Microsoft Master Data Services is deprecated in SQL Server 2025 and removed entirely from new versions. SQL Server 2022 is the last version that includes MDS, with mainstream support ending 11 January 2028 and extended support through 11 January 2033. Organizations running MDS must plan a migration path.
Microsoft MDS is reaching end of life
MDS was removed from SQL Server 2025. SQL Server 2022 — the last version that includes it — loses mainstream support on 11 January 2028, though security patches run to 2033. The real deadline is not the patch date: it is the next time you need to upgrade that SQL Server instance.
What's happening to MDS
Microsoft is winding Master Data Services down on a fixed timeline. Here are the dates that matter — and if you want the work they imply, our Microsoft MDS end of life checklist walks through it step by step.
Am I affected?
Pick the SQL Server version you run Master Data Services on.
Your options before the deadline
You have time, but a plan beats a scramble. The practical path for most teams:
Five real MDS replacements with pricing, pros, and cons — from like-for-like to full enterprise MDM.
Compare alternatives →See how an MDS migration actually works: export your models with one SQL query, import in minutes.
How migration works →Run Primentra on your own SQL Server with a 60-day trial and migrate a model in under an hour.
Download free →Frequently asked questions
Yes. Microsoft Master Data Services was removed from SQL Server 2025 and is no longer available in any new versions. SQL Server 2022 is the last version that includes MDS. While it continues to receive security patches until 11 January 2033, you cannot upgrade to a newer SQL Server version while running MDS.
MDS mainline support ends 11 January 2028 when SQL Server 2022 exits mainstream support. Security-only (extended) support continues until 11 January 2033. The practical deadline, however, is when your infrastructure requires an SQL Server upgrade — at that point MDS is no longer an option.
Several alternatives exist, ranging from like-for-like replacements to full enterprise MDM platforms. Primentra is a self-hosted replacement built for SQL Server with a built-in migration wizard that imports MDS models — entities, attributes, hierarchies, and domain values — in minutes. Other options include Informatica, Semarchy, SAP MDG, and Stibo.
No — SQL Server 2022 is patched to 11 January 2033, so there is no security emergency. But you should not wait for a forced SQL Server upgrade to discover MDS is gone. Evaluate alternatives and run a proof-of-concept migration now, while you can run both systems in parallel.
Primentra is a like-for-like MDS replacement on the same SQL Server foundation. Its built-in migration wizard exports your MDS models with one SQL query and imports them — entities, attributes, hierarchies, and domain values — in minutes. This is the fastest path for organizations that need MDS functionality without a platform rewrite.
Don't wait for the upgrade that breaks MDS
Compare the five best MDS alternatives and plan a low-risk move while you still can run both systems in parallel.
See your MDS alternatives