The Microsoft SQL Server Connector
Archive SQL Server databases at the point of version upgrade, application retirement, or cloud migration. Access historical data without maintaining a SQL Server license after archiving. Every table. Every row. Searchable on demand.
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Preserve SQL Server Data Beyond Application Retirement
Archon’s Microsoft SQL Server Connector extracts tables, schemas, stored procedure metadata, and historical data from SQL Server 2008 through 2022 and archives them into open Parquet/Delta Lake format. Built for enterprises retiring legacy LOB applications, migrating to Azure SQL or PostgreSQL, or retaining application database history after system decommissioning.
End-of-support milestones for SQL Server 2008, 2012, and 2014 have already passed. SQL Server 2016 and 2019 follow. Each creates a compliance risk: unsupported systems running live data. Archon extracts and preserves that data. You can retire the server, eliminate the risk, and still answer a regulator’s question seven years later.
- JDBC / TDS protocol extraction from SQL Server 2008 through 2022
- Tables, views, schemas, partitioned data, CDC records, and BLOBs captured
- Stored procedure metadata, triggers, and schema definitions preserved
- Cross-schema query via Archon Analyzer with no SQL Server license required post-archive
- SOX, HIPAA, GDPR, and SEC retention policy support
Capabilities
Everything You Need for Microsoft SQL Server Data Operations
End-of-Support Version Data Extraction
Archon extracts data from SQL Server 2008, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2019, and 2022, including versions that have passed Microsoft's end-of-support date. Running regulated data on unsupported SQL Server instances can increase security, operational, and compliance risk. Archon helps organizations archive the data and retire those environments responsibly.
Application Database Archiving
Legacy LOB applications built on SQL Server are retired, and Archon archives the underlying database before the application is decommissioned. Full schema structure, audit tables, and historical transaction records are preserved indefinitely.
Change Data Capture and Audit Trail Preservation
SQL Server CDC (Change Data Capture) records and audit tables are extracted and archived while preserving historical change history, providing a complete change history for SOX audits and eDiscovery requests.
Cloud Migration Data Offloading
Organizations migrating to Azure SQL, Amazon RDS for SQL Server, or PostgreSQL use Archon to offload historical data to Lakehouse before cutover, reducing migration scope and minimizing the volume of historical data moved into the target environment.
Use Cases
How Enterprises Use the Microsoft SQL Server Connector
01 End-of-Support Instance Retirement
Organizations running SQL Server 2008, 2012, or 2014, all of which are past end-of-support, face security and compliance exposure when regulated data remains on those systems. Archon archives the historical data and enables instance retirement, eliminating the ongoing infrastructure and compliance risk.
02 Legacy Application Decommissioning
LOB applications built on SQL Server are retired regularly. Archon archives the application database, including schema, data, and audit trails, before the application is shut down, ensuring compliance access without preserving the application infrastructure.
03 Azure SQL Migration
SQL Server-to-Azure SQL migrations use Archon to offload historical and inactive data to Lakehouse before cutover. This reduces migration data volume, lowers Azure SQL compute sizing, and satisfies compliance retention on historical records independently.
04 SOX Audit and eDiscovery Support
SOX audits and legal proceedings requiring SQL Server transactional records from multiple prior years are fulfilled through Archon Analyzer without requiring a live SQL Server environment.
Technical Specifications
| Specification | Details |
|---|---|
| Connection Method | JDBC / TDS protocol (Microsoft JDBC driver or jTDS) |
| Supported Versions | SQL Server 2008, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2022 |
| Data Scope | Tables, views, schemas, partitioned data, audit tables, CDC records, BLOBs |
| Output Format | Parquet, Delta Lake, Avro, XML, CSV, TXT, TSV, Excel |
| Metadata Handling | Schema structure, stored procedure metadata, triggers, indexes, constraints |
| Transformation Rules | Schema normalization supported |
| Retention Management | SOX, HIPAA, GDPR, SEC retention schedules |
| Legal Hold | Database and table-level hold orchestration with audit trail |
| Deployment | On-premises · Cloud (AWS) · Hybrid |
| Security & Compliance | TLS 1.3 in transit · AES-256 at rest · WORM-based retention controls · Data integrity verification through hashing |
How It Works
Up and Running in 4 Steps
01
Connect to SQL Server
Authenticate via JDBC or native TDS driver to SQL Server 2008 through 2022. Archon auto-discovers all databases, schemas, tables, views, stored procedures, and CDC configurations. 02
Map & Configure
Define database and schema scope, CDC and audit table capture strategy, and jurisdiction-specific retention schedules. Configure PII masking for GDPR compliance. 03
Validate & Preview
Run a dry-run against sample SQL Server databases. Quality report flags null primary keys, broken foreign key relationships, and CDC configuration anomalies. 04
Archive & Monitor
Execute full extraction. Integrity validation and timestamp records are applied during archival processing. Data searchable via Archon Analyzer immediately on ingestion.FAQ
Common Questions About the Microsoft SQL Server Connector
- 1. Does Archon support SQL Server instances that have passed Microsoft end-of-support?
Yes. Archon extracts from SQL Server 2008 through 2022, including versions that have passed Microsoft's support lifecycle. Archiving that data is precisely the mechanism for safely retiring those instances.
- 2. Can Archon archive SQL Server CDC (Change Data Capture) records?
Yes. Archon captures CDC records alongside base table data, preserving the complete change history with operation type, timestamp, and before/after values.
- 3. How does Archon handle SQL Server databases across multiple instances or servers?
Archon supports multi-instance extraction with a single configuration, normalizing schema differences across SQL Server versions and delivering a unified archive.
- 4. Can Archon archive SQL Server without impacting live production database performance?
Yes. Archon uses read-only JDBC extraction with configurable parallelism and throttle settings, with no production impact and no DBA intervention required.
- 5. Does Archon preserve SQL Server stored procedure definitions and schema metadata?
Archon captures stored procedure metadata, trigger definitions, view definitions, and schema structure, providing detailed documentation of the application database even after decommissioning.
Planning a SQL Server upgrade, migration, or retirement project?
Speak with an Archon specialist to evaluate archiving options, retention requirements, and long-term access to historical SQL Server data.
