How to load data from Microsoft SQL Server (MSSQL) to BigQuery

Learn how to use Airbyte to synchronize your Microsoft SQL Server (MSSQL) data into BigQuery within minutes.

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Set up a Microsoft SQL Server (MSSQL) connector in Airbyte

Connect to Microsoft SQL Server (MSSQL) or one of 400+ pre-built or 10,000+ custom connectors through simple account authentication.

Set up BigQuery for your extracted Microsoft SQL Server (MSSQL) data

Select BigQuery where you want to import data from your Microsoft SQL Server (MSSQL) source to. You can also choose other cloud data warehouses, databases, data lakes, vector databases, or any other supported Airbyte destinations.

Configure the Microsoft SQL Server (MSSQL) to BigQuery in Airbyte

This includes selecting the data you want to extract - streams and columns -, the sync frequency, where in the destination you want that data to be loaded.

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TL;DR

This can be done by building a data pipeline manually, usually a Python script (you can leverage a tool as Apache Airflow for this). This process can take more than a full week of development. Or it can be done in minutes on Airbyte in three easy steps:

  1. set up Microsoft SQL Server (MSSQL) as a source connector (using Auth, or usually an API key)
  2. set up BigQuery as a destination connector
  3. define which data you want to transfer and how frequently

You can choose to self-host the pipeline using Airbyte Open Source or have it managed for you with Airbyte Cloud.

This tutorial’s purpose is to show you how.

What is Microsoft SQL Server (MSSQL)

Microsoft SQL Server Consultants help companies choose the best business software solutions for their needs. Microsoft SQL Server Consultants help businesses resolve questions and issues, provide businesses with reliable information resources, and, ultimately, make better decisions on the software most appropriate for their unique needs. Consultants are available to help on call and can connect remotely to businesses’ computers to upgrade outdated editions of SQL servers to bring functions up to date for improved productivity.

What is BigQuery

BigQuery is an enterprise data warehouse that draws on the processing power of Google Cloud Storage to enable fast processing of SQL queries through massive datasets. BigQuery helps businesses select the most appropriate software provider to assemble their data, based on the platforms the business uses. Once a business’ data is acculumated, it is moved into BigQuery. The company controls access to the data, but BigQuery stores and processes it for greater speed and convenience.

Integrate Microsoft SQL Server (MSSQL) with BigQuery in minutes

Try for free now

Prerequisites

  1. A Microsoft SQL Server (MSSQL) account to transfer your customer data automatically from.
  2. A BigQuery account.
  3. An active Airbyte Cloud account, or you can also choose to use Airbyte Open Source locally. You can follow the instructions to set up Airbyte on your system using docker-compose.

Airbyte is an open-source data integration platform that consolidates and streamlines the process of extracting and loading data from multiple data sources to data warehouses. It offers pre-built connectors, including Microsoft SQL Server (MSSQL) and BigQuery, for seamless data migration.

When using Airbyte to move data from Microsoft SQL Server (MSSQL) to BigQuery, it extracts data from Microsoft SQL Server (MSSQL) using the source connector, converts it into a format BigQuery can ingest using the provided schema, and then loads it into BigQuery via the destination connector. This allows businesses to leverage their Microsoft SQL Server (MSSQL) data for advanced analytics and insights within BigQuery, simplifying the ETL process and saving significant time and resources.

Step 1: Set up Microsoft SQL Server (MSSQL) as a source connector

1. Open the Airbyte platform and navigate to the "Sources" tab on the left-hand side of the screen.

2. Click on the "Add Source" button and select "MSSQL - SQL Server" from the list of available connectors.

3. Enter a name for the connector and click on the "Next" button.

4. Enter the required credentials for your MSSQL - SQL Server database, including the server name, port number, database name, username, and password.

5. Test the connection to ensure that the credentials are correct and the connection is successful.

6. Select the tables or views that you want to replicate from the MSSQL - SQL Server database.

7. Choose the replication mode that you want to use, either full or incremental.

8. Configure any additional settings, such as the replication frequency and the maximum number of rows to replicate.

9. Click on the "Create Source" button to save the configuration and start the replication process.

10. Monitor the replication process and troubleshoot any issues that may arise using the Airbyte platform's monitoring and logging features.

Step 2: Set up BigQuery as a destination connector

1. First, navigate to the Airbyte dashboard and select the "Destinations" tab on the left-hand side of the screen.

2. Scroll down until you find the "BigQuery" destination connector and click on it.

3. Click the "Create Destination" button to begin setting up your BigQuery destination.

4. Enter your Google Cloud Platform project ID and service account credentials in the appropriate fields.

5. Next, select the dataset you want to use for your destination and enter the table prefix you want to use.

6. Choose the schema mapping for your data, which will determine how your data is organized in BigQuery.

7. Finally, review your settings and click the "Create Destination" button to complete the setup process.

8. Once your destination is created, you can begin configuring your source connectors to start syncing data to BigQuery.

9. To do this, navigate to the "Sources" tab on the left-hand side of the screen and select the source connector you want to use.

10. Follow the prompts to enter your source credentials and configure your sync settings.

11. When you reach the "Destination" step, select your BigQuery destination from the dropdown menu and choose the dataset and table prefix you want to use.

12. Review your settings and click the "Create Connection" button to start syncing data from your source to your BigQuery destination.

Step 3: Set up a connection to sync your Microsoft SQL Server (MSSQL) data to BigQuery

Once you've successfully connected Microsoft SQL Server (MSSQL) as a data source and BigQuery as a destination in Airbyte, you can set up a data pipeline between them with the following steps:

  1. Create a new connection: On the Airbyte dashboard, navigate to the 'Connections' tab and click the '+ New Connection' button.
  2. Choose your source: Select Microsoft SQL Server (MSSQL) from the dropdown list of your configured sources.
  3. Select your destination: Choose BigQuery from the dropdown list of your configured destinations.
  4. Configure your sync: Define the frequency of your data syncs based on your business needs. Airbyte allows both manual and automatic scheduling for your data refreshes.
  5. Select the data to sync: Choose the specific Microsoft SQL Server (MSSQL) objects you want to import data from towards BigQuery. You can sync all data or select specific tables and fields.
  6. Select the sync mode for your streams: Choose between full refreshes or incremental syncs (with deduplication if you want), and this for all streams or at the stream level. Incremental is only available for streams that have a primary cursor.
  7. Test your connection: Click the 'Test Connection' button to make sure that your setup works. If the connection test is successful, save your configuration.
  8. Start the sync: If the test passes, click 'Set Up Connection'. Airbyte will start moving data from Microsoft SQL Server (MSSQL) to BigQuery according to your settings.

Remember, Airbyte keeps your data in sync at the frequency you determine, ensuring your BigQuery data warehouse is always up-to-date with your Microsoft SQL Server (MSSQL) data.

Use Cases to transfer your Microsoft SQL Server (MSSQL) data to BigQuery

Integrating data from Microsoft SQL Server (MSSQL) to BigQuery provides several benefits. Here are a few use cases:

  1. Advanced Analytics: BigQuery’s powerful data processing capabilities enable you to perform complex queries and data analysis on your Microsoft SQL Server (MSSQL) data, extracting insights that wouldn't be possible within Microsoft SQL Server (MSSQL) alone.
  2. Data Consolidation: If you're using multiple other sources along with Microsoft SQL Server (MSSQL), syncing to BigQuery allows you to centralize your data for a holistic view of your operations, and to set up a change data capture process so you never have any discrepancies in your data again.
  3. Historical Data Analysis: Microsoft SQL Server (MSSQL) has limits on historical data. Syncing data to BigQuery allows for long-term data retention and analysis of historical trends over time.
  4. Data Security and Compliance: BigQuery provides robust data security features. Syncing Microsoft SQL Server (MSSQL) data to BigQuery ensures your data is secured and allows for advanced data governance and compliance management.
  5. Scalability: BigQuery can handle large volumes of data without affecting performance, providing an ideal solution for growing businesses with expanding Microsoft SQL Server (MSSQL) data.
  6. Data Science and Machine Learning: By having Microsoft SQL Server (MSSQL) data in BigQuery, you can apply machine learning models to your data for predictive analytics, customer segmentation, and more.
  7. Reporting and Visualization: While Microsoft SQL Server (MSSQL) provides reporting tools, data visualization tools like Tableau, PowerBI, Looker (Google Data Studio) can connect to BigQuery, providing more advanced business intelligence options. If you have a Microsoft SQL Server (MSSQL) table that needs to be converted to a BigQuery table, Airbyte can do that automatically.

Wrapping Up

To summarize, this tutorial has shown you how to:

  1. Configure a Microsoft SQL Server (MSSQL) account as an Airbyte data source connector.
  2. Configure BigQuery as a data destination connector.
  3. Create an Airbyte data pipeline that will automatically be moving data directly from Microsoft SQL Server (MSSQL) to BigQuery after you set a schedule

With Airbyte, creating data pipelines take minutes, and the data integration possibilities are endless. Airbyte supports the largest catalog of API tools, databases, and files, among other sources. Airbyte's connectors are open-source, so you can add any custom objects to the connector, or even build a new connector from scratch without any local dev environment or any data engineer within 10 minutes with the no-code connector builder.

We look forward to seeing you make use of it! We invite you to join the conversation on our community Slack Channel, or sign up for our newsletter. You should also check out other Airbyte tutorials, and Airbyte’s content hub!

What should you do next?

Hope you enjoyed the reading. Here are the 3 ways we can help you in your data journey:

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Take the first step towards extensible data movement infrastructure that will give a ton of time back to your data team. 
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Get a free consultation with an Airbyte expert to significantly improve your data movement infrastructure. 
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Sync with Airbyte

1. Open the Airbyte platform and navigate to the "Sources" tab on the left-hand side of the screen.

2. Click on the "Add Source" button and select "MSSQL - SQL Server" from the list of available connectors.

3. Enter a name for the connector and click on the "Next" button.

4. Enter the required credentials for your MSSQL - SQL Server database, including the server name, port number, database name, username, and password.

5. Test the connection to ensure that the credentials are correct and the connection is successful.

6. Select the tables or views that you want to replicate from the MSSQL - SQL Server database.

7. Choose the replication mode that you want to use, either full or incremental.

8. Configure any additional settings, such as the replication frequency and the maximum number of rows to replicate.

9. Click on the "Create Source" button to save the configuration and start the replication process.

10. Monitor the replication process and troubleshoot any issues that may arise using the Airbyte platform's monitoring and logging features.

1. First, navigate to the Airbyte dashboard and select the "Destinations" tab on the left-hand side of the screen.

2. Scroll down until you find the "BigQuery" destination connector and click on it.

3. Click the "Create Destination" button to begin setting up your BigQuery destination.

4. Enter your Google Cloud Platform project ID and service account credentials in the appropriate fields.

5. Next, select the dataset you want to use for your destination and enter the table prefix you want to use.

6. Choose the schema mapping for your data, which will determine how your data is organized in BigQuery.

7. Finally, review your settings and click the "Create Destination" button to complete the setup process.

8. Once your destination is created, you can begin configuring your source connectors to start syncing data to BigQuery.

9. To do this, navigate to the "Sources" tab on the left-hand side of the screen and select the source connector you want to use.

10. Follow the prompts to enter your source credentials and configure your sync settings.

11. When you reach the "Destination" step, select your BigQuery destination from the dropdown menu and choose the dataset and table prefix you want to use.

12. Review your settings and click the "Create Connection" button to start syncing data from your source to your BigQuery destination.

Once you've successfully connected Microsoft SQL Server (MSSQL) as a data source and BigQuery as a destination in Airbyte, you can set up a data pipeline between them with the following steps:

  1. Create a new connection: On the Airbyte dashboard, navigate to the 'Connections' tab and click the '+ New Connection' button.
  2. Choose your source: Select Microsoft SQL Server (MSSQL) from the dropdown list of your configured sources.
  3. Select your destination: Choose BigQuery from the dropdown list of your configured destinations.
  4. Configure your sync: Define the frequency of your data syncs based on your business needs. Airbyte allows both manual and automatic scheduling for your data refreshes.
  5. Select the data to sync: Choose the specific Microsoft SQL Server (MSSQL) objects you want to import data from towards BigQuery. You can sync all data or select specific tables and fields.
  6. Select the sync mode for your streams: Choose between full refreshes or incremental syncs (with deduplication if you want), and this for all streams or at the stream level. Incremental is only available for streams that have a primary cursor.
  7. Test your connection: Click the 'Test Connection' button to make sure that your setup works. If the connection test is successful, save your configuration.
  8. Start the sync: If the test passes, click 'Set Up Connection'. Airbyte will start moving data from Microsoft SQL Server (MSSQL) to BigQuery according to your settings.

Remember, Airbyte keeps your data in sync at the frequency you determine, ensuring your BigQuery data warehouse is always up-to-date with your Microsoft SQL Server (MSSQL) data.

How to Sync Microsoft SQL Server (MSSQL) to BigQuery Manually

FAQs

ETL, an acronym for Extract, Transform, Load, is a vital data integration process. It involves extracting data from diverse sources, transforming it into a usable format, and loading it into a database, data warehouse or data lake. This process enables meaningful data analysis, enhancing business intelligence.

Microsoft SQL Server Consultants help companies choose the best business software solutions for their needs. Microsoft SQL Server Consultants help businesses resolve questions and issues, provide businesses with reliable information resources, and, ultimately, make better decisions on the software most appropriate for their unique needs. Consultants are available to help on call and can connect remotely to businesses’ computers to upgrade outdated editions of SQL servers to bring functions up to date for improved productivity.

MSSQL - SQL Server provides access to a wide range of data types, including:  

1. Relational data: This includes tables, views, and stored procedures that are used to store and manipulate data in a structured format.  

2. Non-relational data: This includes data that is not stored in a structured format, such as XML documents, JSON objects, and binary data.  

3. Spatial data: This includes data that is related to geographic locations, such as maps, coordinates, and spatial queries.  

4. Time-series data: This includes data that is related to time, such as timestamps, dates, and time intervals.  

5. Graph data: This includes data that is related to relationships between entities, such as social networks, supply chains, and organizational structures.  

6. Machine learning data: This includes data that is used for training and testing machine learning models, such as feature vectors, labels, and performance metrics.  

7. Streaming data: This includes data that is generated in real-time, such as sensor data, log files, and social media feeds.

This can be done by building a data pipeline manually, usually a Python script (you can leverage a tool as Apache Airflow for this). This process can take more than a full week of development. Or it can be done in minutes on Airbyte in three easy steps: 
1. Set up MSSQL - SQL Server to BigQuery as a source connector (using Auth, or usually an API key)
2. Choose a destination (more than 50 available destination databases, data warehouses or lakes) to sync data too and set it up as a destination connector
3. Define which data you want to transfer from MSSQL - SQL Server to BigQuery and how frequently
You can choose to self-host the pipeline using Airbyte Open Source or have it managed for you with Airbyte Cloud. 

ELT, standing for Extract, Load, Transform, is a modern take on the traditional ETL data integration process. In ELT, data is first extracted from various sources, loaded directly into a data warehouse, and then transformed. This approach enhances data processing speed, analytical flexibility and autonomy.

ETL and ELT are critical data integration strategies with key differences. ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) transforms data before loading, ideal for structured data. In contrast, ELT (Extract, Load, Transform) loads data before transformation, perfect for processing large, diverse data sets in modern data warehouses. ELT is becoming the new standard as it offers a lot more flexibility and autonomy to data analysts.

Warehouses and Lakes
Databases

How to load data from Microsoft SQL Server (MSSQL) to BigQuery

Learn how to use Airbyte to synchronize your Microsoft SQL Server (MSSQL) data into BigQuery within minutes.

TL;DR

This can be done by building a data pipeline manually, usually a Python script (you can leverage a tool as Apache Airflow for this). This process can take more than a full week of development. Or it can be done in minutes on Airbyte in three easy steps:

  1. set up Microsoft SQL Server (MSSQL) as a source connector (using Auth, or usually an API key)
  2. set up BigQuery as a destination connector
  3. define which data you want to transfer and how frequently

You can choose to self-host the pipeline using Airbyte Open Source or have it managed for you with Airbyte Cloud.

This tutorial’s purpose is to show you how.

What is Microsoft SQL Server (MSSQL)

Microsoft SQL Server Consultants help companies choose the best business software solutions for their needs. Microsoft SQL Server Consultants help businesses resolve questions and issues, provide businesses with reliable information resources, and, ultimately, make better decisions on the software most appropriate for their unique needs. Consultants are available to help on call and can connect remotely to businesses’ computers to upgrade outdated editions of SQL servers to bring functions up to date for improved productivity.

What is BigQuery

BigQuery is an enterprise data warehouse that draws on the processing power of Google Cloud Storage to enable fast processing of SQL queries through massive datasets. BigQuery helps businesses select the most appropriate software provider to assemble their data, based on the platforms the business uses. Once a business’ data is acculumated, it is moved into BigQuery. The company controls access to the data, but BigQuery stores and processes it for greater speed and convenience.

Integrate Microsoft SQL Server (MSSQL) with BigQuery in minutes

Try for free now

Prerequisites

  1. A Microsoft SQL Server (MSSQL) account to transfer your customer data automatically from.
  2. A BigQuery account.
  3. An active Airbyte Cloud account, or you can also choose to use Airbyte Open Source locally. You can follow the instructions to set up Airbyte on your system using docker-compose.

Airbyte is an open-source data integration platform that consolidates and streamlines the process of extracting and loading data from multiple data sources to data warehouses. It offers pre-built connectors, including Microsoft SQL Server (MSSQL) and BigQuery, for seamless data migration.

When using Airbyte to move data from Microsoft SQL Server (MSSQL) to BigQuery, it extracts data from Microsoft SQL Server (MSSQL) using the source connector, converts it into a format BigQuery can ingest using the provided schema, and then loads it into BigQuery via the destination connector. This allows businesses to leverage their Microsoft SQL Server (MSSQL) data for advanced analytics and insights within BigQuery, simplifying the ETL process and saving significant time and resources.

Step 1: Set up Microsoft SQL Server (MSSQL) as a source connector

1. Open the Airbyte platform and navigate to the "Sources" tab on the left-hand side of the screen.

2. Click on the "Add Source" button and select "MSSQL - SQL Server" from the list of available connectors.

3. Enter a name for the connector and click on the "Next" button.

4. Enter the required credentials for your MSSQL - SQL Server database, including the server name, port number, database name, username, and password.

5. Test the connection to ensure that the credentials are correct and the connection is successful.

6. Select the tables or views that you want to replicate from the MSSQL - SQL Server database.

7. Choose the replication mode that you want to use, either full or incremental.

8. Configure any additional settings, such as the replication frequency and the maximum number of rows to replicate.

9. Click on the "Create Source" button to save the configuration and start the replication process.

10. Monitor the replication process and troubleshoot any issues that may arise using the Airbyte platform's monitoring and logging features.

Step 2: Set up BigQuery as a destination connector

1. First, navigate to the Airbyte dashboard and select the "Destinations" tab on the left-hand side of the screen.

2. Scroll down until you find the "BigQuery" destination connector and click on it.

3. Click the "Create Destination" button to begin setting up your BigQuery destination.

4. Enter your Google Cloud Platform project ID and service account credentials in the appropriate fields.

5. Next, select the dataset you want to use for your destination and enter the table prefix you want to use.

6. Choose the schema mapping for your data, which will determine how your data is organized in BigQuery.

7. Finally, review your settings and click the "Create Destination" button to complete the setup process.

8. Once your destination is created, you can begin configuring your source connectors to start syncing data to BigQuery.

9. To do this, navigate to the "Sources" tab on the left-hand side of the screen and select the source connector you want to use.

10. Follow the prompts to enter your source credentials and configure your sync settings.

11. When you reach the "Destination" step, select your BigQuery destination from the dropdown menu and choose the dataset and table prefix you want to use.

12. Review your settings and click the "Create Connection" button to start syncing data from your source to your BigQuery destination.

Step 3: Set up a connection to sync your Microsoft SQL Server (MSSQL) data to BigQuery

Once you've successfully connected Microsoft SQL Server (MSSQL) as a data source and BigQuery as a destination in Airbyte, you can set up a data pipeline between them with the following steps:

  1. Create a new connection: On the Airbyte dashboard, navigate to the 'Connections' tab and click the '+ New Connection' button.
  2. Choose your source: Select Microsoft SQL Server (MSSQL) from the dropdown list of your configured sources.
  3. Select your destination: Choose BigQuery from the dropdown list of your configured destinations.
  4. Configure your sync: Define the frequency of your data syncs based on your business needs. Airbyte allows both manual and automatic scheduling for your data refreshes.
  5. Select the data to sync: Choose the specific Microsoft SQL Server (MSSQL) objects you want to import data from towards BigQuery. You can sync all data or select specific tables and fields.
  6. Select the sync mode for your streams: Choose between full refreshes or incremental syncs (with deduplication if you want), and this for all streams or at the stream level. Incremental is only available for streams that have a primary cursor.
  7. Test your connection: Click the 'Test Connection' button to make sure that your setup works. If the connection test is successful, save your configuration.
  8. Start the sync: If the test passes, click 'Set Up Connection'. Airbyte will start moving data from Microsoft SQL Server (MSSQL) to BigQuery according to your settings.

Remember, Airbyte keeps your data in sync at the frequency you determine, ensuring your BigQuery data warehouse is always up-to-date with your Microsoft SQL Server (MSSQL) data.

Use Cases to transfer your Microsoft SQL Server (MSSQL) data to BigQuery

Integrating data from Microsoft SQL Server (MSSQL) to BigQuery provides several benefits. Here are a few use cases:

  1. Advanced Analytics: BigQuery’s powerful data processing capabilities enable you to perform complex queries and data analysis on your Microsoft SQL Server (MSSQL) data, extracting insights that wouldn't be possible within Microsoft SQL Server (MSSQL) alone.
  2. Data Consolidation: If you're using multiple other sources along with Microsoft SQL Server (MSSQL), syncing to BigQuery allows you to centralize your data for a holistic view of your operations, and to set up a change data capture process so you never have any discrepancies in your data again.
  3. Historical Data Analysis: Microsoft SQL Server (MSSQL) has limits on historical data. Syncing data to BigQuery allows for long-term data retention and analysis of historical trends over time.
  4. Data Security and Compliance: BigQuery provides robust data security features. Syncing Microsoft SQL Server (MSSQL) data to BigQuery ensures your data is secured and allows for advanced data governance and compliance management.
  5. Scalability: BigQuery can handle large volumes of data without affecting performance, providing an ideal solution for growing businesses with expanding Microsoft SQL Server (MSSQL) data.
  6. Data Science and Machine Learning: By having Microsoft SQL Server (MSSQL) data in BigQuery, you can apply machine learning models to your data for predictive analytics, customer segmentation, and more.
  7. Reporting and Visualization: While Microsoft SQL Server (MSSQL) provides reporting tools, data visualization tools like Tableau, PowerBI, Looker (Google Data Studio) can connect to BigQuery, providing more advanced business intelligence options. If you have a Microsoft SQL Server (MSSQL) table that needs to be converted to a BigQuery table, Airbyte can do that automatically.

Wrapping Up

To summarize, this tutorial has shown you how to:

  1. Configure a Microsoft SQL Server (MSSQL) account as an Airbyte data source connector.
  2. Configure BigQuery as a data destination connector.
  3. Create an Airbyte data pipeline that will automatically be moving data directly from Microsoft SQL Server (MSSQL) to BigQuery after you set a schedule

With Airbyte, creating data pipelines take minutes, and the data integration possibilities are endless. Airbyte supports the largest catalog of API tools, databases, and files, among other sources. Airbyte's connectors are open-source, so you can add any custom objects to the connector, or even build a new connector from scratch without any local dev environment or any data engineer within 10 minutes with the no-code connector builder.

We look forward to seeing you make use of it! We invite you to join the conversation on our community Slack Channel, or sign up for our newsletter. You should also check out other Airbyte tutorials, and Airbyte’s content hub!

What should you do next?

Hope you enjoyed the reading. Here are the 3 ways we can help you in your data journey:

flag icon
Easily address your data movement needs with Airbyte Cloud
Take the first step towards extensible data movement infrastructure that will give a ton of time back to your data team. 
Get started with Airbyte for free
high five icon
Talk to a data infrastructure expert
Get a free consultation with an Airbyte expert to significantly improve your data movement infrastructure. 
Talk to sales
stars sparkling
Improve your data infrastructure knowledge
Subscribe to our monthly newsletter and get the community’s new enlightening content along with Airbyte’s progress in their mission to solve data integration once and for all.
Subscribe to newsletter

Migrating data from SQL Server to BigQuery can be done by building a data pipeline manually, usually a Python script (you can leverage a tool as Apache Airflow for this). This process can take more than a full week of development. Or it can be done in minutes on Airbyte in three easy steps:

  1. set up MSSQL - SQL Server as a source connector (using Auth, or usually an API key)
  2. set up BigQuery destination as a destination connector
  3. define which data you want to transfer and how frequently

You can choose to self-host the pipeline using Airbyte Open Source or have it managed for you with Airbyte Cloud.

This tutorial’s purpose is to show you how.

What is MSSQL - SQL Server

Microsoft SQL Server Consultants help companies choose the best business software solutions for their needs. Microsoft SQL Server Consultants help businesses resolve questions and issues, provide businesses with reliable information resources, and, ultimately, make better decisions on the software most appropriate for their unique needs. Consultants are available to help on call and can connect remotely to businesses’ computers to upgrade outdated editions of SQL servers to bring functions up to date for improved productivity.

What is BigQuery destination

BigQuery is an enterprise data warehouse that draws on the processing power of Google Cloud Storage to enable fast processing of SQL queries through massive datasets. BigQuery helps businesses select the most appropriate software provider to assemble their data, based on the platforms the business uses. Once a business’ data is acculumated, it is moved into BigQuery. The company controls access to the data, but BigQuery stores and processes it for greater speed and convenience.|


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Prerequisites

  1. A MSSQL - SQL Server account to transfer your customer data automatically from.
  2. A BigQuery destination account.
  3. An active Airbyte Cloud account, or you can also choose to use Airbyte Open Source locally. You can follow the instructions to set up Airbyte on your system using docker-compose.

Airbyte is an open-source data integration platform that consolidates and streamlines the process of extracting and loading data from multiple data sources to data warehouses. It offers pre-built connectors, including MSSQL - SQL Server and BigQuery destination, for seamless data migration.

When using Airbyte to move data from MSSQL - SQL Server to BigQuery destination, it extracts data from MSSQL - SQL Server using the source connector, converts it into a format BigQuery destination can ingest using the provided schema, and then loads it into BigQuery destination via the destination connector. This allows businesses to leverage their MSSQL - SQL Server data for advanced analytics and insights within BigQuery destination, simplifying the ETL process and saving significant time and resources.

Step 1: Set up MSSQL - SQL Server as a source connector

1. Open the Airbyte platform and navigate to the "Sources" tab on the left-hand side of the screen.

2. Click on the "Add Source" button and select "MSSQL - SQL Server" from the list of available connectors.

3. Enter a name for the connector and click on the "Next" button.

4. Enter the required credentials for your MSSQL - SQL Server database, including the server name, port number, database name, username, and password.

5. Test the connection to ensure that the credentials are correct and the connection is successful.

6. Select the tables or views that you want to replicate from the MSSQL - SQL Server database.

7. Choose the replication mode that you want to use, either full or incremental.

8. Configure any additional settings, such as the replication frequency and the maximum number of rows to replicate.

9. Click on the "Create Source" button to save the configuration and start the replication process.

10. Monitor the replication process and troubleshoot any issues that may arise using the Airbyte platform's monitoring and logging features.

Step 2: Set up BigQuery destination as a destination connector

1. First, navigate to the Airbyte dashboard and select the "Destinations" tab on the left-hand side of the screen.

2. Scroll down until you find the "BigQuery" destination connector and click on it.

3. Click the "Create Destination" button to begin setting up your BigQuery destination.

4. Enter your Google Cloud Platform project ID and service account credentials in the appropriate fields.

5. Next, select the dataset you want to use for your destination and enter the table prefix you want to use.

6. Choose the schema mapping for your data, which will determine how your data is organized in BigQuery.

7. Finally, review your settings and click the "Create Destination" button to complete the setup process.

8. Once your destination is created, you can begin configuring your source connectors to start syncing data to BigQuery.

9. To do this, navigate to the "Sources" tab on the left-hand side of the screen and select the source connector you want to use.

10. Follow the prompts to enter your source credentials and configure your sync settings.

11. When you reach the "Destination" step, select your BigQuery destination from the dropdown menu and choose the dataset and table prefix you want to use.

12. Review your settings and click the "Create Connection" button to start syncing data from your source to your BigQuery destination.

Step 3: Set up a connection to sync your data from SQL Server to BigQuery

Once you've successfully connected MSSQL - SQL Server as a data source and BigQuery destination as a destination in Airbyte, you can set up a data pipeline between them with the following steps:

  1. Create a new connection: On the Airbyte dashboard, navigate to the 'Connections' tab and click the '+ New Connection' button.
  2. Choose your source: Select MSSQL - SQL Server from the dropdown list of your configured sources.
  3. Select your destination: Choose BigQuery destination from the dropdown list of your configured destinations.
  4. Configure your sync: Define the frequency of your data syncs based on your business needs. Airbyte allows both manual and automatic scheduling for your data refreshes.
  5. Select the data to sync: Choose the specific MSSQL - SQL Server objects you want to import data from towards BigQuery destination. You can sync all data or select specific tables and fields.
  6. Select the sync mode for your streams: Choose between full refreshes or incremental syncs (with deduplication if you want), and this for all streams or at the stream level. Incremental is only available for streams that have a primary cursor.
  7. Test your connection: Click the 'Test Connection' button to make sure that your setup works. If the connection test is successful, save your configuration.
  8. Start the sync: If the test passes, click 'Set Up Connection'. Airbyte will start moving data from MSSQL - SQL Server to BigQuery destination according to your settings.

Remember, Airbyte keeps your data in sync at the frequency you determine, ensuring your BigQuery destination data warehouse is always up-to-date with your MSSQL - SQL Server data.

Use Cases to transfer your MSSQL - SQL Server data to BigQuery destination

Integrating data from MSSQL - SQL Server to BigQuery destination provides several benefits. Here are a few use cases:

  1. Advanced Analytics: BigQuery destination’s powerful data processing capabilities enable you to perform complex queries and data analysis on your MSSQL - SQL Server data, extracting insights that wouldn't be possible within MSSQL - SQL Server alone.
  2. Data Consolidation: If you're using multiple other sources along with MSSQL - SQL Server, syncing to BigQuery destination allows you to centralize your data for a holistic view of your operations, and to set up a change data capture process so you never have any discrepancies in your data again.
  3. Historical Data Analysis: MSSQL - SQL Server has limits on historical data. Syncing data to BigQuery destination allows for long-term data retention and analysis of historical trends over time.
  4. Data Security and Compliance: BigQuery destination provides robust data security features. Syncing MSSQL - SQL Server data to BigQuery destination ensures your data is secured and allows for advanced data governance and compliance management.
  5. Scalability: BigQuery destination can handle large volumes of data without affecting performance, providing an ideal solution for growing businesses with expanding MSSQL - SQL Server data.
  6. Data Science and Machine Learning: By having MSSQL - SQL Server data in BigQuery destination, you can apply machine learning models to your data for predictive analytics, customer segmentation, and more.
  7. Reporting and Visualization: While MSSQL - SQL Server provides reporting tools, data visualization tools like Tableau, PowerBI, Looker (Google Data Studio) can connect to BigQuery destination, providing more advanced business intelligence options. If you have a MSSQL - SQL Server table that needs to be converted to a BigQuery destination table, Airbyte can do that automatically.

Wrapping Up

To summarize, this tutorial has shown you how to:

  1. Configure a MSSQL - SQL Server account as an Airbyte data source connector.
  2. Configure BigQuery destination as a data destination connector.
  3. Create an Airbyte data pipeline that will automatically be moving data directly from MSSQL - SQL Server to BigQuery destination after you set a schedule

With Airbyte, creating data pipelines take minutes, and the data integration possibilities are endless. Airbyte supports the largest catalog of API tools, databases, and files, among other sources. Airbyte's connectors are open-source, so you can add any custom objects to the connector, or even build a new connector from scratch without any local dev environment or any data engineer within 10 minutes with the no-code connector builder.

We look forward to seeing you make use of it! We invite you to join the conversation on our community Slack Channel, or sign up for our newsletter. You should also check out other Airbyte tutorials, and Airbyte’s content hub!

What should you do next?

Hope you enjoyed the reading. Here are the 3 ways we can help you in your data journey:

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Frequently Asked Questions

What data can you extract from Microsoft SQL Server (MSSQL)?

MSSQL - SQL Server provides access to a wide range of data types, including:  

1. Relational data: This includes tables, views, and stored procedures that are used to store and manipulate data in a structured format.  

2. Non-relational data: This includes data that is not stored in a structured format, such as XML documents, JSON objects, and binary data.  

3. Spatial data: This includes data that is related to geographic locations, such as maps, coordinates, and spatial queries.  

4. Time-series data: This includes data that is related to time, such as timestamps, dates, and time intervals.  

5. Graph data: This includes data that is related to relationships between entities, such as social networks, supply chains, and organizational structures.  

6. Machine learning data: This includes data that is used for training and testing machine learning models, such as feature vectors, labels, and performance metrics.  

7. Streaming data: This includes data that is generated in real-time, such as sensor data, log files, and social media feeds.

What data can you transfer to BigQuery?

You can transfer a wide variety of data to BigQuery. This usually includes structured, semi-structured, and unstructured data like transaction records, log files, JSON data, CSV files, and more, allowing robust, scalable data integration and analysis.

What are top ETL tools to transfer data from Microsoft SQL Server (MSSQL) to BigQuery?

The most prominent ETL tools to transfer data from Microsoft SQL Server (MSSQL) to BigQuery include:

  • Airbyte
  • Fivetran
  • Stitch
  • Matillion
  • Talend Data Integration

These tools help in extracting data from Microsoft SQL Server (MSSQL) and various sources (APIs, databases, and more), transforming it efficiently, and loading it into BigQuery and other databases, data warehouses and data lakes, enhancing data management capabilities.

What should you do next?

Hope you enjoyed the reading. Here are the 3 ways we can help you in your data journey:

flag icon
Easily address your data movement needs with Airbyte Cloud
Take the first step towards extensible data movement infrastructure that will give a ton of time back to your data team. 
Get started with Airbyte for free
high five icon
Talk to a data infrastructure expert
Get a free consultation with an Airbyte expert to significantly improve your data movement infrastructure. 
Talk to sales
stars sparkling
Improve your data infrastructure knowledge
Subscribe to our monthly newsletter and get the community’s new enlightening content along with Airbyte’s progress in their mission to solve data integration once and for all.
Subscribe to newsletter