on Copilots. Directions is observing that this focus is resulting in a culling of services, as Microsoft retires services it considers low-value, presumably to free up resources (staff and datacenters) to work on and support AI-related offerings.