SQL Server to BigQuery
real-time replication
TwinCommit replicates Microsoft SQL Server to Google BigQuery in real time by reading the SQL Server transaction log and applying every committed change exactly once and in commit order. Use it to feed BigQuery with live SQL Server data for analytics, AI and reporting, with no triggers or capture tables on the source.
SQL Server
log reader
commit-ordered · exactly-once
BigQuery
native writer
How capture works on SQL Server
TwinCommit reads the active and backed-up transaction log directly, so you do not need SQL Server Agent CDC jobs or change tables.
Prerequisites
- ✓FULL recovery model
- ✓Primary key on each replicated table
- ✓VIEW SERVER STATE and db_owner on the source database
How apply works on BigQuery
Changes stream through the BigQuery Storage Write API into staging tables and are applied with MERGE on a configurable interval, so deletes and updates are reflected exactly.
Requirements
- ✓A service account with BigQuery Data Editor and Job User
- ✓A dataset for staging tables
- ✓Primary keys declared on target tables (recommended)
Setup
Set up SQL Server → BigQuery in four steps
- 1
Prepare SQL Server
Run twincommit check. It verifies full recovery model and the other prerequisites, and prints the exact fix for anything missing.
- 2
Point at BigQuery
Add a target block for BigQuery. TwinCommit can generate target DDL with twincommit ddl -apply.
- 3
Snapshot
twincommit snapshot copies each table under a brief share lock and records the exact log position.
- 4
Stream
twincommit run streams every committed change from that position, exactly once and in commit order.
source:
type: sqlserver
dsn: ${SOURCE_DSN}
target:
type: bigquery
project: acme-analytics
dataset: replica
credentials_file: /secrets/bq.json
tables:
- source: SALES.ORDERS
- source: SALES.ORDER_LINES
exclude_columns: [INTERNAL_NOTES]SQL Server to BigQuery replication FAQ
How does TwinCommit replicate SQL Server to BigQuery?
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TwinCommit reads changes from the SQL Server transaction log, buffers them per transaction, and applies each committed transaction to BigQuery in commit order. Changes stream through the BigQuery Storage Write API into staging tables and are applied with MERGE on a configurable interval, so deletes and updates are reflected exactly.
Does SQL Server to BigQuery replication need triggers or capture tables?
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No. TwinCommit reads the SQL Server log directly and creates no objects in the source database.
Is SQL Server to BigQuery replication exactly-once?
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Yes. TwinCommit commits its checkpoint in the same BigQuery transaction as the data, so a crash or restart never loses or duplicates a transaction.
What SQL Server versions are supported?
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SQL Server 2016–2025 · Azure SQL Managed Instance · Azure SQL Database (target).
Stream SQL Server to BigQuery today.
Download the free Developer edition, or have one of our replication engineers walk you through a migration plan.