Moving a database from one platform to the other usually requires data transformation. During migration, if both platforms support a database from the same vendor, migration is simpler. For example, you can export the database running on Linux to a standardized file format, and then import it into a new database on Oracle Solaris. When the migration also involves a change in database vendors, more extensive data transformations might be required.
Oracle supports the migration of database objects and data from a variety of databases to Oracle Database. Oracle Database is optimally tuned in to get the most out of Oracle Solaris. You can use the Oracle SQL Developer tool to migrate from non-Oracle databases to Oracle Database. For more information, see Oracle SQL Developer Tool for Migrating Databases.
Oracle Solaris supports the following open-source databases:
MySQL
PostgreSQL
SQLite
Ingres
Berkeley DB
The proprietary databases that are supported by the Oracle Solaris 11 OS are Oracle, DB2, Sybase, and Informix.
When you migrate a database to Oracle Solaris, you need to consider the following factors:
Database support on the platform
Database version compatibility
Migration effort involved
Licensing costs and migration of licenses
For information about installing Oracle Database on Oracle Solaris, see the Oracle Database Documentation.
Oracle SQL Developer provides a graphical user interface tool that eases the database migration process by simplifying database development tasks. SQL Developer supports Oracle Database versions 10g, 11g, and 12c. You can browse, create and modify database objects, run SQL statements, edit and debug SQL, and access a list of predefined reports or create your own report. SQL Developer can connect to Oracle Database starting with version 10g and runs on the Windows, Linux, and Macintosh platforms. For more information, see SQL Developer: Migrating Third-Party Databases in the Oracle SQL Developer documentation.