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MICROSOFT MASTER DATA SERVICES MIGRATION

Replace Microsoft Master Data Services with CluedIn

Microsoft has removed Master Data Services (MDS) from SQL Server 2025. CluedIn gives organisations a controlled route from MDS to graph-native Agentic Master Data Management.

✓
Connect your existing MDS environment, migrate in stages, validate outputs side by side and cut over without forcing a big-bang replacement.
migrate Microsoft Master Data Services (MDS) to Azure with Cluedin
THE DESTINATION
Modern MDM built for governed data, analytics and AI.
2025
SQL Server version where MDS was removed
WHY THIS MATTERS NOW

MDS is still supported.
But the direction is clear.

Master Data Services remains supported in SQL Server 2022 and earlier. Existing environments do not suddenly stop working.

MDS is no longer part of the forward SQL Server platform. Organisations planning SQL Server upgrades, Fabric adoption or wider data modernisation now need a replacement strategy.
MODERNISE, DON'T JUST MIGRATE

Don't rebuild MDS
somewhere else.

Mature MDS environments contain years of models, entities, attributes, rules, hierarchies, identifiers and downstream dependencies.

Recreating every object in another platform can simply preserve the architecture you are trying to leave behind.

CluedIn helps preserve the business logic and contracts that still matter, while replacing legacy patterns with a modern MDM operating model.

THE IMPORTANT SHIFT
The goal is not to reproduce MDS object for object.
Preserve what matters while improving how mastering, quality, governance and distribution work.
CHOOSE YOUR MIGRATION PATH

Three ways to migrate from MDS to CluedIn

You do not have to switch everything at once. Choose the route that fits your architecture, risk profile and timeline.

01

Connect directly to MDS

CluedIn can crawl Microsoft SQL Server MDS using direct connectivity or Azure Relay where MDS remains inside a protected network.

Best suited to Coexistence, side-by-side validation and controlled transition.
02

Ingest existing SQL outputs

Existing MDS subscription views or curated SQL extracts can become ingestion surfaces for CluedIn.
 

Best suited to Mature estates with well-understood SQL publishing contracts.
03

Use a hybrid migration

Start with MDS, validate CluedIn outputs, then progressively move ingestion toward source systems or cleaner long-term data feeds.

Best suited to Complex estates, multiple domains and lower-risk modernisation.
Data governance and stewardship in CluedIn
Golden record merge in CluedIn
CONCEPT MAPPING

How MDS concepts map to CluedIn

The core business concepts remain familiar, but a modern platform does not need to implement every MDS concept in exactly the same way.

MDS Model
→
Data model scope across Business Domains
Entity
→
Business Domain
Member
→
Mastered record
Attribute
→
Vocabulary Key
Domain-based attribute
→
Relationship between Business Domains
Business rules
→
Rules, survivorship and publishing controls
Hierarchies
→
Relationships and classification structures
Subscription views
→
Streams + Export Targets
Change tracking
→
Event log Streams
MDS business rules should be translated, not blindly copied.
Validation, survivorship, quality exceptions, workflows and publishing controls can each move into the CluedIn capability best suited to the requirement.
BEYOND MDS

Move from legacy MDM to Agentic MDM.

The destination does not need to be "MDS hosted somewhere else".

CluedIn combines enterprise Master Data Management with a persistent knowledge graph and governed AI agents, giving organisations a modern foundation for trusted data, analytics, automation and AI.

Agentic Master Data Management delivering graph-native mastering, continuous data quality, governed AI agent and all part of the Microsoft ecosystem
01
Graph-native mastering
Manage customers, products, suppliers and other domains as connected entities and relationships.
02
Continuous data quality
Validate, standardise, enrich, match and merge data while maintaining trusted Golden Records.
03
Governed AI agents
Automate validation, enrichment, classification and remediation with oversight and auditability.
04
Microsoft ecosystem
Connect MDM with Microsoft Fabric, Purview, Power Platform and the wider Azure environment.
MIGRATION JOURNEY

A controlled migration,
not a leap of faith.

Prove the new architecture first. Then move consumers progressively.

1
Understand
Inventory the entities, identifiers, rules, hierarchies and downstream consumers that genuinely matter.
2
Connect
Bring MDS data into CluedIn through direct connectivity, Azure Relay, SQL outputs or a hybrid approach.
3
Prove
Run CluedIn alongside MDS and reconcile mastered outputs before disrupting existing consumers.
4
Modernise
Translate rules, relationships, quality controls and publishing patterns into the new operating model.
5
Cut over
Move downstream consumers incrementally rather than forcing one enterprise-wide switchover.
6
Retire
Remove the remaining MDS dependency once the required domains and contracts are proven in production.
MICROSOFT MDS MIGRATION FAQS

Common questions about replacing MDS

Is Microsoft Master Data Services discontinued?

Microsoft has removed Master Data Services from SQL Server 2025. MDS remains supported in SQL Server 2022 and earlier versions, so existing implementations do not immediately stop working.

What replaces Master Data Services in SQL Server 2025?

SQL Server 2025 does not include a like-for-like replacement for MDS. Organisations therefore need to remain temporarily on an earlier supported release, build replacement capabilities or migrate to a dedicated Master Data Management platform such as CluedIn.

Can CluedIn migrate data directly from Microsoft MDS?

Yes. CluedIn can crawl Microsoft SQL Server Master Data Services. Depending on the environment, this can use direct connectivity or Azure Relay for on-premises deployments without a routable network path to CluedIn.

Can MDS and CluedIn run side by side during migration?

Yes. A coexistence approach allows CluedIn to consume existing MDS data while teams validate mastering behaviour and downstream outputs before individual consumers are moved across.

Can MDS business rules be migrated to CluedIn?

The underlying business requirements can be retained, but CluedIn recommends translating rather than simply copying MDS business rules. Validation, survivorship, quality exceptions, workflows and publishing controls can be implemented using the appropriate CluedIn capabilities.

What replaces MDS subscription views in CluedIn?

CluedIn uses Streams and Export Targets to publish mastered data. Synchronized mode can provide mastered datasets to downstream consumers, while Event log mode supports change-based and event-driven integration.

Is CluedIn simply a replacement for MDS?

No. CluedIn can replace the role MDS performs within an enterprise architecture, but it is not designed as an MDS clone. It combines modern MDM, data quality, entity resolution, governance, graph-based relationships and governed AI agents.

START WITH WHAT MATTERS

Ready to plan your move from MDS?

You do not need to recreate years of MDS architecture before moving forward. Start with the domains and downstream systems that matter most, prove the new mastered outputs, then move consumers across at a pace the business can support.

Talk to us about your MDS migration Read the technical playbook