Being forked from Borland’s InterBase in 2000, nowadays Firebird is a popular open-source relational database management system that is distributed as freeware. It is known for its lightweight engine that performs well on small to medium-sized databases with support for multi-user environments. However, it lacks some advanced features that are available in other popular DBMSs such as integrated replication, full-text search, point-in-time recovery, and others. As a result, many companies may choose to migrate their databases from Firebird to more capable DBMSs that offer additional benefits.

One such DBMS that companies may consider migrating to is MySQL. MySQL is an open-source and free DBMS that offers advanced features such as data security, complete transactional support, and tight integration with the web. However, manual database migration from Firebird to MySQL can be a complicated and tedious process, especially for large corporate databases. There are differences between the two DBMSs that must be handled properly to avoid errors and data loss:

• unique types supported by Firebird or Interbase that do not have direct equivalent in MySQL, for example “blob sub_type 1”
• semantic of escaped strings and literal data representation inside SQL statements in MySQL differs from Firebird or Interbase

To simplify the database migration process and avoid errors and data loss, special tools are available on the market. One such tool is the Firebird to MySQL converter developed by Intelligent Converters. This converter reads Firebird or InterBase database files directly and does not require database server or any other 3rd party installations. It supports all versions of MySQL servers installed on Linux/Unix/Windows platforms, including MariaDB and Percona, as well as cloud-based solutions.

The Firebird to MySQL converter offers several valuable features to simplify the migration process. It converts tables, data, indexes, and constraints with all necessary properties. Users can modify the structure of the destination table, change the name, type, and other attributes of any column, and exclude it from the conversion. All conversion settings are stored in a profile for future runs. The converter also offers an option to synchronize MySQL database with Firebird or InterBase data (only insert- and update-sync is supported) and convert Firebird or InterBase databases into MySQL script (direct connection to MySQL, MariasDB or Percona server is not required for this approach). The converter supports command-line arguments to script, automate, and schedule the migration. The user-friendly interface of Firebird to MySQL converter makes it easy to use, and it also comes with full install/uninstall support.

Visit official site of Intelligent Converters to find more details about their tool for database migration from Firebird or Interbase to MySQL, MariasDB or Percona.