Prepare
- Upload Microsoft SQL Server files
Microsoft SQL Server is an enterprise relational database management system developed by Microsoft, widely used for business applications.
Why Agent Required
SQL Server databases run on enterprise servers that cannot directly upload data to the web. The DataMeans Agent connects securely to your SQL Server environment for extraction.
What You Can Extract
- SQL Server 2008, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2022
- Legacy versions (6.5, 7.0, 2000, 2005)
- Tables, views, and indexed views
- Indexes and constraints
- Stored procedures and functions (documentation)
What You Get Out
DataMeans extracts your data into multiple modern formats:
| Output | Description |
|---|---|
csv/{TableName}.csv | One CSV file per table with all row data |
xlsx/{TableName}.xlsx | Excel workbook per table |
xls/{TableName}.xls | Legacy Excel format per table |
json/{TableName}.json | JSON array of records per table |
json/{TableName}.jsonl | Newline-delimited JSON (streaming-friendly) |
postgres.sql | PostgreSQL CREATE TABLE + INSERT statements |
schema/schema-graph.json | Relationship graph for visualization |
schema/er-model.json | ER model for diagram tools |
report.json | Structured extraction report |
report.md | Human-readable extraction summary |
How It Works
Agent availability: The DataMeans Agent is currently in development and not yet available for download. The steps below describe the planned workflow. To get notified when SQL Server support launches, reach out via our About page.
- Download and install the DataMeans Agent on a system with SQL Server access
- Configure SQL Server connection credentials
- Select databases, schemas, and tables to extract
- The Agent extracts and uploads securely to DataMeans
- Review and download your converted data
Planned Support
- Full schema extraction
- Complete data extraction
- Type mapping to PostgreSQL equivalents
- Foreign key relationship detection
- Large table streaming
- Windows authentication or SQL authentication
Known Limitations
- Requires DataMeans Agent installation
- Stored procedures documented but not converted
- Very large tables may require scheduled extraction
Last updated: January 2026
Overview
Documentation coming soon.
This article will contain vendor-neutral technical documentation about the Microsoft SQL Server database format, including:
- History and background
- File format specifications
- Data types and structures
- Version differences
- Technical references
To learn how to use this format with DataMeans, see the User Guide.