Microsoft has released an updated SQL Server Migration Assistant (SSMA) tool to help administrators of local Microsoft Access or Oracle MySQL databases quickly and directly move data into the SQL Azure cloud. Here’s the scoop.

For the full technical nitty gritty, I suggest you take a look at Microsoft’s official blog post.

The first newly-enabled migration scenario Microsoft describes in its blog post is the ability to “upsize” Microsoft Access deployments to the SQL Azure cloud, enabling you to scale the database up once it reaches the limit of what you can do locally.

The blog post says the best part is that Access application front ends require minimal modification to work once thle database is in the cloud, so you can keep using what you’re using while “paying as you grow.” And if you’re using Access 2010, it can do it transparently in the backend, the company says.

The other new scenario is the ability to move MySQL databases to the cloud, which Microsoft says is a major aid in consolidating data. And, serving Microsoft’s goal, it means users are no longer using Oracle.

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