SQL Server Prerequisites

Source DB

1. The following permissions are mandatory for the source user in both cutover and non-cutover migrations.
   
   Note: These steps should be done by an existing db_owner of this particular db.

   USE db_name;
             
   CREATE USER dbreplicator_user FOR LOGIN dbreplicator_user; 
   ALTER ROLE [db_owner] ADD MEMBER dbreplicator_user; 
   GRANT VIEW DATABASE STATE to dbreplicator_user ; 
                
   USE master;
         
   GRANT VIEW SERVER STATE TO dbreplicator_user;
   

   Note: Replace <dbreplicator_user> with your desired username and <db_name> with your db to be migrated.
2. Check this section for other configurations required for cutover migration.

Target DB

1. If the target DB server is an AWS RDS instance, the default master use can be provided for the migration.
2. In case the target DB server is not an AWS RDS Instance, strictly follow the following guidelines in order to achieve an accurate migration:
3. In the target DB server, create the desired target DB (to be used for the migration) ‘YourDatabase’, using your default login (who now becomes the dbo of this DB).
4. Now follow the following steps (only in the target DB server):
   

   Use YourDatabase;
   GO
   
   CREATE LOGIN NewAccountName WITH PASSWORD= 'NewAccountPassword';
   GO
   
   IF NOT EXISTS (SELECT * FROM sys.database_principals WHERE name = N'NewAccountName')
   BEGIN
       CREATE USER [NewAccountName] FOR LOGIN [NewAccountName]
       EXEC sp_addrolemember N'db_owner', N'NewAccountName'
   END;
   GO

   Note: Replace `YourDatabase` with your migration target database; 'NewAccountName' with the desired account name; 'NewAccountPassword' with a desired password for the new account]
   

5. Please provide this new login’s username and password in the target DB user field, while starting the migration.
   Important note: This user should not have the 'sysadmin' role.

Live migration (cutover required) prerequisite

1. Enable Distribution in your source server. 
2. Follow this documentation for enabling replication on the server.
3. Follow this documentation to enable CDC for individual databases and/or tables.