Visual Studio Database Tools (aka SQL Server Data Tools) Dave Fackler Louisville SQL Server Users Group Chapter Lead BI Architect davef@rollinghillsky.com

Agenda Naming and version confusion Features of the database tools Using the database tools in the real world

Naming and Version Confusion Visual Studio 2013 Database tooling is built in (SQL Server 2014 and prior versions)  Visual Studio 2012 SQL Server Data Tools (SQL Server 2014 and prior versions)  Visual Studio 2010 SQL Server Data Tools is no longer available (believe it or not)  Visual Studio 2008 Visual Studio for Database Professionals is no longer available (sigh)  SQL Server Data Tools – BI (for VS 2012 and VS 2013) Separate download that provides the BI designers (really Microsoft??)  SQL Server Data Tools installed with SQL Server 2012 This is really just the SQL Server Data Tools – BI product for VS 2010 (wow) 

Features Import and manage/develop database objects in a VS project Schemas, tables, views Stored procedures, functions, triggers Anything that can be defined in SSMS can be defined in a project Refactor support (change schema, rename objects/columns, etc.) Analyze database for “best practices” Publish changes Push changes from database project to database server Automatically generates all scripts needed to update database server Easy to publish to different servers (development, test, QA, production)

Demo

Features Schema compare Data compare SQL Server Object Explorer Compare database project to database deployed to server (or vice versa) Compare database project to snapshots of the project (or vice versa) Review all differences found, optionally update target from source Data compare Select tables (or views) with same schema on two servers Tables (or views) must be supported by primary key, unique index or constraint Review differences (only in source or target, different records, identical records) Optionally update target with data changes SQL Server Object Explorer

Demo

Using the Tools When creating a new database, I prefer to start in SSMS Create new database (files, filegroups, database options, etc.) Potentially create schemas Then create VS project and import database When designing database objects, I tend to move back and forth I like the table design experience in Visual Studio (and love refactoring) For views and stored procedures, I tend to use both Highlighting code in SSMS query window and running that code is easy Doing the same in Visual Studio requires opening a separate query window Then I use Schema Compare, Publish, and Project Snapshots as needed

Using the Tools Using Schema Compare Using Data Compare I use this tool a LOT! Schema Compare to find differences and bring targets up-to-date Project to server or server to project Server to server (development to test, test to QA, QA to production, etc.) Use snapshots of project to “freeze” database design before major changes Using Data Compare Data Compare to find data differences and bring targets up-to-date Pull data from production to development, test, QA servers Compare data between servers to validate various changes across servers

Using the Tools Integration with TFS (or other source control system) Works well when database design is in a project in Visual Studio Check-out object designs, make changes, publish and test, check-in Use other TFS feature like View History, Compare, Work Items, etc. Works much better than SSMS’s integration with TFS For those most familiar with SSMS Moving to Visual Studio will seem like an alien (and cumbersome) environment But, features like the Table Designer, Schema Compare, etc. are nice to have BI Developers familiar with Visual Studio BI designers will be more at home For developers who work in Visual Studio most of the time Provides a nice feature set for designing and dealing with databases

Louisville SQL Server Users Group Q&A Dave Fackler davef@rollinghillsky.com (270) 945-5070 Louisville SQL Server Users Group http://louisville.sqlpass.org