Microsoft has begun the final phase of phasing out Azure SQL Data Sync. As of September 9, new deployments are no longer possible within Azure subscriptions that have not previously used the service. Existing users have until September 30, 2027, to migrate.
Subscriptions that already use SQL Data Sync can continue to create, modify, and manage sync groups and associated databases until that date. For other subscriptions, it is no longer possible to start using the service.
Microsoft announced two years ago that it would be discontinuing SQL Data Sync. With this new restriction, that phase-out now has practical implications. Existing users have just over a year left to migrate their environments.
Synchronization between databases
SQL Data Sync synchronizes data between different databases. The service operates on a hub-and-spoke model, with an Azure SQL Database serving as the central hub. Other Azure SQL Databases can be connected to it, as can on-premises SQL Server databases. The latter require a separate synchronization agent.
The technology is used, among other things, in hybrid environments, where applications and databases run partly on-premises and partly in Azure. Geographically distributed applications can also use it to synchronize databases, reports The Register.
Microsoft has not provided a specific technical reason for discontinuing the service. The company refers in general terms to changing requirements related to business operations, security, and compliance.
No direct replacement
For users, discontinuing SQL Data Sync means they must determine which alternative technology best suits their environment. Microsoft mentions, among others, Azure Data Factory, Azure Functions, read replicas, linked servers, database mirroring, availability groups, and transactional replication.
However, there is no direct successor. Microsoft warns that none of these alternatives can serve as a one-to-one replacement for every existing SQL Data Sync configuration. The appropriate migration path therefore depends on how an organization currently uses the synchronization service.
Azure SQL Data Sync will be permanently discontinued on September 30, 2027. Organizations still using the service must migrate their database synchronization to another solution by that date.