Database Compatibility Levels Left Behind Post-Upgrades & Migrations
What’s common with almost every Microsoft SQL Server I come across that’s recently been upgraded or migrated to? The user database compatibility levels are still stuck in the past on older SQL versions. The compatibility level remains on version of SQL the database was created on. This could be several versions back or a mixed bag of databases, all on different versions. When Microsoft SQL is upgraded or databases are migrated to newer versions, the compatibility levels don’t update. It must be done manually. It’s important to update those databases to the most recent version to take advantage of all the newer version’s features. Good news is it’s very simple to change and only take a minute.
Changing the compatibility level upwards doesn’t really hold any risks unless there’s linked servers involved that run on much older versions of SQL. Even then, it’s usually relatively safe change. If you’re unsure, check with your DBA or reach out to me for questions. All you need to do is right-click the database is SQL Server Management Studio, select “Properties”, choose “Options”, and update the drop-down selector for “Compatibility Level” to your current version of SQL Server. It’s important you don’t forget to update these settings after migrating or upgrading to a newer version of MS SQL Server.
Any questions, comments, or feedback are appreciated! Feel free to reach out to aturika@newtheme.jlizardo.com for any SQL Server questions you might have!
