Access to MySQL conversion and synchronization.

DBConvert & DBSync for Access and MySQL is a cross-database migration software for data conversion and synchronization between Microsoft Access (.MDB or .ACCDB) and MySQL databases.

Why convert Microsoft Access database to MySQL?

Scaling MS Access databases to an enterprise-level is often demanded when there are not enough Access database engine capabilities.

Converting Access to MySQL is one of the most popular ways to upsize an old Access Database.

  1. Probably the essential reason to migrate Access data is to share it with others on the web.
  2. The total size for an Access database is limited to about 2 Gb. Server databases routinely manage terabytes of data efficiently.
  3. Microsoft Access is available for Windows PC only. Moving data from Access to MySQL opens an opportunity to share data between different platforms as MySQL historically is cross-platformed. It runs on most platforms, including UNIX, Linux, Windows, and macOS.

How to migrate Access to MySQL?

The following methods are quite suitable for this:

The old-fashioned manual way of database exporting from Access to MySQL:

  1. Create your table structure on MySQL side:
    CREATE TABLE `foo`(`myid` INT, `mytext` VARCHAR(255), 
    `mydecimal` DECIMAL(8,4));
                
  2. Save data from each table into a separate text file using the Microsoft Access export feature.
    1 Use these interesting 6.25
    2 fun facts to learn 32.8
    3 something new today. 4.76
  3. Each text file can be imported into a MySQL database using LOAD DATA statement.

    LOAD DATA LOCAL INFILE '/tmp/foo.txt'
    INTO TABLE foo FIELDS TERMINATED BY '\t';        
        

    The rows get inserted:

    Query OK, 3 rows affected (0.00 sec)
    Records: 3 
    Deleted: 0 
    Skipped: 0 
    Warnings:0        
        

    Optionally you can use mysqlimport command-line utility.

  4. Check the inserted records:

    mysql> select * from foo;
    +------+----------------------+-----------+
    | myid | mytext               | mydecimal |
    +------+----------------------+-----------+
    |    1 | Use these interesting|    6.2500 |
    |    2 | fun facts to learn   |    32.8000|
    |    3 | something new today. |    4.7600 |
    +------+----------------------+-----------+
    3 rows in set (0.00 sec)
                

This is the most difficult and time consuming method of importing data to MySQL from Access.

Using ODBC connection from Access to MySQL.

Follow the quick steps listed here:

  1. Configure a new ODBC DSN connection if it doesn't already exist (refer to this manual)

  2. Inside Access database, click on the table you like to export, click on the file menu, then go to export and enter the name for the exported table.

    Access: Export ODBC Database Menu Selected
  3. Select the ODBC connection you just created or choose the existing one from the list.

MS Access will connect to a MySQL server and export the data from a specified table to the target MySQL database.

Go here for a detailed manual.

While both of the above methods work, we can suggest a better solution.

DBConvert and DBSync software automate the process of data migration from Access to MySQL and reduce manual work.

Why use DBConvert software?

Our converters are designed to migrate and synchronize large and complex databases. Data can be migrated between local and remote databases as:

  • MS Access (.MDB or .ACCDB)
  • MySQL
  • MariaDB
  • Percona
  • Amazon RDS | Aurora
  • Google Cloud SQL
  • Azure Database for MySQL

Queries conversion from Access to MySQL, MariaDB, and Percona views is available.

The software migrates indexes and relationships between tables, supports Unicode.

Many more useful options and features allow you to customize the conversion process and make it easier to get the preferred result.

Insert, Update, and Drop synchronization types give a strong consistency between Source and Target databases.

Supported databases:
  • Microsoft Access
  • MySQL
  • MariaDB
  • SingleStore DB (formerly MemSQL)
  • TiDB
  • Percona Server for MySQL
  • Vitess
  • Queries from Access → MySQL views migration
  • Amazon RDS
  • Amazon Aurora
  • Google Cloud
  • Azure Database for MySQL
  • MySQL Dump
  • PHP Script
 DBConvert for Access & MySQL

Version: 8.4.3

Release Date: Nov. 3, 2023

 DBSync for Access & MySQL

Version: 6.8.6

Release Date: Feb. 22, 2023

Try All-in-one DB migration and Sync software.

DBConvert Studio

 Version: 3.5.4

Release Date: Feb. 14, 2024

Supported databases:

  • SQL Server
  • MySQL
  • MariaDB
  • Percona
  • Oracle
  • PostgreSQL
  • Access
  • FoxPro
  • SQLite
  • Interbase
  • Firebird
  • IBM DB2
  • MS Azure SQL
  • Amazon RDS
  • Amazon Aurora
  • Heroku Postgres
  • Google Cloud

Using Access to MySQL conversion and synchronization tools.

When launching the DBConvert or DBSync application in GUI mode, it seamlessly guides you through the steps to initiate database migration or synchronization:

1. Connect to Access source database.

Specify the username/password and host/port parameters if your source database requires login credentials.

Connect to Access source database from DBConvert

2. Connect to MySQL destination database.

Specify parameters for the destination database similar to the source, defining connection settings and username/password pairs.

Connect to MySQL target database from DBConvert

NOTE #1: Each DBConvert or DBSync tool's name comprises two different databases, enabling any specified database to operate as the source or destination. Furthermore, the same type of database can function as both the source and destination.

NOTE #2: Connections to cloud databases (e.g., Amazon RDS, Google Cloud, or Azure SQL) aren't explicitly specified in the user interface but use the same settings as traditional on-premises databases.

NOTE #3: Connections to source and target databases remain active until you close the DBConvert/DBSync application or reopen new connections.

Refer to our documentation for specific source/ destination configurations for different databases.

3. Configure database migration options.

Specify the tables, fields, indices, and views you want to transfer to the MySQL destination database by checking/unchecking the corresponding boxes.

Customize general database/ tables settings. Or configure specific table , field, index object individually when migrating data.

Explore our articles in the user's manual about Configuring database migration options. for detailed information.

The screenshot below summarizes the general features available in DBConvert software.

4. Detection of potential database migration issues. Errors and Warnings

The database enforces certain relations on the data, and on the customization step, an intelligent error checker verifies all possible data integrity and referential integrity issues. It highlights any problems before migration starts.

By default, DBConvert attempts to automatically map the database types of the source Access database to the closest equivalent of the target MySQL database types. However, you can manually change the data types for the entire database globally using the "Global mapping" or individually for each field.

Explore the Intelligent error checker for more information. on errors and warnings

5. Execution. The final stage of data migration.

Initiate the conversion or synchronization process after configuring source and destination databases in the previous steps.

Click the "Commit" button to start conversion. Here, you can also monitor the migration/synchronization process.

Optionally save connection settings and configuration parameters into the session file to schedule the launching of sync or migration jobs regularly.

Execution step of DBConvert products

Explore more about the options available during the execution stage

Command line mode

Pass previously saved sessions as parameters to the Command-Line DBConvert Client. A session retains Access source and MySQL target database connection settings with other specified options.

Example:

C:\Program Files\DBConvert\access2mysqlPro\access2mysqlPro_Cons.exe /Session:"Session_Name"

NOTE: First, run the software in GUI mode to create a session file with initial parameters.

Built-in scheduler.

Our applications include a built-in scheduler to run database migration and sync jobs at specified times. Set the scheduled date and time to execute job sessions automatically.

Find more Information about the built-in scheduler

DBConvert screenshot

Supported OS:

Requirements

  • Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 x86 Redistributable package
  • Necessary privileges to write into database on the target MySQL server (this requirement is optional as there is an option to overcome the restrictions using dump file or PHP Script)
  • Access 2000 or higher. Both Access 32/64 versions are supported

Highlights

Explore details regarding reverse migration.