Migrating from SQL Server to Azure SQL, Synapse, and Microsoft Fabric is rarely a simple lift-and-shift. When legacy SQL architectures are moved to cloud platforms without rethinking design patterns and operating models, teams often encounter performance bottlenecks, rising costs, governance gaps, and brittle data pipelines.
This expert panel discussion brings together practitioners who have or are leading SQL-to-Azure and Microsoft Fabric migrations across industries. The panel will share real-world lessons from the field, highlight the most common pitfalls that derail modernization efforts, and discuss the architectural and operational practices that consistently deliver reliable outcomes.
The discussion will cover:
- What to modernize first in an existing SQL environment, and what to leave unchanged
- Where governance, orchestration, and metadata management are most often underestimated
- How teams balance speed, cost control, and long-term scalability in Azure and Fabric
- Which migration patterns work in practice and which create long-term technical debt
Attendees will leave with actionable guidance and realistic expectations for modernizing SQL-based platforms while maintaining performance, reliability, and trust in the data.
Moderator
- Duan Uys, Solutions Architect, WhereScape
Panelists
- Carl Richards, Head of Consulting Services, Engaging Data
- Mike Magalsky, CEO & Founder, infoVia
- Lorenz Kindling, Managing Consultant, Scalefree
- Endika Pascual, Principal Solutions Architect, WhereScape
