Preface

The Oracle Migration Workbench for MS SQL Server and Sybase Adaptive Server Reference Guide provides detailed information about migrating a database from MS SQL Server 6.5, MS SQL Server 7.0, and Sybase Adaptive Server 11 to Oracle8 or Oracle8i. It is a useful guide regardless of the conversion tool you are using to perform the migration, but the recommended tool for such migrations is Oracle Migration Workbench (Migration Workbench). This reference guide describes several differences between MS SQL Server, Sybase Adaptive Server, and Oracle and outlines how those differences are handled by the Migration Workbench during the conversion process.

Audience

This guide is intended for anyone who is involved in converting an MS SQL Server or Sybase Adaptive Server database to Oracle using the Migration Workbench.

What You Should Already Know

You should be familiar with relational database concepts and with the operating system environments under which you are running Oracle and MS SQL Server or Sybase Adaptive Server.

How the Oracle Migration Workbench for MS SQL Server and Sybase Adaptive Server Reference Guide is Organized

This reference guide is organized as follows:

Chapter 1, "Overview"

Introduces the Migration Workbench and outlines features of this tool.

Chapter 2, "Databases"

Contains detailed information about the differences between data types, data storage concepts, schema objects, and the data manipulation language in MS SQL Server, Sybase Adaptive Server, and Oracle.

Chapter 3, "Triggers and Stored Procedures"

Introduces triggers and stored procedures, and compares T-SQL and PL/SQL language elements and constructs in MS SQL Server, Sybase Adaptive Server, and Oracle.

Chapter 4, "Distributed Environments"

Describes when and why distributed environments are used, and discusses application development tools.

Chapter 5, "Migrating Temporary Tables to Oracle"

Describes how to emulate temporary tables in Oracle8.

How to Use This Reference Guide

Every reader of this reference guide should read Chapter 1, "Overview" as that chapter provides an introduction to the concept and terminology of the Migration Workbench.

Conventions Used in This Reference Guide

The following typographic conventions are used in this reference guide:

[UPPERCASE]

Key names are represented by uppercase letters enclosed in brackets, as square in [RETURN].

Italicized Characters

Italicized Italic type in text indicates the complete names of documents, emphasizes a single word or short phrase, indicates variables, or indicates the first instance of an important word or phrase.

Code Examples

Monospace text distinguishes examples of commands and statements from the rest of the text. Monospace text must be entered exactly as shown. Example statements may include punctuation, such as commas or quotation marks. All punctuation in example statements is required. All example statements terminate with a semicolon (;). Depending on the application, a semicolon or other terminator may or may not be required to end a statement.

UPPERCASE in Code Examples

Uppercase words in example statements indicate the keywords within Oracle SQL. When you issue statements, however, keywords are not case sensitive.

lowercase in Code Examples

Lowercase words in example statements indicate words supplied only for the context of the example. For example, lowercase words may indicate the name of a table, column, or file.

Bold

Boldface type in text indicates emphasis with stress, a term defined in the text or the glossary or in both locations, or case-sensitive filenames or directory names.

>

Right-facing angle brackets appear in navigation paths to indicate movement from one Web page to another.

{ }

Curly braces indicate that one of the enclosed arguments is required. Do not enter the braces themselves.

[ ]

Square brackets indicate that the enclosed arguments are optional. Do not enter the brackets themselves.

|

A vertical bar separates alternative items that may be optional or required. Do not type the vertical bar.

...

Ellipses indicate that the preceding item can be repeated. You can enter an arbitrary number of similaritems. In code fragments, an ellipsis means that code not relevant to the discussion has been omitted. Do not type the ellipsis.

SQL*Plus Prompts

The SQL*Plus prompt, SQL>, appears in SQL statement and SQL*Plus command examples. Enter your response at the prompt. Do not enter the text of the prompt, SQL>, in your response.

MS-DOS Prompts

The MS-DOS prompt, >, appears in MS-DOS command examples. Enter your response at the prompt. Do not enter the prompt in your response.

Storage Measurements

Storage measurements use these abbreviations:
K, for kilobyte which equals 1024 bytes
M, for megabyte which equals 1 048 576 bytes
G, for gigabyte which equals 1 073 741 824 bytes

[UPPERCASE]	Key names are represented by uppercase letters enclosed in brackets, as square in [RETURN].
Italicized Characters	Italicized Italic type in text indicates the complete names of documents, emphasizes a single word or short phrase, indicates variables, or indicates the first instance of an important word or phrase.
Code Examples	Monospace text distinguishes examples of commands and statements from the rest of the text. Monospace text must be entered exactly as shown. Example statements may include punctuation, such as commas or quotation marks. All punctuation in example statements is required. All example statements terminate with a semicolon (;). Depending on the application, a semicolon or other terminator may or may not be required to end a statement.
UPPERCASE in Code Examples	Uppercase words in example statements indicate the keywords within Oracle SQL. When you issue statements, however, keywords are not case sensitive.
lowercase in Code Examples	Lowercase words in example statements indicate words supplied only for the context of the example. For example, lowercase words may indicate the name of a table, column, or file.
Bold	Boldface type in text indicates emphasis with stress, a term defined in the text or the glossary or in both locations, or case-sensitive filenames or directory names.
>	Right-facing angle brackets appear in navigation paths to indicate movement from one Web page to another.
{ }	Curly braces indicate that one of the enclosed arguments is required. Do not enter the braces themselves.
[ ]	Square brackets indicate that the enclosed arguments are optional. Do not enter the brackets themselves.
\|	A vertical bar separates alternative items that may be optional or required. Do not type the vertical bar.
...	Ellipses indicate that the preceding item can be repeated. You can enter an arbitrary number of similaritems. In code fragments, an ellipsis means that code not relevant to the discussion has been omitted. Do not type the ellipsis.
SQL*Plus Prompts	The SQLPlus prompt, SQL>, appears in SQL statement and SQLPlus command examples. Enter your response at the prompt. Do not enter the text of the prompt, SQL>, in your response.
MS-DOS Prompts	The MS-DOS prompt, >, appears in MS-DOS command examples. Enter your response at the prompt. Do not enter the prompt in your response.
Storage Measurements	Storage measurements use these abbreviations: K, for kilobyte which equals 1024 bytes M, for megabyte which equals 1 048 576 bytes G, for gigabyte which equals 1 073 741 824 bytes