Full Convert Enterprise: The Complete Guide to Database Migration

Full Convert Enterprise vs. Alternatives: Which Is Right for Your Business?Choosing the right database migration and conversion tool is a strategic decision that affects project schedule, data integrity, operational continuity, and long‑term costs. This article compares Full Convert Enterprise with several common alternatives, explains the differences in features, performance, licensing, and support, and gives practical guidance to help you decide which solution best fits your business needs.

Executive summary

• Full Convert Enterprise is a commercial, GUI-driven database migration tool focused on ease of use, broad source/target coverage, and reliable schema-and-data conversions.
• Alternatives include commercial platforms (e.g., AWS Database Migration Service, Microsoft Data Migration Assistant, Ispirer, DBConvert/DBSync) and open-source tools (e.g., Apache NiFi, Talend Open Studio).
• The best choice depends on factors such as database types, data volume, transformation complexity, downtime tolerance, automation needs, budget, and in‑house expertise.

What Full Convert Enterprise offers

Full Convert Enterprise targets organizations that need robust, predictable migrations without deep manual scripting. Its key strengths:

• Broad database support: Transfers between many relational databases (MSSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, PostgreSQL, Oracle, SQLite, Firebird, InterBase, IBM DB2, Sybase, Amazon Aurora, and more), plus some NoSQL and cloud platforms depending on version and connectors.
• Schema conversion: Automatically maps table structures, datatypes, primary/foreign keys, indexes, sequences, and constraints where possible.
• Data migration: High‑speed, multithreaded data transfer with options for bulk inserts and batching to improve throughput.
• Incremental sync: Supports change capture or incremental updates to keep source and target aligned during cutover.
• GUI and scripting: User-friendly GUI for mapping and testing, plus scripting/command‑line options for automation.
• Validation and reporting: Built-in verification to check row counts and detect mismatches after migration.
• Commercial support and updates: Paid licensing includes vendor support, bug fixes, and updates.

Common alternatives — brief overview

• AWS Database Migration Service (DMS)
  • Cloud‑native service optimized for migrating databases into AWS with minimal downtime. Supports homogeneous and heterogeneous migrations; integrates with AWS schema conversion tools.
• Microsoft Data Migration Assistant (DMA) / Azure Database Migration Service
  • Tools focused on migrating to Microsoft SQL Server and Azure databases, with deep support for SQL Server specifics and assessment features.
• Ispirer MnMTK / Ispirer migration tools
  • Enterprise-focused automated conversion with strong code and stored-procedure translation for complex migrations.
• DBConvert / DBSync
  • Product family focused on pairwise database conversion/synchronization with various editions for specific source/target combinations.
• Talend Open Studio / Apache NiFi
  • Open-source ETL/data integration platforms that can perform migrations with heavy customization; more developer effort required.
• Custom scripts and native tools
  • Using database-specific export/import tools (mysqldump, pg_dump/pg_restore, Oracle Data Pump) or custom ETL code.

Feature comparison

When Full Convert Enterprise is the right choice

Choose Full Convert Enterprise if you need:

• Fast, reliable migrations between many heterogeneous databases with minimal custom coding.
• A GUI-driven workflow for mapping, testing, and validation that non-developers or DBAs can run.
• Built‑in schema and datatype mapping to reduce manual effort.
• Commercial support and a packaged solution with predictable licensing.
• Incremental updates during a migration window to minimize downtime.

Example scenarios:

• A company migrating multiple on‑premises databases (Firebird, InterBase, IBM DB2) into PostgreSQL with limited internal migration expertise.
• A project requiring a one‑time bulk conversion with schema mapping and verification but no cloud lock‑in.

When an alternative is better

Consider other tools when:

• You’re migrating into a specific cloud provider (AWS/Azure/GCP) and want tight integration, automated scaling, or lower operating costs — use cloud migration services.
• You require automated conversion of large amounts of procedural code, complex stored procedures, or vendor-specific SQL dialects — consider Ispirer or specialized commercial converters.
• You have complex, ongoing data integration needs (streaming, transformations, data quality pipelines) and developer resources — use Talend, NiFi, or a custom ETL.
• Budget is extremely limited and you have in-house expertise to build and validate migrations — native tools + scripts may be cheapest.
• You want a pay-as-you-go model and elastic scaling for very large, variable workloads — cloud DMS solutions often make sense.

Technical and operational considerations

• Data types and semantic mapping: Verify how each tool maps vendor-specific types (e.g., Oracle NUMBER, MySQL ENUM) and handle precision/scale differences.
• Stored procedures and business logic: Most automated tools struggle with complex procedural code; plan for manual rewriting or use a tool specialized in code translation.
• Referential integrity and constraints: Tools differ in whether they migrate constraints/indexes immediately or defer them until after data load — that affects performance and validation.
• Downtime and cutover: Confirm support for CDC/incremental replication, test cutover time in a staging environment, and plan a rollback strategy.
• Security and compliance: Check encryption in transit, credential handling, and whether a tool stores sensitive data during migration.
• Licensing and total cost: Compare upfront license fees, per‑server costs, cloud egress fees, and expected professional services.

Migration checklist (practical steps)

1. Inventory: Catalog source and target databases, schema, stored procs, triggers, and data volume.
2. Requirements: Define downtime tolerance, transformation needs, security/compliance, and success criteria.
3. Pilot: Run a proof-of-concept with representative data to test schema mapping, performance, and validation.
4. Validate: Use checksums/row counts and application tests to confirm data integrity and behavior.
5. Plan cutover: Use incremental sync if needed; schedule cutover during low usage; have rollback steps.
6. Post-migration: Monitor performance, update backups, and decommission old systems when safe.

Cost considerations

• Full Convert Enterprise: One-time licenses or subscription; predictable for on‑premises projects. Factor in support renewal and any professional services.
• Cloud DMS: Operational costs tied to runtime (replication instances), data transfer, and ancillary services.
• Open-source: Lower software cost but higher labor and potential long‑term maintenance expense.
• Commercial converters: Higher licensing, often with professional services to help with complex object translation.

Recommendation summary

• Use Full Convert Enterprise when you want a focused, easy-to-use, vendor‑supported tool for heterogeneous migrations with reliable schema and data conversion and when you prefer a packaged solution over building custom pipelines.
• Use cloud migration services if you are moving into a cloud provider and want managed, scalable replication integrated with the cloud ecosystem.
• Choose Ispirer or similar enterprise converters when you need automated, high‑fidelity translation of stored procedures and database-specific code.
• Choose open-source ETL or native scripts when budget constraints and heavy in‑house expertise make custom solutions feasible.

If you tell me the specific source and target databases, data size, and downtime tolerance, I can give a tailored recommendation and a short migration plan.