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I just got a very big dataset (+/-55GB) in a binary SQL Server format.

Is there an easy way to import this file into a Postgresql Server? I found some converter-programs, but they 'only' convert from server to server and not file to file or file to server.

I don't have access to a SQL Server, so importing it and using this temporary as a source is not an option. Nor am I an expert in SQL Server programs...

I hope somebody here has a solution....

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What you are seeing is SQL Server data pages in a backup file. Or a SQL Server data file (.MDF). Either way, is is a collection of 8k data pages.

These would be restored or attached to a SQL Server.
They are not conveniently readable without a SQL Server install.

No SQL Server = no access to the data. Quite simple.

If you don't have access to a SQL Server install, why on earth do you have a SQL Server data file/backup? What do you or your source expect you to do with it?

So, your solution is clear: ask your source to export the data to CSV and provide the database design.
Then you implement and import into PostgreSQL.

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  • Just to be clear, it's not my backup. Offcourse when I make a backup I know how to handle those. This dataset is shared with us to do some research upon. They just gave us this dataset in this format. Before going back to the source I was wondering if it were possible to 'read' this file. I hoped it was possible to produce an SQL file from this backup without using an sql-server install.
    – stUrb
    Commented Dec 12, 2014 at 9:33
  • Not in any readable or useful way. For example, Red Gate Compare tools can read backups but only to compare against another live SQL Server database. Not to read for ETL or to extract data
    – gbn
    Commented Dec 12, 2014 at 9:36
  • That's a shame. Maybe I'll just install a evaluation/trial for sql-sesrver and export it myself then.
    – stUrb
    Commented Dec 12, 2014 at 9:39
  • The format is proprietary and changes between versions, so it's not easy for anyone (but Microsoft) to create a tool that reads these files. You'll need developer edition of SQL-Server (costs about 50$) as the free Express edition cannot handle databases larger than 10GB.
    – ypercubeᵀᴹ
    Commented Dec 12, 2014 at 9:52
  • I just installed the 180 day trial of SQLserver 2014 And am now trying to import the data. Not successfull yet, but I'm just started to find out how sqlserver works.
    – stUrb
    Commented Dec 12, 2014 at 9:57

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