Microsoft SQL Server 2012 Upgrade Advisor: Complete Guide to Preparing Your Environment

Microsoft SQL Server 2012 Upgrade Advisor — concise overview

• What it is: A Microsoft tool that analyzes an existing SQL Server environment (databases, logins, jobs, features, deprecated syntax) and reports potential compatibility issues before upgrading to SQL Server 2012.

• Main checks it performs:

  • Deprecated features and discontinued functionality
  • Breaking changes in Transact-SQL and database behavior
  • Feature usage (e.g., SQL Server Agent jobs, SSIS packages, linked servers)
  • Database compatibility and upgrade blockers
  • Logins, permissions, and orphaned users

• When to use: Run on source SQL Server instances and on representative databases before planning an upgrade or migration to SQL Server 2012 to identify and fix issues early.

• How it works (high level):

  1. Install Upgrade Advisor (part of SQL Server 2012 feature pack/tools or separate download for the Advisor component).
  2. Create an analysis by selecting one or more servers/databases.
  3. Run the analysis (can be local or remote).
  4. Review the generated report with categorized findings and remediation guidance.
  5. Fix issues, rerun analysis until acceptable.

• Output: HTML/XML reports listing issues by severity, affected objects, descriptions, and suggested actions.

• Availability / lifecycle notes:

  • Provided by Microsoft during the SQL Server 2012 release cycle; downloads and documentation are on Microsoft Learn / SQL Server pages.
  • SQL Server 2012 reached end of mainstream/extended support (see Microsoft lifecycle pages); plan upgrades to supported versions if still running 2012.

If you want, I can:

• give step-by-step instructions to download and run Upgrade Advisor, or
• generate a checklist of the most common Upgrade Advisor findings and fixes. Which would you like?