Summary
In this module, you learned how to decide if a database needs to be upgraded, and what questions you should answer before making any decisions. You've also seen the available methods for database upgrades and the tasks to complete after you've migrated. You also learned how to ensure your queries run quickly in the upgraded database.
If you have a high number of SQL Server instances of varying versions and editions and want to document the database landscape quickly and efficiently, you need a tool to gather configuration data automatically. You can complete this repetitive and time-consuming task by using the Microsoft Assessment and Planning toolkit.
When you've decided which databases to upgrade, you then need to decide the upgrade path. The Data Migration Assistant simplifies this process, enabling all databases at a version of SQL Server 2005 or above to be upgraded through the same structured process. This tool is ideal for preventing major disruption to service as it also migrates logins, which means that applications can reconnect as seamlessly as possible.
After migration, you want to resume the high level of service that your company expects from its systems. The Query Tuning Assistant is perfect for ensuring that code continues to execute efficiently against each upgraded database.
Further reading
For a full and in-depth look at the new features in SQL Server 2019, see What's new in SQL Server 2019 (15.x).
To compare the features between editions, see Editions and supported features of SQL Server 2019 (15.x).
For more information about Query Store and how to use it during migrations, see Change the Database Compatibility Level and use the Query Store.